[1] In 2004 the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs reported that its hotline received more than 700 calls from children reporting abuse. Interesting Franois Duvalier Facts: 26-30. Today, the Haitian currency is called gourdes.. Fresh, simple, and regional, the flavors of many cultures shine through Haitian cuisine. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. An early defender of more humane treatment of the Tano was the Spanish priest Bartolom de Las Casas. Descendants of African slaves make up 95% of Haitis population. Haiti was originally inhabited circa 5000 BC by Indigenous peoples said to have arrived from Central or South America. Haitis former president, Francois Duvalier (Papa Doc), created the National Security Volunteers in 1957. In Jonesboro, GA, it is illegal to say "Oh, boy.". Haiti is one of the least developed yet most densely populated countries in the Western Hemisphere. The law protects the whales and promotes conservation efforts. To learn more about these people, here are a few Haitian facts. Even though today there are many legal options for home beer making, if you're caught with the books you can be fined or do some jail time. This exodus weakened Haiti because it was left with fewer and fewer skilled workers to run businesses, health centers, government offices, and schools. Accessed: March 20, 2010. Some items can't be sold on Sundays. "Dumb Laws" Across the United States It Is Prohibited To Harass Big Foot (Washington) In the US state of Washington, it is a crime punishable by either a fine or a jail term to harass big foot, Sasquatch, or any other undiscovered species. During the 18th-century, Haiti was the French Empires richest colony. Duvalier authorized more than 10,000 Tonton Macoute, organized in 500 sections across the country, to maintain complete control over the population. In 1959, Franois Duvalier formed a paramilitary force[12] known as the Tonton Macoute, named after a mythic Haitian character who kidnapped misbehaving children, carried them off in a bag and ate them for breakfast. Experts claim that it will take decades for Haiti to recover from the January 2010 earthquake. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Only 628 miles (1,011km.) Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications,2006. "[14], The Tonton Macoute continued to openly terrorise the population until they were officially disbanded after Jean-Claude Duvalier was forced from the presidency and went into exile in 1986.[12]. While Christopher Columbus claimed Haiti for Spain in 1492, it was the French who truly colonized the island. These games require a license from the Kansspelcommissie or no-one wins any financial gain. This was meant to prevent the spread of African swine fever, but it devastated Haitian peasant wealth. Source, 8. Most Haitians speak Creole, particularly during social settings, and then use French in school and professional workplaces. Source, 7. Frogs are known as a barometer species that indicate environmental health which gives hope to conservation efforts in a country undergoing rapid deforestation. Students learn their lessons in both French and Creole. Pirate activity off the northern coast of Haiti weakened Spanish control in Hispaniola and, in 1697. Haiti has five mountain ranges, namely Massif du Nord, Montagnes Noires, Massif de la Hotte, Massif de la Selle and Chain de Mateaux. Over 40% of the population is under 14 years old, creating a high dependency ratio. The worlds largest solar-powered hospital is in rural Haiti and its capable of producing more than 100 percent of its required energy. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001. You can only have one alcoholic drink in front of you at any given time. From legends of elves to a decades-long ban on beer, the Christmas Book Flood to state-owned milk stores, there are loads of quirks and weird facts about Iceland's . Haiti is one of the most beautiful countries in the Caribbean with its misty mountain tops, golden beaches, and turquoise waters. The United States is 3,794,100 square miles (9,826,675 sq. The infant mortality rate in Haiti is high at 74 deaths per 1,000 births. While today, Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, the exchange rate of the Haitian gourde was once tied with the US dollar. The remaining 5% comprises people of mixed European and African descent (Haitian mulattos) and some of European descent. Georgia is not the place to go ticking people off. What's the punishment for dying the death penalty lol. From Spain to Austria: 13 interesting laws across Europe, Local Laws and Customs in Vietnam: Know Before You Go, How to Avoid Crime & Corruption in Indonesia, Laws in Mexico: Illegal Things Travelers Shouldn't Do, Crime in New Zealand: What You Need To Know, It is illegal to wear camouflage clothing in several countries in the Caribbean including, It's illegal to shout offensive words in any public place in, If you're on a bike, you must keep both feet on the pedals, Any kind of nude artistic display is verboten, It's against the law to drive while wearing flip-flops. [21] The practice meets formal international definitions of modern day slavery and child trafficking, and is believed to affect an estimated 300,000 Haitian children. Diseases such as hookworm and typhoid, which are transmitted by contaminated food and water, are common in Haiti. The Biden administration has been under fire for its treatment of Haitian migrants after footage showed border patrol agents on horseback corralling asylum seekers and shouting at them to return to