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 departure 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.
Location
Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic
Geographic coordinates
19 00 N, 72 25 W
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Area
total
27,750 sq km
land
27,560 sq km
water
190 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries
total
360 km
border countries
Dominican Republic 360 km
Coastline
1,771 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
contiguous zone
24 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
continental shelf
to depth of exploitation
Climate
tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
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
Environment - international agreements
party to
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified
Hazardous Wastes
Geography - note
shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)
Population
8,706,497
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
42.1% (male 1,846,175/female 1,817,082)
15-64 years
54.4% (male 2,313,542/female 2,426,326)
65 years and over
3.5% (male 134,580/female 168,792) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
18.4 years
male
17.9 years
female
18.8 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
2.453% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
35.87 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
10.4 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
-0.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.016 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.954 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.797 male(s)/female
total population
0.973 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
63.83 deaths/1,000 live births
male
68.45 deaths/1,000 live births
female
59.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
57.03 years
male
55.35 years
female
58.75 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
4.86 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
5.6% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
280,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
24,000 (2003 est.)
Nationality
noun
Haitian(s)
adjective
Haitian
Ethnic groups
black 95%, mulatto and white 5%
Religions
Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3%
note: roughly half of the population practices voodoo
Languages
French (official), Creole (official)
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
52.9%
male
54.8%
female
51.2% (2003 est.)
Country name
conventional long form
Republic of Haiti
conventional short form
Haiti
local long form
Republique d'Haiti/Repiblik d' Ayiti
local short form
Haiti/Ayiti
Government type
republic
Capital
name
Port-au-Prince
geographic coordinates
18 32 N, 72 20 W
time difference
UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time
+1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions
10 departments (departements, singular - departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand 'Anse, Nippes, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est
Independence
1 January 1804 (from France)
National holiday
Independence Day, 1 January (1804)
Constitution
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, while technically in force between 2004-2006, was not enforced; returned to constitutional rule in May 2006
Legal system
based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
President Rene PREVAL (since 14 May 2006)
head of government
Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard ALEXIS (since 30 May 2006)
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 2010); prime minister appointed by the president, ratified by the National Assembly
election results
Rene PREVAL elected president; percent of vote - Rene PREVAL 51%
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
elections: Senate - last held 21 April 2006 with run-off elections on 3 December 2006 (next regular election, for one third of seats, to be held in 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 April 2006 with run-off elections on 3 December 2006 (next regular election to be held in 2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - L'ESPWA 11, FUSION 5, OPL 4, FL 3, LAAA 2, UNCRH 2, PONT 2, ALYANS 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - L'ESPWA 23, FUSION 17, FRN 12, OPL 10, ALYANS 10, LAAA 5, MPH 3, MOCHRENA 3, other 10; results for six other seats contested on 3 December 2006 remain unknown
Judicial branch
Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation
Political parties and leaders
Artibonite in Action or LAAA [Youri LATORTUE]; Assembly of Progressive National Democrats or RDNP [Leslie MANIGAT]; Convention for Democratic Unity or KID [Evans PAUL]; Cooperative Action to Build Haiti or KONBA [Evans LESCOUFALIR]; Democratic Alliance or ALYANS [Evans PAUL] (coalition composed of KID and PPRH); Effort and Solidarity to Create an Alternative for the People or ESKAMP [Joseph JASME]; For Us All or PONT [Jean-Marie CHERESTAL]; Front for Hope or L'ESPWA [Rene PREVAL] (alliance of ESKAMP, PLB, and grass-roots organizations Grand-Anse Resistance Committee, the Central Plateau Peasants' Group, and Kombit Sudest); Haitian Christian Democratic Party or PDCH [Osner FEVRY and Marie-Denise CLAUDE]; Haitian Democratic and Reform Movement or MODEREH [Dany TOUSSAINT and Pierre Soncon PRINCE]; Heads Together or Tet-Ansanm [Dr. Gerard BLOT]; Independent Movement for National Reconciliation or MIRN [Luc FLEURINORD]; Justice for Peace and National Development or JPDN [Rigaud DUPLAN]; Fanmi Lavalas or FL [Rudy HERIVEAUX]; Liberal Party of Haiti or PLH [Gehy MICHEL]; Merging of Haitian Social Democratic Parties or FUSION or FPSDH [Serge GILLES] (coalition of Ayiti Capable, Haitian National Revolutionary Party, and National Congress of Democratic Movements); Mobilization for Haiti's Development or MPH [Samir MOURRA]; Mobilization for National Development or MDN [Hubert de RONCERAY]; Movement for National Reconstruction or MRN [Jean Henold BUTEAU]; Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti or MIDH [Marc BAZIN]; National Christian Union for the Reconstruction of Haiti or UNCRH [Marie Claude GERMAIN]; National Front for the Reconstruction of Haiti or FRN [Guy PHILIPPE]; New Christian Movement for a New Haiti or MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU]; Open the Gate Party or PLB [Anes LUBIN]; Popular Party for the Renewal of Haiti or PPRH [Claude ROMAIN]; Struggling People's Organization or OPL [Edgard LEBLANC]; Union of Nationalist and Progressive Haitians or UNITE [Edouard FRANCISQUE]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Autonomous Organizations of Haitian Workers or CATH [Fignole ST-CYR]; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation of Workers Trade Unions or FOS; General Organization of Independent Haitian Workers [Patrick NUMAS]; Grand-Anse Resistance Committee, or KOREGA; National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants Movement or MPP [Chavannes JEAN-BAPTISTE]; Popular Organizations Gathering Power or PROP; Roman Catholic Church; Protestant Federation of Haiti
