Haiti occupies the western part of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, covering roughly 27,750 km² with a population close to 12 million. The world's first independent Black nation, born of a successful slave revolt against France in 1804, Haiti preserves a unique heritage in the Milot Historic National Park: the Citadelle Laferrière, the largest fortress in the Caribbean, built by King Henri Christophe, and the Sans-Souci Palace, both inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982. Haitian Creole, an official language alongside French, carries the country's African, Taíno and European heritage. Port-au-Prince, the capital, concentrates the country's political and economic life.
