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|
Background: |
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 |
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Coastline: |
1,771 km |
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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 |
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Terrain: |
mostly rough and mountainous
|
|
Elevation extremes: |
lowest point: Caribbean
Sea 0 m
highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m |
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Natural resources: |
bauxite, copper, calcium
carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower |
|
Land use: |
arable land: 28.11%
permanent crops: 11.53%
other: 60.36% (2005) |
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Irrigated land: |
920 sq km (2003) |
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Total renewable water resources: |
14 cu km (2000) |
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Freshwater withdrawal
(domestic/industrial/agricultural): |
total: 0.99 cu km/yr
(5%/1%/94%)
per capita: 116 cu m/yr (2000) |
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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 |
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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 |
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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: |
8,924,553
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, higher death rates, lower population growth
rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than
would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.) |
|
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 41.8% (male
1,881,509/female 1,851,591)
15-64 years: 54.7% (male
2,386,761/female 2,495,233)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male
135,695/female 173,764) (2008 est.) |
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Median age: |
total: 18.5 years
male: 18.1 years
female: 19 years (2008 est.) |
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Population growth rate: |
2.493% (2008 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
35.69 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
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Death rate: |
10.15 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
-0.61 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2008 est.) |
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Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.03
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64
years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78
male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2008
est.) |
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Infant mortality rate: |
total: 62.33
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 66.88 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 57.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth: |
total population: 57.56
years
male: 55.83 years
female: 59.35 years (2008
est.) |
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Total fertility rate: |
4.79 children born/woman (2008
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
5.6% (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
280,000 (2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
24,000 (2003 est.) |
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Major infectious diseases: |
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea,
hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases:
dengue fever and malaria
water contact disease: leptospirosis
(2008) |
|
Nationality: |
noun: Haitian(s)
adjective: Haitian |
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Ethnic groups: |
black 95%, mulatto and white 5%
|
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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) |
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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 |
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Government type: |
republic |
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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 |
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Administrative divisions: |
10 departments (departements,
singular - departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand 'Anse, Nippes, Nord,
Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est |
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Independence: |
1 January 1804 (from France)
|
|
National holiday: |
Independence Day, 1 January
(1804) |
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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 |
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Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal
|
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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 2011); 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 by January 2008 but will probably be postponed); Chamber
of Deputies - last held 21 April 2006 with run-off elections on 3 December
2006 and 29 April 2007 (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 |
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Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court or Cour de
Cassation |
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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] |
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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
|
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International organization participation: |
ACCT, ACP, Caricom, CDB, FAO,
G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, MIGA,
NAM, OAS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Raymond JOSEPH
chancery: 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) |
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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 |
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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)
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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 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 higher inflation than
similar low-income countries, a lack of investment due to 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 over double the total for
exports. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity): |
$15.82 billion (2007 est.)
|
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GDP (official exchange rate): |
$5.295 billion (2007 est.)
|
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GDP - real growth rate: |
3.5% (2007 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP): |
$1,900 (2007 est.) |
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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) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture: 66%
industry: 9%
services: 25% (1995) |
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Unemployment rate: |
widespread unemployment and
underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have
formal jobs (2002 est.) |
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Population below poverty line: |
80% (2003 est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest 10%: 0.7%
highest 10%: 47.7% (2001) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index: |
59.2 (2001) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
8.9% (2007 est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed): |
28.9% of GDP (2006 est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $918.6 million
expenditures: $1.036 billion (2007 est.) |
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Agriculture - products: |
coffee, mangoes, sugarcane,
rice, corn, sorghum; wood |
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Industries: |
sugar refining, flour milling,
textiles, cement, light assembly based on imported parts |
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Industrial production growth rate: |
2.5% (2007 est.) |
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Electricity - production: |
535 million kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel: 60.3%
hydro: 39.7%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
|
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Electricity - consumption: |
322 million kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2005) |
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Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
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Oil - consumption: |
12,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
|
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Oil - exports: |
0 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - imports: |
11,840 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - proved reserves: |
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
|
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Natural gas - production: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports: |
0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports: |
0 cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves: |
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
|
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Current account balance: |
$-184.8 million (2007 est.)
|
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Exports: |
$554.8 million f.o.b. (2007
est.) |
|
Exports - commodities: |
apparel, manufactures, oils,
cocoa, mangoes, coffee |
|
Exports - partners: |
US 79.8%, Dominican Republic
7.6%, Haiti 3% (2006) |
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Imports: |
$1.844 billion f.o.b. (2007
est.) |
|
Imports - commodities: |
food, manufactured goods,
machinery and transport equipment, fuels, raw materials |
|
Imports - partners: |
US 46.5%, Netherlands Antilles
11.9%, Brazil 3.8% (2006) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
$515 million (2005 est.) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: |
$220.6 million (31 December
2007 est.) |
|
Debt - external: |
$1.248 billion (31 December
2007 est.) |
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Market value of publicly traded shares: |
|
|
Currency (code): |
gourde (HTG) |
|
Currency code: |
HTG |
|
Exchange rates: |
gourdes per US dollar - 37.138
(2007), 40.232 (2006), 40.449 (2005), 38.352 (2004), 42.367 (2003) |
|
Fiscal year: |
1 October - 30 September
|
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
145,300 (2005) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
500,200 (2005) |
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Telephone system: |
general assessment:
domestic facilities barely adequate; international facilities slightly
better; telephone density in Haiti remains the lowest in the Latin
American and Caribbean region
domestic: coaxial cable and
microwave radio relay trunk service; combined fixed and mobile-cellular
teledensity is about 8 per 100 persons
international: country
code - 509; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
|
Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 41, FM 26, shortwave 0
(1999) |
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Radios: |
415,000 (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations: |
2 (plus a cable TV service)
(1997) |
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Televisions: |
38,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code: |
.ht |
|
Internet hosts: |
7 (2007) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
3 (2000) |
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Internet users: |
650,000 (2006) |
|
Airports: |
14 (2007) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 4
2,438 to
3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2007) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total: 10
914 to
1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 9 (2007) |
|
Roadways: |
total: 4,160 km
paved: 1,011 km
unpaved: 3,149 km (1999) |
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Ports and terminals: |
Cap-Haitien |
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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) |
|
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) |
| Transnational Issues |
Haiti |
|
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 |
|
