Off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico lies one of the most densely populated and least developed countries in the Western Hemisphere with a population of nearly 10 million people. The country faces numerous challenges and natural disasters, including an inadequate education system, lack of access to sanitary water and inferior living conditions. This country is Haiti. Haiti was ranked 145 out of 169 countries in the United Nations Human Development Index, the lowest-ranking country in the Western Hemisphere. Over 70% of Haiti's population lives on less than $2 a day. Haiti has a population of 9,893,945 inhabitants, 95% of the population is black and 5% is mulatto and white, with an average age of 21.9 years. The country's religious makeup is 80% Roman Catholic, 16% Protestant, 1% None, and 3% Other. The capital and largest city of Haiti is Port-au-Prince and its official languages ​​are French and Creole. Its currency is the Haiti Gourde, also known as HTG. Christopher Columbus discovered Haiti on December 5, 1492 and claimed it for Spain, calling it "La Isla Espanola" (meaning "Spanish Island"). At the time it was inhabited by the Taino, an Arawakan people, who called the island Aviti, Bohio or Kiskeya. From 1625 to 1711 Haiti was under French rule, ruled by Jeremie Deschamps. Under Deschamps, Haitian products, including cocoa, cotton, sugar cane, and coffee, were in high demand on the European market. On August 22, 1791, a man named Dutty Boukman led a slave revolt that started the Haitian Revolution that lasted until 1802. On January 12, 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck near Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince . And in January 2010, at 6:03 am, disaster struck the area once again, with a magnitude 6.1 hitting the area 36 miles southwest of Port-… middle of paper… it was severe in mountainous regions. In the 19th century, each farmer had access to 15 hectares of arable land, but by 1971 the average farm size had fallen to less than 1.5 hectares, leading landowners to abuse the land, making the sterile soil. The lack of arable land and growing rural poverty have forced farmers to leave to look for work in Port-au-Prince, contributing to the concentration of the population in the city's slums. Haiti faces crucial sanitation and water supply challenges, along with poor access to public services. Public institutions remain weak and inadequate, despite foreign aid and the government's announced efforts to strengthen them. Foreign NGOs play an important role, especially in deprived areas of cities. While modern technology doesn't help prevent natural disasters, it is helping to rebuild a new, stronger Haiti.