Mexico. Now micro stamping has been proposed by Governor Murphy, and it exists in California. The prime minister is then the head of government and is appointed by the president. An unmarried woman cannot go skydiving on a Sunday, It is illegal to sing while wearing a bathing suit, It's illegal to skateboard without a skateboarding license. Get Updates And Stay Connected to the latest offers and news from the Caribbean. The United States did not recognize Haiti as an independent nation until 1862 even though it was freed in 1804. Missionary is the only legal sexual position. These ranged from the Sacatra which were seven-eighths black, to the several varieties of Sangmeles, which are only one-sixteenth black. While Haiti was once a land of riches, the country is now one of the poorest in the Western Hemisphere. Kompa was developed from Meringue, said to be the countrys national music genre since the 1800s. The remaining 20% are state-run. [7], During the occupation roads and other public works projects were built by the corve labourforced, unpaid workof Haitian peasants. Prison conditions in Haiti are very poor. [13] "The macoutes were Papa Doc's version of brownshirts and the Waffen SS, except that their usual uniform was blue jeans, T-shirts, sunglasses, and they carried clubs or pistols," wrote journalist and author Herbert Gold in Best Nightmare on Earth: A Life in Haiti. Admittedly, most of these weird laws are either unlikely to be enforced or unlikely to come up in the first place. Written Creole is not broadly accepted as the countrys education system retains French as the primary language. [1] UNICEF estimates that 2,000 to 3,000 Haitian children per year are trafficked to the Dominican Republic. The stunning Caribbean island once known as Ayiti is truly amazing and has plenty to offer, from its rich culture to its friendly people, and here are a few fun facts about Haiti. Haiti is the most mountainous nation in the Caribbean. After the 2010 earthquake, some. 4I%{1Jv.~T/Nk+*J]G_k6kU97>[_+UriV2jV-RVOV BPZu{qE,zyq^%1?4Xv. 10Women, Girls Rape Victims in Haiti Quake Aftermath. The New York Times. All countries have their set of weird customs and laws and Iceland is no exception. Most HIV/AIDS viruses in the US descended from a common ancestor from Haiti who arrived in the US in 1969. If there is one place people are most likely to get drunk, it is a bar. The church is something taken very seriously in Alabama. February 23, 2023 31:39. I came to realize that black slavery was as unjust as Indian slaveryand I was not sure that my ignorance and good faith would secure me in the eyes of God," Las Casas wrote in The History of the Indies in 1527. The rest of the country is surrounded by water, with the Atlantic Ocean on the north and the Caribbean Sea covering the west and south sides. Galveston has sit/lie laws that will get you a $500 fine for blocking sidewalks. "Following restoration of order, a treaty providing for United States control over Haitian finances, customs, police, public works, sanitation, and medical services were concluded with the client Haitian government," according to the Navy Department Library. 3 . Their eventual victory was the first successful slave revolt and helped establish Haiti as the first black republic. In Barcelona, you can be fined for wearing swimwear anyplace other than the beach, as well as for spitting. Source, 26. Well send you a link to a feedback form. [24] Unlike slaves in the traditional sense, restaveks can run away or return to their families, and are typically released from servitude when they become adults; however, the restavek system is commonly understood to be a form of slavery. Hawaii Haitis southern peninsula is very vulnerable to hurricanes (tropical cyclones) in comparison to other regions. -Article 40 of the Beijing Traffic Laws. 13 Weird Laws In Quebec That Make Absolutely No Sense At All You're probably a lawbreaker. However, if the child is more than 6 months old, the mother faces a fine (via Stupid Laws ). Haiti also has a small population of Middle Easterners, descendants of Syrian and Lebanese people who came to Haiti in the nineteenth century. Among the early settlers were the Ciboney people, later followed by the Tano people. It is illegal to kiss while riding on a train, It's illegal to take pictures of police officers or police vehicles, even if they're just in the background, You must wear Speedo-style bathing suits that leave nothing to the imagination to go swimming in many pools. From outlawing activities that should be simple common sense to avoid, to laws that are clearly never enforced, these 21 weird laws in Hawaii will leave you scratching your head, wondering how exactly they came to be enacted. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. They're seen as more hygienic than loose board shorts. Even before the 2010 earthquake, only 54% of Haitians had access to sanitation facilities (toilets, indoor plumbing, sewer systems). Experience its wonder and beauty with our interesting Swaziland facts. Today, this once-rich country is often associated with negativity and hardship. Within twenty-five years of Columbus arrival in Haiti, the majority of the Tano people had died as a result of disease, slavery, and massacre. Weird Laws: Pennsylvania Ben Brainard 825K subscribers Join Subscribe 8.3K 179K views 1 year ago Every state has it's weird laws, and Pennsylvania is no exception! To pay this, Haiti had to borrow money from and pay interest to French banks. According to its Constitution and written laws, Haiti meets most international human rights