1492–2005: (Geography as a Fortress of Marronage): The physical environment of Haiti is described as a serrated fortress of rugged mountains and hidden valle…

1492–2005: (Geography as a Fortress of Marronage): The physical environment of Haiti is described as a serrated fortress of rugged mountains and hidden valleys that historically served as barriers to communication and control. This “crumpled sheet of foolscap” terrain, as described to Napoleon, offered an inaccessibility that protected peasant life from the gaze of urban centers and foreign invaders alike. While colonial and occupation forces attempted to impose road systems, these efforts frequently decayed, as the land itself seemed to reject foreign infrastructure. Environmental degradation, such as the loss of mahogany forests and topsoil, is seen as a consequence of the desperate search for survival fuel by an ignored rural majority. Ultimately, the landscape remains a testament to the isolation and rugged independence of a population living on the “scrabble-poor” third of the island.