On this day 221 years ago, on January 1, 1804 (November 19, 1803 lunar calendar), Haiti became independent. The capital, Port-au-Prince, overlooks the capital city from this angle, taken in 2003. Haiti, the full name of the Republic of Haiti, commonly known as Haiti, is an island country located in the northern Caribbean Sea. Haiti was originally inhabited by American Indians. It was discovered by Columbus in 1492 and became a colony of Spain and France. The War of Independence against France broke out in 1790. It became independent on January 1, 1804 and was named Haiti. It was the first country in Latin America and the Caribbean to declare independence. It was occupied by the United States from 1915 to 1934. The Duvalier family implemented dictatorship from 1957 to 1986. The first democratic elections were held in 1988. In 2004, unrest broke out, President Aristide was in exile, and the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) was stationed. On January 12, 2010, a powerful 7.3-magnitude earthquake killed 223,000 people, injured 310,000, and affected nearly 1.50 million. In October, a cholera outbreak infected more than 460,000 people. Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world and one of the least developed countries. Its economy is dominated by agriculture, and its infrastructure building is very backward. Due to lack of energy, Haiti's industry is very underdeveloped, unemployment is extremely high, and two-thirds of workers do not have regular jobs. The United States is Haiti's largest donor, providing $884 million in aid to Haiti between 1995 and 1999. Haiti maintains so-called "diplomatic relations" with the Taiwanese authorities. The current president of Haiti Michel Martelly Michel Martelly was a pop singer. The destroyed presidential palace, the Haitian presidential palace and several government buildings collapsed in the 2010 earthquake. Martelly participated in Haiti's Independence Day. In October 1803, the French army surrendered. In November, the Haitian people adopted the "Declaration of Independence". Haitian boys playing in a Haitian children's school in a relief camp. The local population is mainly black, accounting for about 95%. Voodoo ritual originated in West Africa, and voodoo, which is mainly based on witchcraft and divine mana, is quite popular in the local area. Porters in a cocoa bean processing factory After the earthquake, on January 12, 2010, a devastating earthquake hit Haiti. A woman in a slum, a slum at the end of the airport runway, a woman is doing her hair, photographed in 2003. A coffee bean factory in Haiti, the poorest country in Latin America, with an economy dominated by agriculture. Inside the market, inside the market in a residential area overlooking a large slum area, a little Haitian girl, with a large area of poor settlements in the background, photographed in 2003. Sugarcane brews wine. Sugarcane is produced under the sea, and the local custom is to make wine from sugarcane. Children in an orphanage, a man holding a statue of Christ left behind by a large number of orphans after the Haitian earthquake. 16% of the Haitian population is Christian. Elementary school students play in the square of the Catholic Church. 80% of Haitian residents are Roman Catholic. The only world cultural heritage site in Haiti, the building dates back to the independence of Haiti Haiti National Historical Park, Palazzo San Susi, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Haiti National Historical Park: Palazzo San Susi in the rain, children play to their heart's content. Street scenes after the earthquake in Haiti, graffiti on the walls, meaning: We need help queuing for water, people queuing for clean drinking water after the disaster A strong earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck Haiti on the afternoon of January 12, 2010 local time. Haiti's historic district, there are still buildings in the French colonial style. French colonial-era fortress, Haiti's War of Independence against France broke out in 1790.