standards. A Voodoo ceremony united the people of Haiti and began the Haitian revolution in 1791. All rights reserved. We round up some of the weirdest laws around the world, from not allowing your chicken to cross the road or preventing your donkey from sleeping in the bath to never refusing a stranger the use of your bathroom and more. force must be met with the same force. The poorest groups spend more than 70%. [3] According to the historian Laurent Dubois, between 5 and 10 percent of slaves died every year due to overwork and disease, a rate that outpaced births. Despite initial denials and investigations, most evidence now suggests that the disease was actually introduced to Haiti by Nepalese soldiers at a UN base, before spreading through the population. Natural disasters, poverty, child labor, and hunger struggles are often at the forefront of any conversation regarding this beautiful country. Allegations of torture and kidnapping are common whereas the number of Haitian citizens imprisoned without trial is huge. The Seamen's and Soldiers' False Characters Act 1906 renders it illegal for a person to pretend to be in the armed forces, and the Police Act 1996 says the same thing for anyone dressed as a fake. Anemia affects 59% of Haitian children between the ages of six months and five years. Source, 25. Eighty percent of Haitians are Roman Catholic, 16% are Protestant, and 4% are other. Haiti disbanded its armed forces in 1995 because of dozens of military coups that had occurred in the countrys history. Haiti has a hot and humid tropical climate. More than half of Haitian imports come from the United States, and more than 80% of its exports go to the United States. - Source 23. Local attitudes towards the LGBT community are mostly conservative throughout the Caribbean. Contact us for full details. The debt was later reduced to 90 million francs but it was not until 1947 that Haiti had paid off what many have regarded as an immoral and illegal debt. Honor killings for adultery were legal until 2005 in Haiti. 4 0 obj "They were loyal only to Papa Doc. After that, the Haitian government allowed the exchange rate to float. The Western Hemispheres largest mountain top fortress, the Citadelle Laferrire, is also found in Haiti. Because of this, the island was nicknamed La Perle des Antilles, translated in English as Pearl of the Antilles.. (Thus the need for your passport.) Alabama 3) It's a punishable offence to throw (used) chewing gum on the pavement. Author, statesmen, and ex-slave Frederick Douglass (c. 1818-1895) was an ambassador to Haiti. 25% of Haitian children age 517 live away from their biological parents. Each of these kingdoms was governed by a chief who then preceded over districts and villages. During radical ex-priest Jean-Bertrand Aristides second term as president, the government established Voodoo as a state religion along with. stream Thankfully, because it's one of the weirdest laws around the world, we're guessing it never really has to be enforced. If an unmarried man and woman register at a hotel as a married couple, they are legally married. In 1801, ex-slave Toussaint LOuverture (1743-1803) led nearly one-half million Haitian slaves against Haitis French colonialists. [24] Increasingly, paid middlemen act as recruiters to place children with host families, and it is becoming more common to place children with strangers. "I soon repented and judged myself guilty of ignorance. 1. Haiti has a deep, rich history and the distinction of being the worlds first Black-led republic and the first independent Caribbean country. This weird law exists because one of the volumes contains a recipe for making beer at home. The historic events that led up to this are detailed in books like The Common Wind: Afro-American Currents in the Age of the Haitian Revolution by Julius Scott and The Black Jacobins: Toussaint Louverture and the San Domingo Revolution by C L R James. An estimated 25-40% of children under five suffer chronic malnutrition. The northern and southern ends experience much more rainfall, with long wet seasons. a\{ New Orleans also mandates you keep at least one hand on your bike handlebars at all times. Following a series of events including the 2010 earthquake, Haitis government now sits with a large sum of foreign debt. In 1966, Duvalier managed to earn a one-time permission from Holy See to nominate Haiti's Catholic hierarchy. The design of the Haiti flag is inspired by the French tricolor flag. The Republic of Haiti. Electric fences are banned. Edward II passed the law in response to being bullied and weakened by his rambunctious barons and noblemen. Source, 4. Its only fitting given the countrys nickname Land of Mountains. [7], In 1916, the U.S. military started a Haitian army that would later become the Garde d'Haiti. You have accepted additional cookies. Good luck compiling good information, not easy to do, but you should rely on locals who know their stuff to be sure! This had the tragic side effect of the importation of African slaves to replace the labor of the diminishing Tano. The Citadel is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Haiti, Haiti is one of the least developed yet most densely populated countries in the Western Hemisphere, Toussaint LOuverture was the best-known leader of the Haitian Revolution, Anacaona was rebellious and independent until her violent public death, More than 10% of Haitian children die before age five, The term "restavek" comes from the French language, Vibrant and brimming with natural beauty, Costa Rica boasts a land of adventure and culture.