Where is hispaniola today

April 22, at pm. It really is incredible the difference between the two countries sharing the same relatively small island. Unfortunately, I imagine things only getting worse for Haiti as climate change continues to worsen. I think this is a great example of why developing nations need to be provided motivation and assistance to develop in a sustainable manner. As we saw in the DR, it may sacrifice income in the short term, but has many long term benefits.

April 23, at am. This is such a great case study. You make a great comparison between the DR and Haiti. This really makes me think about the true harm of anthropocentric thinking.

When we only think about human needs, we ironically decrease the quality of human life. Though as you mention, political strife also caused many of the problems in Haiti, but the environment still serves as the root of all of these issues. When people are not fed, the country cannot simply operate. Ghettos form, revolts evolve, and children die. Perhaps only then will Haiti be able to rebuild itself.

Your post truly sheds light on the importance of healthy ecosystems- especially your juxtaposition of the conditions in Haiti and the DR.

I appreciated your connection between environmental degradation and the how that causes degradation of an economy. By exploiting forests for economic gain, Haiti exposed its citizens to poorer health situations and natural disasters related to human induced climate change. I know that you were not in Haiti for a long period of time but did you witness any efforts to address deforestation? Were there signs of international aid that promoted reforestation like the programs available to the DR?

April 30, at pm. This is a fascinating piece and offers a fresh perspective on the divergence of human welfare on the two sides of Hispaniola.

The root cause in this case seems clearly to be institutional or cultural. As you mention, the two countries are for practical purposes geographically identical: they are located on the same island, are subject to the same weather patterns, and have similar natural endowments. The cultural hypothesis can also probably be rejected on analogous grounds. The km-wide Jamaica Channel separates Hispaniola from the island nation of Jamaica in the southwest, while the km-wide Mona Passage in the east separates the island from Puerto Rico.

Hispaniola is about km in length and has a maximum width of km. There are five principal mountain ranges on the island beginning with the Cordillera Central or the Central Range which spans across the heart of Hispaniola Island.

Located in the Cordillera Central is Pico Duarte, which rises to an elevation of 3, m and is the highest point in the Dominican Republic as well as in the entire Caribbean region. The two mountain ranges are separated by the Cibao Valley and the Atlantic coastal plains.

The Cordillera Oriental is located in the eastern part of the Dominican Republic. Pic de la Selle, which rises to an elevation of 2, m, is the highest point in the Republic of Haiti and the third-highest point in the Antilles. Finally, Duvalier's government was overthrown in Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president in during Haiti's first free and peaceful election.

His presidency lasted until , when Rene Preval was elected as his successor. Aristide was re-elected president in For the next four years, the country experienced violence, political corruption, and food shortages. In , Aristide was forced out of the country by protesters who were hoping for new leadership. A series of new presidents followed, but most were controversial leaders like Aristide. During his time in office, he was also accused of being a corrupt ruler by some of his fellow Haitians.

He refused. Henry will oversee the government until the country holds an election for its next president on November 7, All rights reserved.

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