Haiti

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic

Area

Total area: 27,750 sq km
Land area: 27,560 sq km
Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland

Land Boundaries

Total 275 km, Dominican Republic 275 km

Coastline

1,771 km

Maritime Claims

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

International Disputes

Claims US-administered Navassa Island

Climate

Tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds

Terrain

Mostly rough and mountainous
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m

Natural Resources

Bauxite

Land Use

Arable land: 20%
Permanent crops: 13%
Meadows and pastures: 18%
Forest and woodland: 4%
Other: 45%

Irrigated Land

750 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment

Current issues: extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and use as fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water
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
International agreements: party to - Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Note: Shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)

PEOPLE

Population

6,731,539 (July 1996 est.)
6,539,983 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

46% (male 1,568,943; female 1,523,406) (July 1996 est.)
46% (male 1,535,607; female 1,490,939) (July 1995 est.)

15-64 Years

50% (male 1,614,679; female 1,758,388) (July 1996 est.)
50% (male 1,557,568; female 1,692,032) (July 1995 est.)

65 Years and Over

4% (male 132,460; female 133,663) (July 1996 est.)
4% (male 130,546; female 133,291) (July 1995 est.)

Population Growth Rate

1.77% (1996 est.)
1.5% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

38.15 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
38.64 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

15.96 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
18.65 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

-4.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
-4.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

103.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
107.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total population: 49.26 years (1996 est.); 44.77 years (1995 est.)
Male: 47.26 years (1996 est.); 43.04 years (1995 est.)
Female: 51.35 years (1996 est.); 46.59 years (1995 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

5.69 children born/woman (1996 est.)
5.82 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Noun: Haitian(s)
Adjective: Haitian

Ethnic Divisions

Black 95%
Mulatto and European 5%

Religions

Roman Catholic 80% (of which an overwhelming majority also practice Voodoo), Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%
Pentecostal 4%
Adventist 1%
Other 1%), none 1%
Other 3% (1982)

Languages

French (official) 10%, Creole

Literacy

Age 15 and over that can read and write (1995 est.)

Total population: 45%
Male: 48%
Female: 42.2%

Labor Force

2.3 million

By occupation:

Agriculture 66%
Services 25%
Industry 9%

Note: Shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1982)

GOVERNMENT

Names

Conventional long form: Republic of Haiti
Conventional short form: Haiti
Local long form: Republique d'Haiti
Local short form: Haiti

Digraph

Type

Republic

Capital

Port-au-Prince

Administrative Divisions

9 departments, (departements, singular - departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand'Anse, 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, most articles reinstated March 1989; in October 1991, government claimed to be observing the constitution; return to constitutional rule, October 1994

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 Garcia PREVAL (since 7 February 1996), was elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 17 December 1995 (next to be held by December 2000); results - Rene PREVAL 88%, Leon JEUNE 2.5%, Victor BENOIT 2.3%
7 february 1991 - 7 february 1996: President Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE, ousted in a coup in September 1991 but, with U.S. military support, returned to power on 15 October 1994
Head of government: Prime Minister Rosny SMARTH (since March 1996) was appointed by the president
Cabinet: Cabinet; chosen by prime minister in consultation with the president

Legislative Branch

Bicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

Senate

Elections last held 25 June 1995 with reruns on 13 August and runoffs on 17 September (next to be held 25 June 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - 27 total

Chamber of Deputies

Elections last held 25 June 1995 with reruns on 13 August and runoffs on 17 September; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - 83 total

Judicial Branch

Court of Appeal (Cour de Cassation)

Political Parties and Leaders

National Front for Change and Democracy (FNCD), Evans PAUL and Turneb DELPE; National Cooperative Action Movement (MKN), Volvick Remy JOSEPH; National Congress of Democratic Movements (CONACOM), Victor BENOIT; Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti (MIDH), Marc BAZIN; National Progressive Revolutionary Party (PANPRA), Serge GILLES; National Patriotic Movement of November 28 (MNP-28), Dejean BELIZAIRE; National Agricultural and Industrial Party (PAIN), Louis DEJOIE; Movement for National Reconstruction (MRN), Rene THEODORE; Haitian Christian Democratic Party (PDCH), Fritz PIERRE; Assembly of Progressive National Democrats (RDNP), Leslie MANIGAT; National Labor Party (PNT), Remy ZAMOR; Mobilization for National Development (MDN), Hubert DE RONCERAY; Democratic Movement for the Liberation of Haiti (MODELH), Francois LATORTUE; Haitian Social Christian Party (PSCH), Gregoire EUGENE; Movement for the Organization of the Country (MOP), Gesner COMEAU and Jean MOLIERE; Democratic Unity Confederation (KID), Evans PAUL; National Lavalas Political Organization (OPL), Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES; Open the Gate Party (PLB), Renaud BERNARDIN; Haitian National Democratic Progressive Party (PNDPH), Turneb DELPE

