Statistical information Haiti 1990

Haiti in the World
Haiti - Introduction 1990
top of pageBackground: One of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history. Over three decades of dictatorship followed by military rule ended in 1990 when Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE was elected president.
top of pageLocationGeographic coordinatesMap referenceAreaLand boundaries: 275 km with the Dominican Republic
Coastline: 1,771 km
Maritime claimsContiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
Terrain: mostly rough and mountainous
ElevationNatural resources: bauxite
Land use: 20% arable land; 13% permanent crops; 18% meadows and pastures; 4% forest and woodland; 45% other; includes 3% irrigated
Irrigated landMajor riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographyNote: shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic
top of pagePopulation: 6,142,141 (July 1990), growth rate 2.3% (1990)
Nationality: noun--Haitian(s; adjective--Haitian
Ethnic groups: 95% black, 5% mulatto and European
Languages: French (official) spoken by only 10% of population; all speak Creole
Religions: 75-80% Roman Catholic (of which an overwhelming majority also practice Voodoo), 10% Protestant
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rateBirth rate: 45 births/1000 population (1990)
Death rate: 16 deaths/1000 population (1990)
Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1000 population (1990)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; deforestation
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 107 deaths/1000 live births (1990)
Life expectancy at birth: 52 years male, 55 years female (1990)
Total fertility rate: 6.4 children born/woman (1990)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: 23%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry name: conventional long form: Republic of Haiti
Government 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
Dependent areasIndependence: 1 January 1804 (from France)
National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1804)
Constitution: 27 August 1983, suspended February 1986; draft constitution approved March 1987, suspended June 1988, most articles reinstated March 1989
Legal system: based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
International law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: none
Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government--Provisional President Ertha PASCAL-TROUILLOT (since 13 March 1990)
Legislative branch: Army, Navy, Air Corps
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal (Cour de Cassation)
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: CCC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representationIn the us: Ambassador (vacant), Charge d'Affaires Fritz VOUGY; Chancery at 2,311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,008; telephone (202) 332-4,090 through 4,092; there are Haitian Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan (Puerto Rico; US--Ambassador Alvin ADAMS; Embassy at Harry Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince (mailing address is P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince), telephone p509o (1) 20,354 or 20,368, 20,200, 20,612
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)
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: About 85% of the population live in absolute poverty. Agriculture is mainly small-scale subsistence farming and employs 65% of the work force. The majority of the population does not have ready access to safe drinking water, adequate medical care, or sufficient food. Few social assistance programs exist, and the lack of employment opportunities remains the most critical problem facing the economy.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rateReal gdp per capitaGross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for 32% of GDP and employs 65% of work force; mostly small-scale subsistence farms; commercial crops--coffee and sugarcane; staple crops--rice, corn, sorghum, mangoes; shortage of wheat flour
Industries: sugar refining, textiles, flour milling, cement manufacturing, bauxite mining, tourism, light assembly industries based on imported parts
Industrial production growth rate: - 2% (FY87)
Labor force:
2,300,000; 66% agriculture, 25%
services, 9%
industry; shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1982)
Unemployment rate: 50% (1988 est.)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $252 million; expenditures $357 million, including capital expenditures of $NA million (1988)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: 1 October-30 September
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $200 million (f.o.b., FY88)
Commodities: light manufactures 65%, coffee 17%, other agriculture 8%, other products 10%
Partners: US 77%, France 5%, Italy 4%, FRG 3%, other industrial 9%, less developed countries 2% (FY86)
Imports: $344 million (c.i.f., FY88)
Commodities: machines and manufactures 36%, food and beverages 21%, petroleum products 11%, fats and oils 12%, chemicals 12%
Partners: US 65%, Netherlands Antilles 6%, Japan 5%, France 4%, Canada 2%, Asia 2% (FY86)
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt external: $820 million (December 1988)
Stock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: gourdes (G) per US$1-- 5.0 (fixed rate)
top of pageElectricityCapacity: 230,000 kW capacity; 482 million kWh produced, 75 kWh per capita (1989)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitaHaiti - Communication 1990
top of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: NA
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupsHaiti - Transportation 1990
top of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 15 total, 10 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: negligible; less than 100 km navigable
Merchant marinePorts and terminalsHaiti - Transnational issues 1990
top of pageDisputes international: claims US-administered Navassa Island
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs