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 Christopher COLUMBUS first landed on it in 1492 - were virtually wiped out 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 relied heavily on the forced labor of enslaved Africans and environmentally degrading practices. In the late 18th century, Toussaint L'OUVERTURE led a revolution of Haiti's nearly half a million slaves that ended France's rule on the island. After a prolonged struggle, and under the leadership of Jean-Jacques DESSALINES, Haiti became the first country in the world led by former slaves after declaring its independence in 1804, but it was forced to pay an indemnity to France for more than a century and was shunned by other countries for nearly 40 years. After the US occupied Haiti from 1915-1934, Francois 'Papa Doc' DUVALIER and then his son Jean-Claude 'Baby Doc' DUVALIER led repressive and corrupt regimes that ruled Haiti from 1957-1971 and 1971-1986, respectively. 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. On 4 October 2016, Hurricane Matthew made landfall in Haiti, resulting in over 500 deaths and causing extensive damage to crops, houses, livestock, and infrastructure. Currently the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti continues to experience bouts of political instability.


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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: 147
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
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm

Climate: tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds

Terrain: mostly rough and mountainous

Elevation
Mean elevation: 470 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
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% (2011 est.)
Forest: 3.6% (2011 est.)
Other: 30% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 970 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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); it is the most mountainous nation in the Caribbean


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Population
Distribution: fairly even distribution; largest concentrations located near coastal areas: 11,067,777 (July 2020 est.)
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: 82
Growth rate: 1.26% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 86
Below poverty line: 58.5% (2012 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Haitian(s)
Adjective: Haitian

Ethnic groups: Black 95%, mixed and White 5%

Languages: French (official), Creole (official)

Religions: Roman Catholic 54.7%, Protestant 28.5% (Baptist 15.4%, Pentecostal 7.9%, Adventist 3%, Methodist 1.5%, other 0.7%), Vodou 2.1%, other 4.6%, none 10.2% (2003 est.)
Note: many Haitians practice elements of Vodou in addition to another religion, most often Roman Catholicism; Vodou was recognized as an official religion in 2003

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 31.21% (male 1,719,961/female 1,734,566)
15-24 years: 20.71% (male 1,145,113/female 1,146,741)
25-54 years: 38.45% (male 2,110,294/female 2,145,209)
55-64 years: 5.3% (male 280,630/female 305,584)
65 years and over: 4.33% (male 210,451/female 269,228) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 60.4
Youth dependency ratio: 52.1
Elderly dependency ratio: 8.3
Potential support ratio: 13.3 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 24.1 years
Male: 23.8 years
Female: 24.3 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 167

Population growth rate: 1.26% (2020 est.)
Rank: 86

Birth rate: 21.7 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 68

Death rate: 7.4 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 108

Net migration rate: -1.9 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 164

Population distribution: fairly even distribution; largest concentrations located near coastal areas

Urbanization
Urban population: 57.1% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 2.9% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 2.774 million PORT-AU-PRINCE (capital) (2020)

Environment
Current issues: extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel); soil erosion; overpopulation leads to inadequate supplies of potable water and and a lack of sanitation; natural disasters
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(s)/female
0-14 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 22.8 years (2016/7 est.)
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 42.6 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 48.5 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 36.6 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 32

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 65.3 years
Male: 62.6 years
Female: 68 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 194

Total fertility rate: 2.52 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 71

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 34.3% (2016/17)

Drinking water source
Urban: 8.5% of population
Rural: 44.6% of population
Total: 25% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 8% (2017)

Physicians density: 0.23 physicians/1000 population (2018)

Hospital bed density: 0.7 beds/1000 population (2013)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 19.4% of population
Rural: 60% of population
Total: 37.9% of population (2017 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.9% (2019 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 25
People living with hivaids: 160,000 (2019 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 35
Deaths: 2,700 (2019 est.)
Deaths rank: 38

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2020)
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: 22.7% (2016)
Rank: 72

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 9.5% (2017)
Rank: 67

Education expenditures: 2.8% of GDP (2018)
Rank: 140

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 61.7%
Male: 65.3%
Female: 58.3% (2016)

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 dHaiti/Repiblik d Ayiti
Local short form: Haiti/Ayiti
Etymology: the native Taino name means Land of High Mountains and was originally applied to the entire island of Hispaniola

