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LO, SWIFT JAMZ, ACE RIPPA, LIL SWAGGA: LOWTREES BEATHOUSE Publishing,RECORD LABEL: G. RECORDS/ G. ENT }}}}} Haiti's FlagThe Haitian flag consists of two equal sized horizontal stripes - the top one is blue and the bottom one is red. In the center of the Haitian flag is the country's coat of arms, placed on a white square. The coat of arms consists of a Palmette surrounded by the liberty cap, and under the palms a trophy with the inscription: 'L'Union Fait la Force'.The flag MeaningThe blue stripe represents the population of ancient slaves. The red stripe represents people of mixed races know as mullatoes. At the center of the flag is the country's coat of arm with the motto "L'union fait la force"-"There is strengh in Unity". Haitian's HistoryChristopher Columbus landed on the island in december 1492 which he called "la isla espanola (The name was later shortened to hispaniola). The island was inhabited by local Arawak Indians who referred to their home as "Hayti" (meaning mountainious land). The spaniards fought the native arawaks and took the land from them. Its location and lush soil made Haiti a treasure constantly sought after by Britain, France and Spain. Finally, by the middle of the 17th century the island became a French colony. Under French rule Haiti flourished. Haitian products were in great demand in the European market and the tiny island became invaluable as a resource for cocoa, cotton, sugar cane and coffee. Unfortunately, the great demands for these products also created a demand for inexpensive labor. The French, as the Spanish before them looked to Africa as a solution to the labor problem. They imported slaves from the west coast of Africa. By 1780, Haiti was one of the wealthiest regions in the world. In 1791, a successful slave revolt was initiated against the French. By 1804, the island becomes the first black independent nation, with General Dessalines declaring himself emperor. In 1844, the island split into two countries, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The tiny country of Haiti was in a state of anarchy, poverty was rampant and there was no one with the support or ability to rule and govern fairly. The class system was ever present with the wealthy at one extreme and the poor at the other.Today, Haiti is still struggling with poverty and instability. Elections have failed to produce leadership that can deal with the many problems of this tiny country. The future of Haiti depends on the ability of its leaders to discover solutions to bring it successfully into the 21st century.