Map of Haiti | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: The native Taino - who inhabited the island of Hispaniola when it was discovered by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492 - were virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early 17th century the French established a presence on Hispaniola. 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 post-colonial black-led nation in the world declaring its independence in 1804. Currently the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere Haiti has experienced political instability 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 organized new elections under the auspices of the UN. Continued instability and technical delays prompted repeated postponements but Haiti inaugurated a democratically elected president and parliament in May 2006. This was followed by contested elections in 2010 that resulted in the election of Haiti's current President Michel MARTELLY. A massive magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010 with an epicenter about 25 km (15 mi) west of the capital Port-au-Prince. Estimates are that over 300,000 people were killed and some 1.5 million left homeless. The earthquake was assessed as the worst in this region over the last 200 years.


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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 reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 27,750 km²
Land: 27,560 km²
Water: 190 km²
Rank: 148
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries
Total: 376 km
Border countries: (1) Dominican Republic 376 km

Coastline: 1771 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

Terrain: mostly rough and mountainous

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m

Natural resources: bauxite copper calcium carbonate gold marble hydropower arable land

Land use
Agricultural land: 66.4%
Forest: 3.6%
Other: 30%

Irrigated land: 970 km² (2009)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 14.03 km³ (2011)

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

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


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Population: 10,110,019
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
Rank: 89
Growth rate: 1.17%
Growth rate note: the preliminary 2011 numbers differ significantly from those of 2010 which were strongly influenced by the demographic effect of the January 2010 earthquake; the latest figures more closely correspond to those of 2009
Growth rate rank: 103
Below poverty line: 58.5% (2012 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Haitian
Adjective: Haitian

Ethnic groups: black 95% mulatto and white 5%

Languages: French (official) Creole (official)

Religions: Roman Catholic (official) 54.7% Protestant 28.5% (Baptist 15.4% Pentecostal 7.9% Adventist 3% Methodist 1.5% other .7%) voodoo (official) 2.1% other 4.6% none 10.2%
Note: many Haitians practice elements of voodoo in addition to another religion most often Roman Catholicism; voodoo was recognized as an official religion in 2003

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 33.28%
15-24 years: 21.64%
25-54 years: 35.78%
55-64 years: 5.11%
65 years and over: 4.18% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 62.3%
Youth dependency ratio: 54.8%
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.5%
Potential support ratio: 13.3%

Median age
Total: 22.5 years
Male: 22.3 years
Female: 22.7 years

Population growth rate: 1.17%
Note: the preliminary 2011 numbers differ significantly from those of 2010 which were strongly influenced by the demographic effect of the January 2010 earthquake; the latest figures more closely correspond to those of 2009
Rank: 103

Birth rate: 22.31 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 73

Death rate: 7.83 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 103

Net migration rate: -2.76 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 177

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 58.6% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.78% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: PORT-AU-PRINCE (capital) 2.44 million (2015)

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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Law of the Sea Marine Dumping Marine Life Conservation Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.01 male/female
0-14 years: 1.01 male/female
15-24 years: 1 male/female
25-54 years: 0.99 male/female
55-64 years: 0.92 male/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male/female
Total population: 0.99 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 47.98 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 51.71 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 44.21 deaths/1000 live births
Note: the preliminary 2011 numbers differ significantly from those of 2010 which were strongly influenced by the demographic effect of the January 2010 earthquake; the latest figures more closely correspond to those of 2009
Rank: 40

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 63.51 years
Male: 62.07 years
Female: 64.95 years
Rank: 187

Total fertility rate: 2.69 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 71

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 34.5% (2012)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density: 1.3 beds/1000 population (2007)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.93% (2014 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 27
People living with hivaids: 141,300 (2014 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 33
Deaths: 3,800 (2014 est.)
Deaths rank: 40

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

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 10.7% (2014)
Rank: 137

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 11.6% (2012)
Rank: 64

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 60.7%
Male: 64.3%
Female: 57.3%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

