Haiti was once an economic power when France claimed the eastern part of Hispaniola, then called San Domingue. It was a French colony thriving thanks to coffee and sugar. Eventually the ideals of the French Revolution – Liberty, Equality and Fraternity – made their way into the colonies, giving rise to a revolution. Haiti was the first slave-led revolution and declared its independence as a republic on January 1, 1804. After the declaration of independence, things started to take a turn for the worse. In 1934, American forces occupied Haiti to restore stability. The United States appointed the heads of state, but the real power was represented by the American occupiers, while the heads of state are only figureheads. Haiti's economy declined further when France demanded reparations of 150 million francs, which were only repaid in 1947. In 65 years, Haiti had 22 heads of state.” In 1957 Francois Duvalier was elected president. Subsequently “he created a totalitarian dictatorship and in 1964 declared himself president for life”. This is where Haiti's political instability truly begins. Currently, Haiti was hit by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake almost two years ago. This sparked an international call to help and lift Haiti out of its catastrophe. Not only the governments of various countries intervened, but also independent organizations. This disastrous event showed how the world can come together when a neighbor is in need. But before the 2010 earthquake, Haiti was already facing devastation other than natural: social. Haiti is steeped in poverty, corruption and lack of education. In these respects, Haiti is “the least developed country in the Western Hemisphere”. With only a third of land suitable...... middle of paper......for children, otherwise you have to ask the Interior Ministry for citizenship. However, many birth documents are not registered at birth. When it comes to applying for school or trying to open a bank account, many “citizens” cannot do so due to a lack of filing documents. Unfortunately, the January earthquake put Haiti's recordkeeping in a deeper state of backlog. Furthermore, there is a high movement of children. “The minimum age for employment in industrial, agricultural or commercial companies is 15 years. The minimum age for an apprenticeship is 14 years. There is no minimum age limit for work in domestic service and there are no legal sanctions for the employment of children in domestic work, unless the nature or condition of the domestic service is harmful to their health, safety or morals." . Cited http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2010/wha/154509.htm