Government type: semi-presidential 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 second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November: etymology: according to tradition, in 1706, a Captain de Saint-Andre named the bay and its surrounding area after his ship Le Prince; the name of the town that grew there means, 'the Port of The Prince'

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
History: many previous; latest adopted 10 March 1987
Amendments: proposed by the executive branch or by either the Senate or the Chamber of Deputies; consideration of proposed amendments requires support by at least two-thirds majority of both houses; passage requires at least two-thirds majority of the membership present and at least two-thirds majority of the votes cast; approved amendments enter into force after installation of the next president of the republic; constitutional articles on the democratic and republican form of government cannot be amended; amended 2011, 2012

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 Jovenel MOISE (since 7 February 2017)
Head of government: Prime Minister Joseph JOUTHE (since since 4 March 2020)
Cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president; parliament must ratify the Cabinet and Prime Ministers governing policy
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a single non-consecutive term); last election originally scheduled for 9 October 2016 but postponed until 20 November 2016 due to Hurricane Matthew
Election results: Jovenel MOISE elected president in first round; percent of vote - Jovenel MOISE (PHTK) 55.6%, Jude CELESTIN (LAPEH) 19.6%, Jean-Charles MOISE (PPD) 11%, Maryse NARCISSE (FL) 9%; other 4.8%

Legislative branch
Description:
Elections:
Election results:

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court or Cour de cassation (consists of a chief judge and other judges); 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 Haitis constitution states that judges of the Supreme Court are appointed for 10 years, whereas Article 177 states that judges of the Supreme Court are appointed for life
Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; magistrates courts; land, labor, and childrens courts: note: the Superior Council of the Judiciary or Conseil Superieur du Pouvoir Judiciaire is a 9-member body charged with the administration and oversight of the judicial branch of government

Political parties and leaders: Alternative League for Haitian Progress and Empowerment or LAPEH [Jude CELESTIN]Christian Movement for a New Haiti or MCNH [Luc MESADIEU]Christian National Movement for the Reconstruction of Haiti or UNCRH [Chavannes JEUNE]Convention for Democratic Unity or KID [Evans PAUL]Cooperative Action to Rebuild Haiti or KONBA [Jean William JEANTY]December 16 Platform or Platfom 16 Desanm [Dr. Gerard BLOT]Democratic Alliance Party or ALYANS [Evans PAUL] (coalition includes KID and PPRH)Democratic Centers' National Council or CONACED [Osner FEVRY]Dessalinian Patriotic and Popular Movement or MOPOD [Jean Andre VICTOR]Effort and Solidarity to Create an Alternative for the People or ESKAMP [Joseph JASME]Fanmi Lavalas or FL [Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE]For Us All or PONT [Jean-Marie CHERESTAL]Fusion of Haitian Social Democrats or FHSD [Edmonde Supplice BEAUZILE]Grouping of Citizens for Hope or RESPE [Charles-Henri BAKER]Haitians for Haiti [Yvon NEPTUNE]Haitian Tet Kale Party or PHTK [Ann Valerie Timothee MILFORT]Haiti in Action or AAA [Youri LATORTUE]Independent Movement for National Reconstruction or MIRN [Luc FLEURINORD]Konbit Pou refe Ayiti or KONBITLavni Organization or LAVNI [Yves CRISTALIN]Liberal Party of Haiti or PLH [Jean Andre VICTOR]Love Haiti or Renmen Ayiti [Jean-Henry CEANT, Camille LEBLANC]Mobilization for National Development or MDN [Hubert de RONCERAY]New Christian Movement for a New Haiti or MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU]Organization for the Advancement of Haiti and Haitians or OLAHHParty for the Integral Advancement of the Haitian People or PAIPHPatriotic Unity or IP [Marie Denise CLAUDE]Peasant's Response or Repons Peyizan [Michel MARTELLY]Platform Alternative for Progress and Democracy or ALTENATIV [Victor BENOIT and Evans PAUL]Platform of Haitian Patriots or PLAPH [Dejean BELISAIRE, Himmler REBU]Platform Pitit Desaline or PPD [Jean-Charles MOISE]PontPopular Party for the Renewal of Haiti or PPRH [Claude ROMAIN]PPG18Rally of Progressive National Democrats or RDNP [Mirlande MANIGAT]Renmen Ayiti or RA [Jean-Henry CEANT]Reseau National Bouclier or BouclierRespect or RESPEStrength in Unity or Ansanm Nou Fo [Leslie VOLTAIRE]Struggling People's Organization or OPL [Jacques-Edouard ALEXIS]Truth (Verite)Union [Chavannes JEUNE]Unity or Inite [Levaillant LOUIS-JEUNE]Vigilance or Veye Yo [Lavarice GAUDIN]

