C. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, according to the CIA World Factbook. Haiti has an annual gross domestic product of $1,800 for each person compared with $17,000 per person in the Dominican Republic. Thousands of Haitians have fled illegally to the Dominican Republic since a devastating earthquake in 2010.

Q: The Dominican Republic’s official language is Spanish. What is the official language of Haiti?

A. Creole

B. English

C. Spanish

D. All of the above

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A. Haiti has two official languages French and Creole. Haitian Creole is a language mix with a vocabulary 90 percent derived from French and a grammar that resembles some West African languages. It also has influences from Spanish, Portuguese and the Taino native Americans who once inhabited Hispaniola.

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Q: Hispaniola is the site of the oldest permanent European settlement in the Americas, established by Christopher Columbus after he shipwrecked on the island in 1492. What happened to the estimated 750,000 native Tainos then on Hispaniola?

A. Killed by European disease

B. Enslaved by the Europeans

C. Absorbed by new population

D. All of the above

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D. Columbus and his crew quickly began to capture and enslave the Tainos, sending some back to Europe and forcing others to mine for gold. Disease and harsh treatment quickly killed off most of the population, and Spain started importing African slaves in 1503. The few remaining Tainos intermarried with the Africans and Spanish.

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Q: With more than 21 million people, Hispaniola is the most populous island in the Caribbean. What is the second most populous island in the Caribbean?

A. Aruba

B. Cuba

C. Jamaica

D. Puerto Rico

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B. Hispaniola’s northwestern neighbor, Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean and second most populous with more than 11 million people.

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