Haiti has two official languages, French and Krèol (Creole). Creole is a mixture of French and many other African languages, created by Haitian slaves. Most of the words are simplified and have French origin. Although French was Haiti’s original language until 1987, only 10% of their population speaks it. The kids learn French almost as a second language and Haitians usually only use it during formal occasions.

            Haiti is located at 72° W longitude and 19° N latitude. It is one third of a small island (west of Dominican Republic) called Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea. It is around the same size as Maryland. Haiti’s land use is 5% forested, 18% pastures, 33% agricultural cultivated, and 44% other. In Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, it can be 85°F in the winter alone! Haiti has many mountains and most of them cut off trade winds.

       The president of Haiti is elected to a five-year term. The parliament of Haiti is called the National Assembly and makes all of the Haiti's laws. Also the “upper house” has 27 members, these members are elected to a six-year term. The “lower house” is called The Chamber of Deputies and has 83 members. The Haitians elect them to a four-year term.

       80% of the Haitians are Catholic, 16% are protestant, an estimated 50% of the Haitians practice Voodoo. Voodoo is Haiti's national religion. It combines different African beliefs and practices with Catholicism. It is different than many other religions because there's no central authority and no scripture.  Also, Voodoo doesn't have anything like sin. So a person that acts the wrong way does not offend  God and does not suffer consequences. Voodoo is also based on songs and dances, and many other things. The leaders of Voodoo are priests and priestesses. Both sexes are treated equally . 

       Legba is the Loa between humans and their gods. Also, he is invoked before any Voodoo ceremony is held. The female Loas are Erzulie and Danabla. Erzulie closely resembles Virgin Mary of the Catholic Church. Danabla is in charge of the rainfall. Her symbol is a serpent; unlike a Christian symbol, it is not evil.

        The Haitian sport that almost all Haitians play is soccer. Haitians play soccer all over the country. On the other hand, Haiti’s main festival is Mardi Gras. The celebration Mardi Gras is really big in Haiti. Mardi Gras takes place twice in a year. One begins January 6^th every year and the other Mardi Gras festival begins May 1^st. The January 6^th Mardi Gras is more popular than the one in May. Both Mardi Gras festivals last for 4 days. One of the most important holidays in Haiti ,Saut d’ Eau, is on July 16.  Haitians wash away all the bad luck on this holiday. Another very important Haitian holiday is Christmas where everybody goes to midnight mass for Christmas Eve, then home for a celebration dinner. They try to make the best dinner for the celebration. Haiti has a lot of holidays, like here in the U.S.A.

        Haitians have a lot of things to entertain themselves. They like sailing, windsurfing, surfing, sea kayaking, hiking, rock climbing, mountaineering, cycle, mountain biking, horseback riding, river rafting, and caving. Haitians like to do all of those things for entertainment.

            Haitians mainly eat pois ac duriz colles (rice and beans). Many meals include wild green vegetables and tropical fruits like avocados, breadfruit, and mangoes. Meat is not a common part of their diet. If there were meat at the table one night, it would be goat, pork, or fish. Haitians usually have a meal at dawn, midday, and late afternoon. Rural Haitians have one meal a day; mostly it is porridge made of rice or corn. They have a market, too. It opens around  5:00 AM and sells bread, fried bananas, fruit, meat, flour, codfish, and vegetables.

            Haitian clothing is usually colorful and bright. Women usually sew their clothes with a type of lightweight cotton. Men wear short-sleeved shirts and cotton trousers. Women wear bright, full skirts and wide-necked blouses. Shoes are considered important. Many Haitians go barefoot through a field and put their shoes on when they reach a road, just to avoid getting them dirty. Haitians wear homemade sandals made out of whatever materials they can find, even old automobile tires!