Along with the flag, anthem, motto (see description) and national colors (blue and red). The emblem has been known since the beginning of the 19th century, in its modern form since 1986.
Description [ | ]
According to the 1987 Constitution, the emblem of Haiti is described as follows:
The Haitian emblem features six blue and red flags of the Republic of Haiti, three on each side, behind a palm tree and two cannons. In front of the cannons are trophies: a drum, a bugle, guns, ship anchors, etc. Banners and pennants symbolize independence, anchors symbolize hope, and weapons symbolize the struggle for freedom and independence in the past and the determination to preserve it in the present and future. The palm tree is topped with a Phrygian cap, symbolizing freedom. At the bottom of the emblem there is a ribbon with an inscription. After the overthrow of the Duvalier regime, a broken gold chain appeared just above the ribbon, as a symbol of victory over the dictatorship.
It should be noted that the inscription on the coat of arms is not a national motto. According to Article 4 of the Constitution, the motto of Haiti is “ Liberté - Egalité - Fraternité"(French " Freedom equality Brotherhood») .
History of the emblem [ | ]
Proclamation of the Civil Commissioner of the French Republic L.-F. Sontona, abolishing slavery in northern Haiti (1793). In the upper part there is an emblematic design, partly similar to the later adopted emblem of Haiti.
Origins of the emblem [ | ]
The emblem of Haiti was strongly influenced by the state and national symbols of France of that period. On official papers of the French Republic at this time, emblematic designs were often depicted, mostly or in individual elements coinciding with the later emblem of Haiti. For example, it is almost identical to the image on the letterhead of the French general Pierre Quantin, who was the immediate superior of Jean-Jacques Dessalines.
Emblem of the Republic of Haiti (1807? - 1844? - 1849, 1859-1964, 1986 - present)[ | ]
The emblem of Haiti has been used since the beginning of the 19th century, however, unlike the flag, it was not mentioned in the early constitutions of the state. The emblem can be judged based on images on money and official papers of Haiti. The emblem appeared during the presidency of Alexandre Pétion (1807-1818). The first year of his reign is considered to be the conventional date for the appearance of the emblem. However, there is information that it appeared under Desalins. The first official description of the emblem was given in the Constitution of 1843. It read:
It should be noted that the emblem never received a detailed description, so throughout history its individual elements could change.
Other coats of arms and emblems[ | ]
State seal of the State of Haiti, approved in 1808 (reconstruction).
Despite the fact that the current emblem is the oldest symbol of the country, there have been periods throughout the existence of Haiti when it was replaced by another emblem or coat of arms.
Seal and coat of arms of the State of Haiti (1806-1811)[ | ]
During the initial period of the Republic of Haiti, an independent state existed in the north of the island, led by Henri Christophe. At first, the state did not have a coat of arms, but the monogram “HC” was present on the state seal and on coins (“ Henri Christophe"), crowned with a wreath of oak branches and the inscription “ Liberas religio mores"(lat. " Freedom of religion"). In 1808, a new coat of arms was adopted - an oval, inside of which were depicted stars and a sun with a human face rising from the sea. The state seal was also changed: now it represented an oval, inside of which the coat of arms was depicted, at the top there was the inscription “ Etat d'Haity"(French " State of Haiti"), and below were crossed branches of laurel.
Coat of arms of the Kingdom of Haiti (1811-1820)[ | ]
Great coat of arms of the Kingdom of Haiti.
In 1811, A. Christophe proclaimed himself King Henri I and northern Haiti a kingdom. By decree of April 1, 1811, Henri Christophe adopted a new coat of arms: on a blue shield dotted with gold stars, a red phoenix crowned with a gold crown is depicted. Around the shield there was a motto - “ Ex cineribus nascitur"(lat. " I rise from the ashes"). This coat of arms served as the basis for the small, medium and large royal coats of arms adopted later, but was not completely abolished, and, changing in detail, appeared on coins until the end of the kingdom.
Great coat of arms of the Kingdom of Haiti: the French coat of arms depicted a phoenix rising from flames on a gold (or blue, there were two variants) field dotted with five-pointed stars, accompanied by a silver ribbon with the motto " "Je renais de mes cendres"(fr. " I am reborn from my ashes"); The shield was decorated with a crown and the Order of St. Henri (created king on 20 April 1811); under the shield there was a ribbon with the motto “ Dieu, ma cause et mon épée"(fr. "God, my cause and my sword"). The shield holders are two crowned lions. Probably, this coat of arms was considered the main one, in any case, it was printed on part of the issues of the official newspaper of the kingdom “Gazette royale d’Hayti” and on the title page of the book “Code Henry” (an annual official collection of laws and regulations of the kingdom).
