haiti

noun

1. Formerly Hayti. a republic in the West Indies occupying the W part of the island of Hispaniola. 10,714 sq. mi. (27,750 sq. km). Capital: Port-au-Prince.
2. Also Hayti. a former name of Hispaniola.

noun

1. a republic occupying the W part of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, the E part consisting of the Dominican Republic: ceded by Spain to France in 1697 and became one of the richest colonial possessions in the world, with numerous plantations; slaves rebelled under Toussaint L’Ouverture in 1793 and defeated the French; taken over by the US (1915–41) after long political and economic chaos; under the authoritarian regimes of François Duvalier (‘Papa Doc’) (1957–71) and his son Jean-Claude Duvalier (‘Baby Doc’) (1971–86); returned to civilian rule in 1990, but another coup in 1991 brought military rule, which was ended in 1994 with US intervention. Official languages: French and Haitian creole. Religions: Roman Catholic and voodoo. Currency: gourde. Capital: Port-au-Prince. Pop: 9 893 934 (2013 est). Area: 27 749 sq km (10 714 sq miles)
2. a former name for Hispaniola

from Arawak haiti “land of mountains,” and probably originally the name of the whole island.

Republic in the West Indies, on the western third of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Its capital and largest city is Port-au-Prince.