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.

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
Comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries
Total: 360 km
Border countries: (1) Dominican Republic 360 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

Land use
Arable land: 28.11%
Permanent crops: 11.53%
Other: 60.36% (2005)

Irrigated land: 920 km² (2003)

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

Population
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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 2.3% (2006 est.)
Below poverty line: 80% (2003 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Haitian
Adjective: Haitian

Ethnic groups: black 95% mulatto and white 5%

Languages: French (official) Creole (official)

Religions
Note: roughly half of the population practices Voodoo

Age structure
0-14 years: 42.4% (male 1,770,523/female 1,749,853)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 2,201,957/female 2,301,886)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 125,298/female 158,987) (2006 est.)

Median age
Total: 18.2 years
Male: 17.8 years
Female: 18.6 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.3% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 36.44 births/1000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 12.17 deaths/1000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.31 migrant(s)/1000 population (2006 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male/female
Total population: 0.97 male/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 71.65 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 78.01 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 65.1 deaths/1000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 53.23 years
Male: 51.89 years
Female: 54.6 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.94 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 5.6% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 280,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 24,000 (2003 est.)

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

Government type: elected government

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

Administrative divisions: 10 departments (departements singular - departement); Artibonite Centre Grand 'Anse Nippes 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 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 remains technically in force but has not been observed since Aristide's departure in 2004

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 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
Elections: Senate - last held 21 April 2006, run-off elections to be determined (next regular election, for one third of seats, to be held in 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 April 2006, run-off elections to be determined (next regular election to be held in 2010)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - L'ESPWA 11, OPL 4, FL 3, FUSION 3, LAAA 2, UNCRH 2, ALYANS 1, PONT 1, 3 seats subject to run-off election; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - L'ESPWA 19, FUSION 15, ALYANS 10, OPL 8, FL 6, UNCRH 6, MPH 4, RDNP 4, LAAA 3,KONBA 3, FRN 1, MOCHRENHA 1, MRN 1, Tet-Ansanm 1, MIRN 1, JPDN 1, UNITE 1, PLH 1, 13 seats subject to run-off election

Judicial branch: Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation

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 (coalition composed of KID and PPRH) [Evans PAUL]; 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 (alliance of ESKAMP PLB and grass-roots organizations Grand-Anse Resistance Committee the Central Plateau Peasants' Group and Kombit Sudest) [Rene PREVAL]; Grand Center Right Front coalition (composed of MDN MRN and PDCH) [Hubert de RONCERAY]; 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 (merged Ayiti Capable Haitian National Revolutionary Party and National Congress of Democratic Movements) [Serge GILLES]; 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 and Daniel SUPPLICE]; Struggling People's Organization or OPL [Edgard LEBLANC]; Union for Haiti or UPH (coalition of MIDH and FL) [Marc BAZIN]; Union of Nationalist and Progressive Haitians or UNITE [Edouard FRANCISQUE]

International organization participation: ACCT ACP Caricom FAO G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICCt (signatory) ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ITU LAES MIGA OAS OIF OPANAL OPCW (signatory) PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Raymond JOSEPH (as of October 2005)
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 consulates general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Janet A. SANDERSON
From the us embassy: 5 Harry S Truman Boulevard, Bicentenaire-Port-au-Prince
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince
From the us telephone: [509] 222-0200
From the us fax: [509] 223-9,038

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)

Economy overview: In this poorest country in the Western Hemisphere 80% of the population lives in abject poverty. Two-thirds of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector mainly small-scale subsistence farming and remain vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters exacerbated by the country's widespread deforestation. The economy grew 1.5% in 2005 the highest growth rate since 1999. Haiti suffers from rampant inflation a lack of investment and a severe trade deficit. In early 2005 Haiti paid its arrears to the World Bank paving the way for reengagement with the Bank. The government is reliant on formal international economic assistance for fiscal sustainability. Remittances are the primary source of foreign exchange equaling nearly a quarter of GDP in 2005.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $13.97 billion (2005 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 1.8% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1700 (2005 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 28%
Industry: 20%
Services: 52% (2004 est.)

Agriculture products: coffee mangoes sugarcane rice corn sorghum; wood

Industries: sugar refining flour milling textiles cement light assembly industries based on imported parts

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force
Note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1995)
By occupation agriculture: 66%
By occupation industry: 9%
By occupation services: 25%

Unemployment rate: widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line: 80% (2003 est.)

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

Budget
Revenues: $400 million
Expenditures: $600.8 million; including capital expenditures of $N/A (2005 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Inflation rate consumer prices: 15.7% (2005 est.)

Current account balance: $23 million (2005 est.)

Exports: $390.7 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Commodities: manufactures coffee oils cocoa mangoes
Partners: US 80.8% Dominican Republic 6.9% Canada 4% (2005)

Imports: $1.471 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Commodities: food manufactured goods machinery and transport equipment fuels raw materials
Partners: US 49.3% Netherlands Antilles 12% Colombia 3.2% (2005)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $100 million (2005 est.)

Debt external: $1.313 billion (2005 est.)

Exchange rates: gourdes per US dollar - 40.449 (2005) 38.352 (2004) 42.367 (2003) 29.251 (2002) 24.429 (2001)

Electricity
Production: 546 million kWh (2003)
Consumption: 507.8 million kWh (2003)
Exports: 0 kWh (2003)
Imports: 0 kWh (2003)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2003 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2003 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 140,000 (2004)
Mobile cellular: 400,000 (2004)

Telephone system
General assessment: domestic facilities barely adequate; international facilities slightly better
Domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service
International: country code - 509; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Internet
Country code: .ht
Hosts: 6 (2006)
Users: 500,000 (2005)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: 0.9% (2003 est.)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary recruitment into the police force (2001)

Airports: 12 (2006)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3 (2006)
With unpaved runways total: 8
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 7 (2006)

Roadways
Total: 4,160 km
Paved: 1,011 km
Unpaved: 3,149 km (1999)

Ports and terminals: Cap-Haitien

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 fleeing economic privation and civil unrest continue to 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 money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions; pervasive corruption