I was just looking at the island on google earth and the differences between Haiti and the Dominican Republic are visible from space.
I recall reading once that I believe the sugar caners destroyed Haiti and left it with worthless land that is barren and cannot sustain much of anything. I pity the poor people who are ignorant and practice vodoo, probably because that is what they know. We cannot understand such poverty and what these people suffer daily. Statistics show only about 30% are employed of 9,000,000 people It is truly a hell hole on earth.