In 1820, A. Christophe's successor, Jean-Pierre Boyer, reunited Haiti and ended the existence of the kingdom.
1844 emblem [ | ]
Great coat of arms of the Second Empire of Haiti.
In 1844, the blue and red flag was briefly replaced by the old black and red flag. It is quite possible that the emblem also changed at the same time - the flags on it could have changed accordingly from blue-red to black-red.
Coat of arms of the Second Empire of Haiti (1849-1859)[ | ]
When President Faustin Souluk proclaimed himself Emperor Faustin I in 1849, he adopted a new coat of arms. The large coat of arms of the Haitian Empire had the following composition: the figured coat of arms depicts a palm tree, two cannons and a (French) imperial eagle; the shield was covered with a mantle and topped with a crown; The coat of arms was decorated with the Order of St. Faustena (created Emperor on September 21, 1849) and a ribbon with a motto that read " Dieu, ma patrie et mon épée"(French " God, my country and my sword"). Shield holders - two lions. At first the field of the coat of arms was golden, but soon, apparently after the coronation, it was changed to blue.
The Emperor was forced to leave the country in 1859, after which the old state emblem was restored.
The emblem of Haiti from the times of F. Duvalier and J.-C. Duvalier (1964-1986)[ | ]
On June 21, 1964, President F. Duvalier, who had recently come to power, restored the black and red flag established by the 1805 Constitution. The emblem was also changed: the blue and red flags were replaced by black and red ones; the Phrygian cap was removed from the top of the palm tree. In 1986, his son Jean-Claude Duvalier was removed from power and the old emblem was immediately restored and formalized in the new constitution adopted the following year. This emblem is the official symbol of the Republic of Haiti to this day.
The reverse of the 1 gourde banknote depicts the emblem of Haiti from the time of Duvalier (1979).
see also [ | ]
Notes [ | ]
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- Heraldic album. Sheet 21 | Publications | Around the world (Russian). www.vokrugsveta.ru. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
- L. V. Spatkay. Emblems and flags of the countries of the world. America. - “Publishing solutions”. - P. 118. - ISBN ISBN 978-5-44-833363-7.
- (undefined) .
- The Haitian Coat of Arms (English) , Haiti and the Atlantic World(September 15, 2013). Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- HAITI (undefined) . www.hubert-herald.nl. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
- Haiti-Référence: 6120.- Les Symboles d’Haiti: Armes et Devise(French). www.haiti-reference.com. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
Two-color rectangular panel with an aspect ratio of 3:5. The upper half of the flag is blue, the lower half is red. In the center is the coat of arms of Haiti.
In the center of the coat of arms is a cabbage palm with a Phrygian red cap on top and a drum at the foot and surrounded by military trophies: muskets, flags, cannons, cannonballs, war pipes, anchors, etc. The entire composition is located on a green hill. Below is the motto in French “L’Union Fait La Force”, that is, “Unity creates strength.”
Symbolism
The red and blue stripes of the Flag come from the national French colors. Currently, this combination symbolizes the union of blacks and mulattoes.
The Phrygian cap at the top of the coat of arms is a symbol of freedom. The spoils of war signify the country's armed forces.
Story
The national flag of Haiti was officially adopted on February 25, 1986. However, the history of the flag begins much earlier, in 1897. The first flags appeared in Haiti at the beginning of the 19th century. They are all very reminiscent of modern ones.
The civil and naval flags copy the state flag, but do not contain the image of the coat of arms.
The countries of the Caribbean region attract with a stunning climate and a convenient location with access to both the sea and the ocean. But this is not all that distinguishes local states. For example, the Republic of Haiti is a unique country about which you can tell a lot of interesting things. Where is it located and what is worth knowing about it?
Geographical position
To find Haiti on a world map, just find it. It is located between the continents of North and South America. There you will find a large point - the island of Haiti. occupies its eastern part. The entire west belongs to the state of Haiti. The northern part of the island of the same name is washed by the Caribbean Sea and the southern part. Mountain ranges with an average height of one thousand meters run across the territory of the state from east to west. The largest peak is La Celle Peak. It rises two thousand six hundred and eighty meters above sea level. The country's water basin is represented mainly by mountain rivers, which do not have an impressive length. The largest lakes in the state are Pligr, which is freshwater, and Somatr, filled with salt water.
