Afro-Haitians

Afro-Haitians or Black Haitians are Haitians who have ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. They form the largest racial group in Haiti and together make up the largest subgroup of Afro-Caribbean people.
The majority of Afro-Haitians are descendants of west and central Africans brought to the island by the French and Spanish Empire to work on plantations. Since the Haitian Revolution, Afro-Haitians have been the largest racial group in the country, accounting for 95% of the population in the early 21st century. The remaining 5% of the population is made up of mixed persons and other minor groups.

History

The Island of Ayiti was inhabited by the Arawak Peoples: Taino, Ciguayo and the Siboney. Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sighted the Island on 6 December 1492. He named it La Isla Española, later Anglicized as Hispaniola. The Spanish controlled the Island from 1492 to 1697. The French in took control in the Treaty of Ryswick and renamed the western portion of the island as Saint-Domingue, of what will later become known as Haiti, while the other still maintained their Spanish colony in the eastern two thirds of what later became the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo.

Haiti

Origins

The enslaved African population of Haiti derived from various areas, spanning from Senegal to the Congo. Most of which were brought from West Africa, with a considerable number also brought from Central Africa. Some of these enslaved ethnic groups include those from the former Kongo kingdom, Senegambia, Benin and Togo. There were also many Igbo people from the Bight of Biafra, in south-east Nigeria. Many people can also trace much of their DNA from the native people. Others in Haiti were brought from Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Windward Coast, Angola, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, and Southeast Africa.

Demography

Although Haiti averages approximately 250 people per square kilometre, its population is concentrated most heavily in urban areas, coastal plains, and valleys. Haiti's population was about 11 million according to UN 2018 estimates, with half of the population being under 20 years old. The first formal census, taken in 1950, showed a population of 3.1 million.
According to The World Factbook, 95% of Haitians are primarily of African descent; the remaining 5% of the population are mostly of mixed-race and European background, and a number of other ethnicities.

Culture

Culture, religion and social organization are the result in Haiti of a process of syncretism between French and African traditions.

Religion

Christianity

Roman Catholicism:
Independent Christians:
*Protestants make up 19% including: Baptist, and Pentecostal
*Others: Episcopalian, Methodist, Seventh-day Adventist, and Jehovah’s Witness
[Haitian Vodou] and [Ibo Loa]
Syncretism:

A small minority cultural practice in Haiti is originated from the African diaspora religions of Ancestor worship.
This probably originated from the synchronicities and blending of these cultures:

Bakongo
*The entire northern area of Haiti is influenced by the practices of the Kongo, often called Rites Congo or Lemba.
*In the south, the Congo influence is called Petwo. Many loa are of Congolese origin, such as Basimbi and Lemba.
Taíno
Fon religion has largely contributed to Haitian Vodou, by the incorporation of Dahomey's deities and Priesthood.
Yoruba Orisa system is present in the manifestations of orishas like Shango, Ogun, and Oshun, among others.
Other West and Central African nations.

Minority religions

Judaism

A small Jewish community exists in Haiti, with a history dating back to the colonial period.

Islam

There is a small Muslim community in Haiti, primarily composed of converts and descendants of former Muslim slaves.
Three branches of Islam in the country: Sunni, Shia, and Ahmadiyya

Bahá'í Faith

There is a small but growing Bahá'í community in Haiti.

Languages

Two languages are spoken in Haiti. French is taught in schools and known by about 42% of the population, but spoken by a minority of black and biracial residents, in Port-au-Prince and other cities. Haitian Creole, with roots in French, Spanish, Taino, Portuguese, English, and African languages, is a language with dialectal forms in different regions. It is spoken throughout the country, but is used extensively in rural areas.