Haiti

American  

[hey-tee] / ˈheɪ ti /

noun

1. Formerly Hayti.  a republic in the West Indies occupying the western part of the island of Hispaniola. 10,714 sq. mi. (27,750 sq. km). Port-au-Prince.

2. Also Hayti a former name of Hispaniola.

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Haiti British  

/ ˈheɪtɪ, hɑːˈiːtɪ /

noun

1. a republic occupying the W part of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, the E part consisting of the Dominican Republic: ceded by Spain to France in 1697 and became one of the richest colonial possessions in the world, with numerous plantations; slaves rebelled under Toussaint L'Ouverture in 1793 and defeated the French; taken over by the US (1915–41) after long political and economic chaos; under the authoritarian regimes of François Duvalier ('Papa Doc') (1957–71) and his son Jean-Claude Duvalier ('Baby Doc') (1971–86); returned to civilian rule in 1990, but another coup in 1991 brought military rule, which was ended in 1994 with US intervention. Official languages: French and Haitian creole. Religions: Roman Catholic and voodoo. Currency: gourde. Capital: Port-au-Prince. Pop: 9 893 934 (2013 est). Area: 27 749 sq km (10 714 sq miles)

2. a former name for Hispaniola

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Haiti Cultural  

1. Republic in the West Indies, on the western third of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Its capital and largest city is Port-au-Prince.

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Discover More

With its extremely low average income and literacy rate, Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.

In 1957, François (“Papa Doc”) Duvalier established a dictatorship; at his death in 1971, he was succeeded by his son, Jean Claude (“Baby Doc”), who was finally overthrown in 1986. Since then the government has changed several times through military coups. In 1994, U.S. troops arrived in Haiti in an effort to restore democratic government, however, the political and economic future of Haiti remains uncertain.

Example Sentences

The Anatoly Kolodkin, which is carrying 730,000 barrels of crude, was north of Haiti on Sunday as it headed towards the port of Matanzas in western Cuba, according to maritime analytics firm Kpler.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

Scotland's men will be decked out in navy blue - or now pinstripe salmon-pink - when they face Haiti, Morocco and Brazil at the World Cup this summer.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

In the interim, the court preserved the lower courts’ orders, keeping TPS in place for Syria and Haiti until it hands down a decision.

From Slate • Mar. 17, 2026

The Obama administration originally designated Haiti for the TPS program in 2010 after a catastrophic earthquake devastated the country.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

It is the most passionate of Farmer’s books, exploring the complicated history of American policy toward Haiti.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French