World Facts Index
 The
native Taino Amerindians - who inhabited the island of Hispaniola when it was
discovered by COLUMBUS in 1492 - were virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers
within 25 years. In the early 17th century, the French established a presence on
Hispaniola, and in 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the
island, which later became Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and
sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean, but
only through the heavy importation of African slaves and considerable
environmental degradation. In the late 18th century, Haiti's nearly half million
slaves revolted under Toussaint L'OUVERTURE. After a prolonged struggle, Haiti
became the first black republic to declare its independence in 1804. The poorest
country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has been plagued by political violence
for most of its history. After an armed rebellion led to the forced resignation
and exile of President Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE in February 2004, an interim
government took office to organize new elections under the auspices of the
United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Continued violence and
technical delays prompted repeated postponements, but Haiti finally did
inaugurate a democratically elected president and parliament in May of 2006.
Geography of Haiti
|
Location:
|
Caribbean, western
one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the
North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic |
|
Coordinates:
|
19 00 N, 72 25 W |
|
Area:
|
total: 27,750 sq km
land: 27,560 sq km
water: 190 sq km |
|
Area comparative:
|
slightly smaller than
Maryland |
|
Land boundaries:
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total: 360 km
border countries: Dominican Republic 360 km |
|
Coastline:
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1,771 km |
|
Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24
NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM |
|
Climate:
|
tropical; semiarid where
mountains in east cut off trade winds |
|
Terrain:
|
mostly rough and
mountainous |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
bauxite, copper, calcium
carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower |
|
Natural hazards:
|
lies in the middle of the
hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October;
occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodic droughts |
|
Environment current issues:
|
extensive deforestation
(much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture
and used as fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water |
|
Geography - note:
|
shares island of Hispaniola
with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds
is the Dominican Republic)
|
More Geography
Population of Haiti
|
Population:
|
8,924,553 (July 2008 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14 years: 42.4% (male 1,770,523/female 1,749,853)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 2,201,957/female 2,301,886)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 125,298/female 158,987) |
|
Median age:
|
18.2 years |
|
Growth rate:
|
2.3% |
|
Infant mortality:
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71.65 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 53.23 years
male: 51.89 years
female: 54.6 years |
|
Fertility rate:
|
4.94 children born/woman |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Haitian(s)
adjective: Haitian |
|
Ethnic groups:
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black 95%, mulatto and white 5% |
|
Religions:
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Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist
10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982)
note: roughly half of the population practices Voodoo |
|
Languages:
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French (official), Creole (official) |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 52.9%
male: 54.8%
female: 51.2%
|
Government
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Republic of
Haiti
local long form: Republique d'Haiti |
|
Government type:
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elected government |
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Capital:
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Port-au-Prince |
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Administrative divisions:
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9 departments (departements, singular -
departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand 'Anse, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud,
Sud-Est |
|
Independence:
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1 January 1804 (from France) |
|
National holiday:
|
Independence Day, 1 January (1804) |
|
Constitution:
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approved March 1987; suspended June 1988 with most
articles reinstated March 1989; constitutional government ousted in a military coup in
September 1991, although in October 1991, military government claimed to be observing the
constitution; returned to constitutional rule in October 1994; constitution remains
technically in force but has not been observed since Aristide's departure in 2004. |
|
Legal system:
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based on Roman civil law system; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief of state: President Rene PREVAL (since 14
May 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Michele PIERRE-LOUIS (since 5 September 2008)
cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (may not serve
consecutive terms); election last held 7 February 2006 (next to be held in
2011); prime minister appointed by the president, ratified by the National
Assembly. |
|
Legislative branch:
|
bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
consists of the Senate (30 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms;
one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of Deputies (99 seats; members are
elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); note - in reestablishing the Senate,
the candidate in each department receiving the most votes in the last election serves six
years, the candidate with the second most votes serves four years, and the candidate with
the third most votes serves two years. |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation |
Economy
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with 80% of the
population living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty. Two-thirds
of all Haitians depend on the agricultural sector, mainly small-scale
subsistence farming, and remain vulnerable to damage from frequent natural
disasters, exacerbated by the country's widespread deforestation. A
macroeconomic program developed in 2005 with the help of the International
Monetary Fund helped the economy grow 3.5% in 2007, the highest growth rate
since 1999. US economic engagement under the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity
through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act, passed in December 2006, has
boosted the garment and automotive parts exports and investment by providing
tariff-free access to the US. Haiti suffers from high inflation, a lack of
investment because of insecurity and limited infrastructure, and a severe
trade deficit. In 2005, Haiti paid its arrears to the World Bank, paving the
way for reengagement with the Bank. The government relies on formal
international economic assistance for fiscal sustainability. Remittances are
the primary source of foreign exchange, equaling nearly a quarter of GDP and
more than twice the earnings from exports.
|
GDP:
|
$11.38 billion (2007 est.) |
|
GDP growth rate:
|
2% |
|
GDP per capita:
|
$1,700 |
|
GDP composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 28%
industry: 20%
services: 52% |
|
Inflation rate:
|
15.7% |
|
Labor force:
|
3.6 million
note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture: 66%
industry: 9%
services: 25% |
|
Unemployment:
|
widespread unemployment and
underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $400 million
expenditures: $600.8 million |
|
Electricity production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 60.3%
hydro: 39.7%
other: 0% |
|
Industries:
|
sugar refining, flour milling, textiles,
cement, light assembly industries based on imported parts |
|
Agriculture:
|
coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn,
sorghum, wood |
|
Exports:
|
manufactures, coffee, oils, cocoa |
|
Export partners:
|
US 81.4%, Dominican Republic 7.3%, Canada 4% |
|
Imports:
|
food, manufactured goods, machinery and
transport equipment, fuels, raw materials |
|
Import partners:
|
US 49.4%, Netherlands Antilles 12.6%, Malaysia 3.6% |
|
Currency:
|
gourde (HTG) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |