Native Haitians were pre-Columbian Amerindians called Taíno, “the good people.” The Taíno named their land “Ayiti,” meaning “Land of Mountains”—a term that evolved into “Haiti.”

Christopher Columbus initially called the island La Isla Espanola, meaning “The Spanish Isle” when he landed there in 1492. Over time, the name became Hispaniola and includes both Haiti, which covers the western third of the island, and the Dominican Republic (or Santo Domingo), which covers the eastern two thirds.

Haiti is the third largest country in the Caribbean, after the Dominican Republic and Cuba, which is the largest.

Haiti is the most mountainous nation in the Caribbean.

Haiti is the second oldest independent nation in the Western Hemisphere, after the United States.

The Citadel is a large mountaintop fortress located in northern Haiti. It is the largest fortress in the Western Hemisphere.

With an area of 10,714 square miles (27,750 square kilometers), Haiti is only slightly larger than Vermont. The United States is 3,794,100 square miles (9,826,675 sq. km.).

Soccer is Haiti’s national sport. They first competed in the World Cup in 1974.