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: Charge dAffaires Herve DENIS (since 7 March 2019)
In the us chancery: 2,311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 332-4,090
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 745-7,215
In the us consulate: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Orlando (FL), New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Michele SISON (since 21 February 2018)
From the us telephone: [509] 229-8,000
From the us embassy: Tabarre 41, Route de Tabarre, Port-au-Prince
From the us mailing address: (in Haiti) 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 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 (The Dessalines Song)
Lyricsmusic: 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

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 167

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 194

Gross national saving:
Rank: 61

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 99.1% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 10% (2016 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 32.6% (2016 est.)
Investment in inventories: -1.4% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 20% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -60.3% (2017 est.)
Note: figure for household consumption also includes government consumption

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 22.1% (2017 est.)
Industry: 20.3% (2017 est.)
Services: 57.6% (2017 est.)

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: 0.9% (2017 est.)
Rank: 161

Labor force: 4.594 million (2014 est.)
Note: shortage of skilled labor; unskilled labor abundant
Rank: 84
By occupation agriculture: 38.1%
By occupation industry: 11.5%
By occupation services: 50.4% (2010)

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: 216

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% (2001)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: 1.567 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 1.65 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 79

Taxes and other revenues: 18.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 163

Public debt:
Rank: 164

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 214

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:
Rank: 112

Exports:
Rank: 160
Partners: US 80.6%, Dominican Republic 4.9% (2017)
Commodities: apparel, manufactures, oils, cocoa, mangoes, coffee

Imports:
Rank: 149
Commodities: food, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, raw materials
Partners: US 20.7%, China 18.8%, Netherlands Antilles 15.7%, Indonesia 8.5% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 117

Debt external:
Rank: 145

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 7 million (2019)
Access electrification total population: 39% (2019)
Access electrification urban areas: 60% (2019)
Access electrification rural areas: 12% (2019)
Production: 1.023 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 149
Consumption: 406.2 million kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 173
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 147
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 159
Installed generating capacity: 332,000 kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 155
Generation sources fossil fuels: 82% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 77
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 106
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 18% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 94
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 191

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 148
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 136
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 140
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 144

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 156
Products consumption: 21,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 137
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 165
Products imports: 20,030 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 122

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 145
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 158
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 120
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 138
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 146

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 3.595 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 141

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 5,464 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 204
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 6,287,411
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 57.53 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 110

Telephone system

Broadcast media: 98 television stations throughout the country, including 1 government-owned; cable TV subscription service available; 850 radio stations (of them, only 346 are licensed), including 1 government-owned; more than 100 community radio stations; over 64 FM stations in Port-au-Prince alone; VOA Creole Service broadcasts daily on 30 affiliate stations (2016)

Internet
Country code: .ht
Users total: 3,503,006
Users percent of population: 32.47% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 95

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 31,100 (2018 est.)
Rank: 142


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces: the Haitian Armed Forces (FAdH), disbanded in 1995, began to be reconstituted in 2017 to assist with natural disaster relief, border security, and combating transnational crime; it established an Army command in 2018; the small Coast Guard is not part of the military, but rather the Haitian National Police (2020)

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: HH (2016)

Airports: 14 (2013)
Rank: 149
With paved runways total: 4 (2019)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways total: 10 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 8 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 4,266 km (2009)
Paved: 768 km (2009)
Unpaved: 3,498 km (2009)
Rank: 152

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 4
By type: general cargo 3other 1 (2019)
Rank: 167

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: 34,508 (includes only IDPs from the 2010 earthquake living in camps or camp-like situations; information is lacking about IDPs living outside of camps or who have left camps) (2019)
Stateless persons: 2,992 (2018); note - individuals without a nationality who were born in the Dominican Republic prior to January 2010

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