Haiti

Haiti is found on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea. It covers the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Originally the island was populated by Taíno indigenous people from South America. On 5 December 1492, the first Europeans arrived on the first voyage of Christopher Columbus. Later, Columbus established the first European settlement in the Americas, La Navidad, on the northeast coast of present-day Haiti. The biodiversity of Haiti is important to the country. The island of Hispaniola is home to an estimated 5,600 plant species, some of which are unique to Haiti, 36% of which are endemic to the island. The areas of extreme biodiversity in Haiti are now regulated by law. These areas have been declared national parks. The two most important large national parks are Morne La Visite National Park and Pic Macaya National Park. The Massif de la Hotte alone is home to 42 globally threatened mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. The ecosystem of the coastal zone is well preserved, with coral reefs, mangrove forests and estuaries. Lake Etang Saumâtre is home to more than 100 species of waterfowl, along with flamingos and more than 200 species of birds, including the Palmchat, the La Selle Thrush, the introduced Guineafowl and the Grey-Crowned Tanager. The American Crocodile has been spotted at Etang Saumâtre, and caimans have been reported in the rivers of the southern peninsula. Snake charming is an ongoing trade in Haiti, and hunting of wild snakes is common in the country.