Loatrac Express

17 Facts You May Not Know About Haiti:

(1). Haiti was the first independent black republic, gaining independence from France in 1804.
(2). The Haitian Revolution was the only successful slave revolt in history.
(3). Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.
(4). The country is prone to natural disasters, including earthquakes and hurricanes.
(5). Haitian Creole and French are the official languages.
(6). Haiti has a rich cultural heritage, influenced by African, French, and indigenous Taíno elements.
(7). Vodou (often spelled Voodoo) is an officially recognized religion in Haiti.
(8). The Citadelle Laferrière is the largest fortress in the Americas.
(9). Haitian art is renowned for its vibrant colors and themes.
(10). Haiti has a young population, with a median age of about 23 years.
(11). The country is famous for its annual Carnival celebration, known as "Kanaval."
(12). Haiti has a diverse and flavorful cuisine, including dishes like griot (fried pork) and rice and beans.
(13). The country has one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the Caribbean.
(14). The Haitian national drink is rum, and the country produces a variety of rum-based beverages.
(15). Haiti has a strong tradition of oral storytelling and folklore.
(16). The country is working towards reforestation after decades of deforestation.
(17). Haitian music, including genres like compas and rara, is a significant part of the national culture.

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This is a controversial new study on Africa's two most widely read and, arguably, her finest writers. Despite their shared levels of prestige, each represents a distinct pole of Nigerian writing. On the one hand, there's Soyinka, the playful imagist steeped in the myth and magic of his native Yoruba culture; at the other end of the spectrum, Achebe's internalized Igbo cultural traditions.

Kole Omotoso - himself a prolific writer and prize-winning Nigerian novelist - explores and defines the differences in style, background, and vision between the two men. Individual chapters describe their childhood, their cultural influences, political involvement, their stand during the Nigerian civil war, their attitudes to the world at large, their contribution to the language debate in African literatures, and there is also a chapter devoted to Achebe's and Soyinka's responses to their critics.

The works of Achebe and Soyinka are considered against three main the pan-African agenda, the Nigerian nation-state agenda, and the ethnic national agenda. Despite their shared nationality, their contribution towards creating 'a community of sensibilities' in Nigeria is questioned by the author in terms of the instability that has bedevilled Nigeria and, by extension, other African countries.