History of Haiti
The island was discovered by the Spaniards in 1492, Columbus and his sailors founded a settlement here. At that time this piece of land was called Navidad. A year later, the travelers returned, but all the settlers were dead. Who killed them remains a mystery. Since the seventeenth century, the country became a French colony, but already gained independence in 1804. The democratic sentiments that emerged after the revolution in Paris helped people put Haiti on the world map. Independence here occurred immediately after the United States. As a result, the country became the first in the world to be ruled by blacks. However, the situation every now and then turns out to be unstable - due to the low standard of living, uprisings and strikes are frequent here.
Climatic conditions
What interests the traveler first of all? Of course, the weather distinguishes where the state of the same name is located! This area is characterized by a tropical climate influenced by trade winds. This is an ideal place for those who love warm and humid weather. Moreover, it remains unchanged for all three hundred and sixty-five days in a row. The average annual temperature is twenty-five degrees Celsius, with slight fluctuations throughout the month. In the capital, Port-au-Prince, the annual minimum is plus fifteen degrees Celsius, and the maximum reaches almost forty. The Republic of Haiti cannot boast of a vast territory, but even within its borders there are different climate options. The main difference is in the amount of precipitation determined by the terrain - mountainous and coastal areas cannot coincide in this regard. In the valleys, about five hundred millimeters fall per year, and in the highlands it can happen five times more - up to two and a half thousand. Major rainfall occurs during the rainy seasons, which occur between April and June and September and November. The rest of the year is characterized by dry and warm weather. Powerful tropical hurricanes can occur, usually occurring between June and September. It is recommended to come to Haiti only during periods when the wind is much weaker.
Haitian money
An interesting fact is that there are several currency options in the country. The official one is called a gourde and is one hundred centimes. Banknotes in use are in denominations of one thousand, five hundred, two hundred and fifty, one hundred, fifty, twenty-five and ten. There are also coins of five and one gourde, as well as fifty, twenty, ten and five centimes. The official international designation is HTG. Unofficially, the country uses so-called “Haitian dollars.” In addition, United States money is also widely used. They can be used in the market or in private establishments. The official currency of Haiti can be obtained at numerous exchange offices in the capital, but the terms of the transaction and the amount of commissions can vary greatly. There is also a black market. The rate of unofficial money changers can be very profitable, but it can all end in robbery, so foreigners are highly discouraged from contacting them. You can pay almost everywhere, but it’s easy to get cash only in the capital - finding an ATM in the provinces is often very difficult. In conditions of poverty and unemployment, local residents simply do not need them.
Culture and beliefs of the population
The state of Haiti was formerly a French colony, which is still noticeable in many areas of local life. So, many here communicate in Creole. Common not only in Haiti, it is French interspersed with Spanish and English. This is the dialect used by most citizens. About fifteen percent of the population speaks classical French. The Republic of Haiti is a Christian country. The majority consider themselves Catholics, while there are far fewer Protestants on the island. Local residents manage to combine traditional religion with pagan voodoo beliefs - every second citizen of the country believes in these practices.
Art of the Republic of Haiti
The original religious preferences that characterize the Republic of Haiti are interesting not only because of their unusual combination with Christianity, which is widespread here, but also because of the manifestations of art to which they lead. Thus, special ritual music performed on drums makes the country famous throughout the world. There is also stunning architecture to be seen here - the remains of the Sans Souci Palace are the most famous in the Caribbean. The ruins of the mysterious structure are included in the list of UNESCO cultural heritage sites. Black slaves worked on the construction of the palace, and today this place attracts architecture connoisseurs. Haitian painting deserves special mention. It is called naive or intuitive, but this does not mean that the drawings have a childish level of execution or a lack of skill. Filled with color and emotion, the works of renowned local artist Hector Hyppolite captivated art lovers in the United States in the twentieth century. Other significant creators are Rigaud Benoit, Jean-Baptiste Bottlet, Joseph Jean-Gilles and Castera Basile. The country's traditional sculptures are also worth exploring. The best sculptor of this country is Albert Mangoes.
Parsley war
The repression of Haitians that took place in the thirties during the Dominican dictatorship of Trujillo has an unusual name associated with the harmless greenery. What is the reason for the name "parsley massacre"? The thing is that these repressions, the number of victims of which, according to various sources, range from five to twenty-five thousand people, were accompanied by a special way of defining Haitians. It is quite difficult to distinguish them from the Dominicans, but the former have spoken Creole French since childhood, while the latter prefer Spanish. This leads to a noticeable difference in pronunciation. That is why the Dominicans showed the intended victim a sprig of parsley and asked him to name it. If the word was pronounced in Spanish, the person was released, but if in French, he gave himself away and the soldiers grabbed him for further punishment. And so it turned out that ordinary parsley is associated in the history of Haiti with such ominous events that still horrify local residents.