Administrative divisions: 10 departments (departements singular - departement); Artibonite Centre Grand'Anse Nippes Nord Nord-Est Nord-Ouest Ouest Sud Sud-Est

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 January 1804 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day 1 January (1804)

Constitution: many previous (23 total); latest adopted 10 March 1987; amended 2012 (2015)

Legal system: civil law system strongly influenced by Napoleonic Code

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a native-born citizen of Haiti
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Michel MARTELLY
Head of government: Prime Minister Evans PAUL
Cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term ; election last held on 25 November 2015 with a runoff on 27 December 2015 (next tentatively scheduled for late 2020); prime minister chosen by the president from among members of the majority party in the National Assembly
Election results: 2010 election - Michel MARTELLY elected president in runoff; percent of vote - Michel MARTELLY 68% Mirlande MANIGAT (RDNP) 32%; 2015 election - results are pending

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral legislature or 'le Corps Legislatif ou parlement' consists of le Senat or Senate and la Chambre de deputes or Chamber of Deputies (118 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed; members serve 4-year terms); note - when the two chambers meet collectively it is known as L'Assemblee Nationale or the National Assembly that is convened for specific purposes spelled out in the constitution
Elections: Senate - last held on 9 August 2015 with run-off election on 25 October 2015 ; Chamber of Deputies - last held on 9 August 2015 with run-off election on 25 October 2015 (next regular election may be held in 2017)
Election results: 2015 Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; 2015 Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; note - official results pending

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation ; note - Haiti is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice
Judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president from candidate lists submitted by the Senate of the National Assembly; note - Article 174 of the Haiti Constitution states 'Judges of the Supreme Court.... are appointed for 10 years.' whereas Article 177 states 'Judges of the Supreme Court..... are appointed for life.'
Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; magistrates' courts; special courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP AOSIS Caricom CD CDB CELAC FAO G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (NGOs) ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) LAES MIGA NAM OAS OIF OPANAL OPCW PCA Petrocaribe UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO Union Latina UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Paul Getty ALTIDOR
In the us chancery: 2,311 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 332-4,090
In the us FAX: [1] 745-7,215
In the us consulate general: Atlanta Boston Chicago Miami Orlando New York San Juan (Puerto Rico)
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela A. WHITE
From the us embassy: Tabarre 41 Route de Tabarre Port-au-Prince
From the us mailing address: P.O. Box 1634 Port-au-Prince Haiti; (from abroad) 3,400 Port-au-Prince State Department Washington DC 20,521-3,400
From the us telephone: [509] 2,229-8,000
From the us FAX: [509] 229-8,028

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); the colors are taken from the French Tricolor and represent the union of blacks and mulattoes

National symbols: Hispaniolan trogon (bird) hibiscus flower; national colors: blue red

National anthem
Name: 'La Dessalinienne'
Lyrics and music: Justin LHERISSON/Nicolas GEFFRARD
Note: adopted 1904; named for Jean-Jacques DESSALINES a leader in the Haitian Revolution and first ruler of an independent Haiti

National heritage


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Economy overview: Haiti is a free market economy that enjoys the advantages of low labor costs and tariff-free access to the US for many of its exports. Poverty corruption vulnerability to natural disasters and low levels of education for much of the population are among Haiti's most serious impediments to economic growth. Haiti's economy suffered a severe setback in January 2010 when a 7.0 magnitude earthquake destroyed much of its capital city Port-au-Prince and neighboring areas. Currently the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty the earthquake further inflicted $7.8 billion in damage and caused the country's GDP to contract. In 2011 the Haitian economy began recovering from the earthquake. However two hurricanes adversely affected agricultural output and the low public capital spending slowed the recovery in 2012. Two-fifths 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. US economic engagement under the Caribbean Basin Trade Preference Agreement (CBTPA) and the 2008 Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE II) Act helped increase apparel exports and investment by providing duty-free access to the US. Congress voted in 2010 to extend the CBTPA and HOPE II until 2020 under the Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Act; the apparel sector accounts for about 90% of Haitian exports and nearly one-twentieth of GDP. Remittances are the primary source of foreign exchange equaling one-fifth of GDP and representing more than five times the earnings from exports in 2012. Haiti suffers from a lack of investment partly because of weak infrastructure such as access to electricity. Haiti's outstanding external debt was cancelled by donor countries following the 2010 earthquake but has since risen to $1.43 billion as of December 2014. The government relies on formal international economic assistance for fiscal sustainability with over half of its annual budget coming from outside sources.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 147