Other Political or Pressure Groups

Roman Catholic Church; Confederation of Haitian Workers (CTH); Federation of Workers Trade Unions (FOS); Autonomous Haitian Workers (CATH); National Popular Assembly (APN); Papaye Peasants Movement (MPP)

Member of

ACCT, ACP, Caricom (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

National Anthem

National anthem

Flag

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

About 75% of the population lives in abject poverty. Nearly 70% of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming and employs about two-thirds of the economically active work force. The country has experienced only moderate job creation since President ARISTIDE was returned to power in October 1994. Failure to reach agreement with multilateral lenders in late 1995 led to rising deficit spending and subsequently increasing inflation and a drop in the value of the Haitian currency in the final months of 1995. Potential investors, both foreign and domestic, have been reluctant to risk their capital, planning to "wait and see" what happens in the months following the inauguration of newly elected President Rene PREVAL and the drawdown of UN peacekeeping forces. The PREVAL government will have to grapple with implementing necessary, although unpopular, economic reforms in order to obtain badly needed foreign aid and improve Haiti's ability to attract foreign capital if the Haitian economy is to gain momentum. Haiti will continue to depend heavily on foreign aid in the medium term.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $6.5 billion (1995 est.); $5.6 billion (1994 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

4.5% (1995 est.)
-15% (1994 est.)

National Product Per Capita

$1,000 (1995 est.)
$870 (1994 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

14.5% (FY 94/95)
52% (FY93/94 est.)

Unemployment Rate

60% (1995 est.)
50% (1994 est.)

Budget

Revenues: $242 million
Expenditures: $299.4 million including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95)

Exports

$161 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
$173.3 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

Commodities:

Light manufactures 65%
Coffee 19%
Other agriculture 8%
Other 8%

Partners:

U.S. 81%
Europe 12% (1993)

Imports

$537 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
$476.8 million (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

Commodities:

Machines and manufactures 34%
Food and beverages 22%
Petroleum products 14%
Chemicals 10%
Fats and oils 9%

Partners:

U.S. 51%
Europe 16%
Latin America 18% (1993)

External Debt

$871 million (September 1994)

Industrial Production

Growth rate 2.5% (1995 est.); -2% (1991 est.); accounts for 23% of GDP

Electricity

Capacity: 150,000 kW
Production: 590 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 86 kWh (1993)

Industries

Sugar refining
Textiles
Flour milling
Cement manufacturing
Tourism
Light assembly industries based on imported parts

Agriculture

Accounts for 34.8% of GDP and employs two-thirds of work force; mostly small-scale subsistence farms; commercial crops - coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, wood; staple crops - rice, corn, sorghum; shortage of wheat flour

Illicit Drugs

Transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana en route to the U.S. and Europe

Economic Aid

Recipient: U.S. commitments, including Ex-Im (1970-89), $700 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $770 million

Currency

1 gourde (G) = 100 centimes

Exchange Rates

Gourdes (G) per US$1 - 16.783 (January 1996), 16.160 (1995), 12.947 (1994), 12.805 (1993), 10.953 (1992), 8.240 (1991)

Fiscal Year

1 October - 30 September

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

Total: 40 km (single track; privately owned industrial line)-closed in early 1990's
Narrow gauge: 40 km 0.760-m gauge

Highways

Total: 3,978 km
Paved: 944 km
Unpaved: 3,034 km (1987 est.)

Inland Waterways

Negligible; less than 100 km navigable

Ports

Cap-Haitien, Gonaives, Jacmel, Jeremie, Cayes, Miragoane, Port-au-Prince, Port-de-Paix, Saint-Marc

Merchant Marine

None

Airports

Total: 11
With paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
With paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 4
With unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 4 (1995 est.)

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

50,000 telephones (1990 est.); domestic facilities barely adequate, international facilities slightly better

Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: 1 INTELSAT (Atlantic Ocean) earth station

Radio

Broadcast stations: AM 33, FM 0, shortwave 2
Radios: 320,000 (1992 est.)

Television

Broadcast stations: 4
Televisions: 32,000 (1992 est.)

DEFENSE FORCES

Branches

Haitian National Police

Manpower Availability

Males age 15-49 1,379,116; males fit for military service 746,617; males reach military age (18) annually 67,287 (1996 est.)

Defense Expenditures

Exchange rate conversion - $34 million, 1.5% of GDP (1988 est.)

History
World Atlas

Last modified: 4 january 1998

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