2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone
[1] (202) 332-4090
FAX
[1] (202) 745-7215
consulate(s) general
Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
Ambassador Janet A. SANDERSON
embassy
5 Harry S Truman Boulevard, Bicentenaire-Port-au-Prince
mailing address
P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince
telephone
[509] 222-0200
FAX
[509] 223-9038
Flag description
two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which contains a palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength)
Economy - overview
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 agriculture 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 1.8% in 2006, the highest growth rate since 1999. Haiti suffers from higher inflation than similar low-income countries, a lack of investment, 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. In 2006, Haiti held a successful donors conference in which the total aid pledged exceeded Haiti's request. Remittances are the primary source of foreign exchange, equaling nearly a quarter of GDP.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$14.79 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$5.964 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
2.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$1,800 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
28%
industry
20%
services
52% (2004 est.)
Labor force
3.6 million
note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1995)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
66%
industry
9%
services
25%
Unemployment rate
widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line
80% (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
14.4% (2006 est.)
Investment (gross fixed)
27.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget
revenues
$385 million
expenditures
$807.7 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2006 est.)
sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light assembly based on imported parts
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Electricity - production
536.2 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
60.3%
hydro
39.7%
nuclear
0%
other
0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
498.6 million kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption
11,600 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports
NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Current account balance
-$58.72 million (2006 est.)
Exports
$443.7 million f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities
manufactures, coffee, oils, cocoa, mangoes
Exports - partners
US 80.4%, Dominican Republic 7.7%, Canada 3% (2006)
Imports
$1.721 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities
food, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, raw materials
Imports - partners
US 46%, Netherlands Antilles 11.8%, China 3.4% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$123.4 million (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$1.309 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$153 million (FY05 est.)
Currency (code)
gourde (HTG)
Currency code
HTG
Exchange rates
gourdes per US dollar - 40.232 (2006), 40.449 (2005), 38.352 (2004), 42.367 (2003), 29.251 (2002)
Fiscal year
1 October - 30 September
Telephones - main lines in use
140,000 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular
400,000 (2004)
Telephone system
general assessment
domestic facilities barely adequate; international facilities slightly better
domestic
coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service
international
country code - 509; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 41, FM 26, shortwave 0 (1999)
Radios
415,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations
2 (plus a cable TV service) (1997)
Televisions
38,000 (1997)
Internet country code
.ht
Internet hosts
6 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
3 (2000)
Internet users
500,000 (2005)
Airports
12 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
4
2,438 to 3,047 m
1
914 to 1,523 m
3 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
8
914 to 1,523 m
1
under 914 m
7 (2006)
Roadways
total
4,160 km
paved
1,011 km
unpaved
3,149 km (1999)
Ports and terminals
Cap-Haitien
Military branches
no regular military forces - small coast guard; the regular Haitian Armed Forces (FAdH) - Army, Navy, and Air Force - have been demobilized but still exist on paper unless they are constitutionally abolished (2007)
Military service age and obligation
18 years of age for voluntary recruitment into the police force (2001)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
1,626,491
females age 18-49
1,637,657 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
948,320
females age 18-49
931,972 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
98,554
females age 18-49
97,690 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
0.4% (2006)
Disputes - international
since 2004, about 8,000 peacekeepers from the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) maintain civil order in Haiti; despite efforts to control illegal migration, Haitians cross into the Dominican Republic and sail to neighboring countries; Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island
Illicit drugs
Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and Europe; substantial bulk cash smuggling activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions; pervasive corruption; significant consumer of cannabis
