Haiti is the smaller of the two independent countries sharing Hispaniola.
Haiti occupies the western portion of the island, while the Dominican Republic occupies the eastern portion. Haiti covers about 27,750 square kilometres, compared with roughly 48,670 square kilometres for the Dominican Republic.
The country declared independence from France in 1804 after the Haitian Revolution. It became the first independent state in Latin America established by a successful slave revolt and the first modern state led by formerly enslaved people. Port-au-Prince is Haiti’s capital.
Hispaniola was called Hispaniola by European colonists and is one of the Greater Antilles. It is easy to confuse Haiti’s smaller territory with the larger Dominican Republic because both countries share the same island, culture-rich history, and several geographic features.