It was one of those news weeks where journalists barely have time to eat.
There was no shortage of major news this week: Leno got his old time slot back; Conan refused to be bumped. House members grilled Wall Street bank executives, and Google said it may pull the Internet search plug on China after some accounts were hacked. U.S. missiles aimed to kill the Taliban leader in Pakistan but failed. And the biggest story of all, Haiti's earthquake.
With all these big stories to choose from, we’re offering some key points about a country that is in ruins—facts beyond the quake to remember as the world (hopefully) works to rebuild Haiti.
- Once a rich island: In 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on an island in the Caribbean, claimed it for Spain and called it Hispaniola; native Tainos were virtually wiped out. Spain ceded Hispaniola to France in 1697, and thanks to sugar and coffee crops it became a very rich colony. Today Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with another country, the Dominican Republic.
- First black republic: 95% of Haitians are of African descent. The French brought ove
r hundreds of thousands of African slaves to work the plantations and in 1791 the slaves revolted, establishing what is considered the world’s oldest black republic.
- A very young population: 40% of Haiti’s population is under the age of 14 (vs. 20% in the U.S.and China), and the State Department says only 1 in 8 children make it to age 5. Total population is 9 million, about the size of New York City. French is one of two official languages, but only about 10% of the population speaks it fluently. Creole is the main language. Voodoo is a recognized religion, but 80% are Roman Catholics.
- No police force of its own: Since 2004, the United Nations has provided military troops and a police force for Haiti.
- No political stability: Political unrest has plagued Haiti for almost two centuries. From U.S.-backed dictators to coups to military and peacekeeping occupations led by the U.S. or the U.N.
- Economic situation: Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world and the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, largely due to the political instability and lack of investment and suitable land for farming (the Dominican Republic's side of the island has more arable land). It’s also difficult to retain skilled workers who leave for better opportunities. The government relies on outside assistance to exist.
- A couple quake facts: 1) The 7.0 earthquake came three days after a 6.5 level quake off the coast of California and a 4.1 quake five days earlier in the Bay Area. 2) Secretary Clinton says there are 45,000 Americans living in Haiti, some of Haitian descent, some working for the government, and some working with aide groups to address the country’s many challenges.
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