one island, two people, two histories: the dominican republic and haiti by: mapa, kinsey, &...
TRANSCRIPT
One Island, Two People, Two Histories:
The Dominican Republic and Haiti
By: Mapa, Kinsey, & Graciela
Hispaniola• Lays between the
islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the East
• Haiti occupies the western third and the Dominican Republic the eastern two-thirds of the island.
Santo Domingo, Hispaniola, 1671
Geography • 170-mile border between Haiti and Dominican Republic
•Between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean
•Two-thirds of its people now live in cities
Early Life in Haiti and DR
• Natives were Tainos
• Lived in Villages
• Divided Classes
• Simple Food
History Dominican Republic & Haiti
• Spanish Rule – Christopher Columbus 1492
• Tainos
– Plantation Economy
• French Rule– French Revolutionary War 1795– 1808 Complete Control– 1809 People Revolted
• Haiti– 1% Still forested– Reason
• Building material• Soil erosion• Lost soil fertility
• Dominican Republic– 28% still forested– Reason:
• Watershed protection • Hydoelectric power• Preserved Rainforest
Deforestation
Differences Between Haiti and DR
Haiti• Poorest Country in the
New World• Corrupt Government• Most Overpopulated• Market Economy is
Modest• Extreme Polarization
Between the Masses of Poor and Rich Elite
Dominican Republic• Less Population Density
Growth Rate• Democracy without
Military Coup• Foreign Exchange
Includes Iron, Nickel, Employs More Workers
• Large Tourist Industry
Peak Production in Haiti & Dominican
Republic• 1697
• During French Control
• Sugar and Coffee
• Slave labor
Five Factor Framework1. Human
environmental 2. Friendly
Policies3. Unfriendly
policies4. Response by
societies and leaders
Human Environmental Impacts
• Exploitation of valuable trees in the Republic
• Extinction of Valuable Tree Species
Friendly Policies • Dictator Trujillo established first national
park, protection of forests, and put an end to burning forests for agriculture.
• Balaguer recognized the country’s need for maintaining forests.
• Opened Borders to Haitian Workers
Unfriendly Policies• Corrupt leaders led people to believe they
were fixing society, when in reality they were destroying it.
• People fighting against the logging ban.
• Haiti’s Constitution banned foreign investment or ownership.
Responses By the Societies and Their
Leaders• Leaders tried to improve the environment by
slowing logging.
• Opening borders to trade.
• People leaving to gain money and better life.
• Living beyond their means.
Today's Society•Water quality is very poor.
•People Spending beyond their means.
•Resources are scarce.
The End