Haiti has an extremely warm climate, so everything is often closed during the hottest hour of the day. For example, banks are open from nine in the morning to five in the evening with a two-hour break for lunch - from one to three. Some open on Saturdays, but by mid-day they are already closed. Shops also have lunch breaks. Such traditions are reminiscent of the Spanish siesta. The price tags deserve special interest - here they are written in three currencies at once, in Haitian gourde and dollar, as well as in the currency of the United States of America. Often foreigners get confused and cannot figure out exactly how much they need to pay.
Dangerous State
Haiti does not have a high standard of living, so it is not possible for a foreigner to study it in detail. Residents of other countries are prohibited from going to the slums located on the outskirts of the cities of Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien. The locals are quite friendly and welcoming, but more than eighty percent of citizens live below the poverty line, so the crime rate here is still quite high and in some areas only Haitians can stay. In addition, exotic diseases persist in the country - malaria and typhus. Only the region near the port of Labadi is safe. In Haiti, it is not even recommended to drink tap water - it is not sufficiently purified, and even the locals prefer to boil it.
State flag
The main symbol of the country has a traditional rectangular shape. The cloth is divided into two horizontal stripes of equal sizes. The flag of Haiti is dark blue at the top and deep red at the bottom. In the center is an image of the coat of arms. The sides relate to each other in the ratio of five to three. The red color of the cloth is intended to symbolize the local population - mulattoes. Blue is the sign of black residents. Both follow the colors of the French flag, indicating the country's long history as a colony. The combination of contrasting shades is an indication of the peaceful union of the inhabitants of the state, who come from different countries - two opposing peoples coexist on the territory.
National emblem
The image of the emblem is used on the flag. The symbol, which represents the coat of arms of Haiti, appeared in 1807. In the center there is an image of a palm tree. Above it is a symbol of freedom - a Phrygian cap made of two-color fabric. The palm tree is surrounded by various war trophies - cannonballs, anchors, cannons, axes, guns. The background is a green field on which golden fragments of chains are placed - a kind of reference to the colonial past. The palm tree is also surrounded by six battle banners in the national colors of the local residents. At the foot of the tree there is a white ribbon on which the state motto is depicted, which sounds like “Union creates strength.”
Among the main state symbols of our planet, the coat of arms of Haiti is probably the most militant. The central place on it is occupied by various types of weapons and objects symbolizing war trophies. The artists who developed the sketch subconsciously sought to present the country as combat-ready, ready to defend its borders.
History of the coat of arms of Haiti
The appearance of the state symbol is associated with the struggle for independence from France and the acquisition of freedom. The main achievement of the Haitian revolution was the formation of the first republic on the planet led by blacks. In addition, Haiti is the second independent state in America, after, of course, the United States.
The country gained independence in 1804, and the coat of arms was approved in 1807. It existed for more than forty years until General Faustin seized power, and he called himself Emperor Faustin I.
In connection with this change in the political situation in the country, the coat of arms received imperial attributes, which remained until 1859, until the country returned to a republican form of government. Accordingly, the coat of arms of Haiti returned to its previous appearance, further changes were minor.
Essential elements
The image of the main symbol of the Republic of Haiti is a reflection of historical events, modern realities and hopes. Among the many details, the following stand out: a palm tree topped with a Phrygian cap; various weapons; fighting pipes; anchors; motto written on a white ribbon.
The tropical palm depicted on the coat of arms is the euterpa (euterpe), also called the cabbage palm. It grows throughout South and Central America. In the main symbol of Haiti, it symbolizes the wealth of the country.
The Phrygian cap is a symbol of freedom in Medieval France, which migrated across the Atlantic Ocean and took places on the coats of arms of many states. But the situation with weapons is the opposite; various types are gathered on the Haitian symbol. There are firearms (guns, cannons), bladed weapons (axes), shells (cannonballs), and trophies (flags, anchors).
The color palette of the Haitian coat of arms is also pleasing with its variety and brightness: the green island and feathery palm leaves, the blue and red colors present in the colors of the flags and cap, and a lot of yellow details. The composition is crowned with a snow-white ribbon with the inscription “The Union creates strength.”