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 122

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 207

Gross national saving:
Rank: 53

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 104.7%
Government consumption: 0%
Investment in fixed capital: 29.8%
Investment in inventories: -2.2%
Exports of goods and services: 15.8%
Imports of goods and services: -48.1%
Note: figure for household consumption also includes government consumption

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 23.4%
Industry: 19.8%
Services: 56.8%

Agriculture products: coffee mangoes cocoa sugarcane rice corn sorghum; wood vetiver

Industries: textiles sugar refining flour milling cement light assembly using imported parts

Industrial production growth rate: 4% (2014 est.)
Rank: 73

Labor force: 4.81 million
Note: shortage of skilled labor unskilled labor abundant
Rank: 85
By occupation agriculture: 38.1%
By occupation industry: 11.5%
By occupation services: 50.4%

Unemployment rate: 40.6% (2010 est.)
Note: widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs
Rank: 197

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 58.5% (2012 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 0.7%
Highest 10: 47.7%

Distribution of family income gini index: 59.2 (2001)
Rank: 8

Budget
Revenues: $1.683 billion
Expenditures: $2.232 billion
Surplus or deficit: -6.3% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 188

Taxes and other revenues: 19.3% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 170

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 147

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 76

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 149

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 143

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 137

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance:
Rank: 106

Exports:
Rank: 162
Commodities: apparel manufactures oils cocoa mangoes coffee
Partners: US 83.2% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 142
Commodities: food manufactured goods machinery and transport equipment fuels raw materials
Partners: Dominican Republic 29.2% US 23.8% Algeria 11.7% Netherlands Antilles 7.8% China 7.3% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 122

Debt external:
Rank: 155

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 108

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 1.089 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 147
Consumption: 452 million kWh (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 173
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 150
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 160
Installed generating capacity: 267,800 kW (2012 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 154
Generation sources fossil fuels: 77.3% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 96
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 107
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 22.7% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 87
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 182

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 146
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 135
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 203
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 145

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products production rank: 193
Products consumption: 15,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 143
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products exports rank: 186
Products imports: 14,720 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products imports rank: 127

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 200
Consumption: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 154
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 113
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 208
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 148

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 2.094 million Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 148

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 41,000
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1
Fixed lines rank: 167
Mobile cellular total: 6.8 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 68
Mobile cellular rank: 107

Telephone system
General assessment: telecommunications infrastructure is among the least-developed in Latin America and the Caribbean; domestic facilities barely adequate; international facilities slightly better
Domestic: mobile-cellular telephone services are expanding rapidly due in part to the introduction of low-cost GSM phones; mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 40 per 100 persons
International: country code - 509; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2010)

Broadcast media: several TV stations including 1 government owned; cable TV subscription service available; government-owned radio network; more than 250 private and community radio stations with about 50 FM stations in Port-au-Prince alone (2007)

Internet
Country code: .ht
Users total: 1.2 million
Users percent of population: 11.6%
Users rank: 119

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 14 (2013)
Rank: 148
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways total: 10
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways: 8 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 4,266 km
Paved: 768 km
Unpaved: 3,498 km
Rank: 156

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Cap-Haitien Gonaives Jacmel Port-au-Prince


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Disputes international: since 2004 peacekeepers from the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti have assisted in maintaining civil order in Haiti; the mission currently includes 6,685 military 2,607 police and 443 civilian personnel; despite efforts to control illegal migration Haitians cross into the Dominican Republic and sail to neighboring countries; Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island

Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 60,801 (2015)

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