Haitians are the citizens and nationals of Haiti, primarily tracing their ancestry to West and Central Africa, with the most widely spoken language being Haitian Creole. As an ethnonational group, they are the modern descendants of self-liberated Africans in the former French colony of Saint-Domingue, a history marked by the extermination of the Indigenous Taíno population and the brutal importation of enslaved Africans. According to the Constitution, citizenship is granted by birth to a Haitian parent or by naturalization after five years of residence, and a 2012 constitutional change re-legalized dual citizenship for the diaspora. The population is roughly 95% of African descent, with a 5% mixed-race minority, though historical influences from Poles, Arabs, Chinese, and Europeans have also shaped the society. While French and Haitian Creole are both official languages, Creole only gained official status in 1987, reflecting its role as the everyday language of the people. Culturally, Haiti is renowned for its vibrant art and music, which blend strong African roots with European and Indigenous aesthetic influences, often featuring bold colors, fables, and expressive designs.