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 forced resignation and exile 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)

Total renewable water resources: 14 km³ (2000)

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)

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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 2.493% (2008 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: 41.8% (male 1,881,509/female 1,851,591)
15-64 years: 54.7% (male 2,386,761/female 2,495,233)
65 years and over: 3.5% (male 135,695/female 173,764) (2008 est.)

Median age
Total: 18.5 years
Male: 18.1 years
Female: 19 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.493% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 35.69 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 10.15 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.61 migrant(s)/1000 population (2008 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male/female
Total population: 0.97 male/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 62.33 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 66.88 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 57.64 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 57.56 years
Male: 55.83 years
Female: 59.35 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.79 children born/woman (2008 est.)

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

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
Water contact disease: leptospirosis (2008)

Education expenditures: 1.4% of GDP (1991)

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: 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 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 while technically in force between 2004-2006 was not enforced; returned to constitutional rule in May 2006

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 Michele PIERRE-LOUIS (since 5 September 2008)
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 with run-off elections on 3 December 2006 (next regular election, for one third of seats, to be held in 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 April 2006 with run-off elections on 3 December 2006 and 29 April 2007 (next regular election to be held in 2010)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - L'ESPWA 11, FUSION 5, OPL 4, FL 3, LAAA 2, UNCRH 2, PONT 2, ALYANS 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - L'ESPWA 23, FUSION 17, FRN 12, OPL 10, ALYANS 10, LAAA 5, MPH 3, MOCHRENA 3, other 10; results for six other seats contested on 3 December 2006 remain unknown

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 [Evans PAUL] (coalition composed of KID and PPRH); 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 [Rene PREVAL] (alliance of ESKAMP PLB and grass-roots organizations Grand-Anse Resistance Committee the Central Plateau Peasants' Group and Kombit Sudest); 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 [Serge GILLES] (coalition of Ayiti Capable Haitian National Revolutionary Party and National Congress of Democratic Movements); 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]; Struggling People's Organization or OPL [Edgard LEBLANC]; Union of Nationalist and Progressive Haitians or UNITE [Edouard FRANCISQUE]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Raymond JOSEPH
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: Tabarre 41, Route de Tabarre, Port-au-Prince
From the us mailing address: use mailing address
From the us telephone: [509] 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)

Economy overview: Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty. Two-thirds 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. A macroeconomic program developed in 2005 with the help of the International Monetary Fund helped the economy grow 3.5% in 2007 the highest growth rate since 1999. US economic engagement under the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act passed in December 2006 has boosted the garment and automotive parts exports and investment by providing tariff-free access to the US. Haiti suffers from high inflation a lack of investment because of insecurity and limited infrastructure and a severe trade deficit. In 2005 Haiti paid its arrears to the World Bank paving the way for reengagement with the Bank. The government relies on formal international economic assistance for fiscal sustainability. Remittances are the primary source of foreign exchange equaling nearly a quarter of GDP and more than twice the earnings from exports.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $11.38 billion (2007 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 3.2% (2007 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1300 (2007 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 based on imported parts

Industrial production growth rate: 2.5% (2007 est.)

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

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

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 0.7%
Highest 10: 47.7% (2001)

Distribution of family income gini index: 59.2 (2001)

Budget
Revenues: $815.9 million
Expenditures: $802.2 million (2007 est.)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 8.5% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 46.99% (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit: $1.537 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$467 million (2007 est.)

Exports: $522 million f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: apparel manufactures oils cocoa mangoes coffee
Partners: US 72.9% Dominican Republic 8.8% Canada 3.3% (2007)

Imports: $1.734 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: food manufactured goods machinery and transport equipment fuels raw materials
Partners: US 41.2% Netherlands Antilles 14.9% China 4.7% Brazil 4.4% (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $444 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt external: $1.475 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Exchange rates: gourdes (HTG) per US dollar - 37.138 (2007) 40.232 (2006) 40.449 (2005) 38.352 (2004) 42.367 (2003)

Electricity
Production: 549 million kWh (2006 est.)
Consumption: 330 million kWh (2006 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2007 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2007 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2006 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 150,000 (2006)
Mobile cellular: 2.2 million (2007)

Telephone system
General assessment: domestic facilities barely adequate; international facilities slightly better; telephone density in Haiti remains the lowest in the Latin American and Caribbean region
Domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service; combined fixed and mobile-cellular teledensity is about 25 per 100 persons
International: country code - 509; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Internet
Country code: .ht
Hosts: 7 (2008)
Users: 1 million (2007)

Military expenditures: 0.4% of GDP (2006)

Airports: 14 (2007)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 10
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 9 (2007)

Roadways
Total: 4,160 km
Paved: 1,011 km
Unpaved: 3,149 km (2000)

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 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 bulk cash smuggling activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions; pervasive corruption; significant consumer of cannabis