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. 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 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. A massive magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010 with an epicenter about 15 km southwest of the capital Port-au-Prince. An estimated 2 million people live within the zone of heavy to moderate structural damage. The earthquake is assessed as the worst in this region over the last 200 years and massive international assistance will be required to help the country recover.

Geographic coordinates: 19 00 N 72 25 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 27,750 km²
Rank: 147
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: 9,719,932
Rank: 87
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 (2011 est.)
Growth rate: 0.787%
Growth rate rank: 139
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 (2011 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: Roman Catholic 80% Protestant 16% (Baptist 10% Pentecostal 4% Adventist 1% other 1%) none 1% other 3%
Note: roughly half of the population practices voodoo

Age structure
0-14 years: 38.1%
15-64 years: 58.5% (male 2,621,059/female 2,665,447)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 120,040/female 188,690) (2010 est.)

Median age
Total: 21.1 years
Male: 20.9 years
Female: 21.4 years (2010 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.787%
Rank: 139
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 (2011 est.)

Birth rate: 24.4 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 68

Death rate: 8.21 deaths/1000 population
Rank: 98
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 (2011 est.)

Net migration rate: -8.32 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 210

Urbanization
Urban population: 47% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 4.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 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: 1.011 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 54.02 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 43
Male: 58.16 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 49.83 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 (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 62.17 years
Rank: 179
Male: 60.84 years
Female: 63.53 years
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 (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.07 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 64

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 2.2% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 28
People living with hivaids: 120,000 (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 43
Deaths: 7,200 (2007 est.)
Deaths rank: 38

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 (2009)

Education expenditures: 1.4% of GDP (1991)
Rank: 177

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
Note: 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
Head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Max BELLERIVE (since 7 November 2009)
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 on 28 November 2010; runoff scheduled for 16 January 2011 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the president ratified by the National Assembly
Election results: 2010 results not final initial results are under OAS review; Mirlande MANIGAT 31.37% Jude CELESTIN 22.48% Michel MARTELLY 21.84% all others less than 10% each

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale consists of the Senate (30 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of Deputies (99 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); note - in reestablishing the Senate in 2006 the candidate in each department receiving the most votes in the last election serves six years the candidate with the second most votes serves four years and the candidate with the third most votes serves two years
Elections: Senate - last held on 28 November 2010 with run-off elections scheduled for 16 January 2011 (next regular election for one third of seats to be held in 2012); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 28 November 2010 with run-off elections schedule for 16 January 2011 (next regular election to be held in 2014)
Election results: 2010 election results are not final; 2006 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; 2006 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]; Fanmi Lavalas or FL [Rudy HERIVEAUX]; 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]; 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 AOSIS Caricom CDB FAO G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM ITSO ITU ITUC LAES MIGA NAM OAS OIF OPANAL OPCW PCA PetroCaribe RG UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO Union Latina UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Louis Harold 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 consulate general: Boston Chicago Miami New York San Juan (Puerto Rico)
In the us consulate: Orlando (Florida)
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Kenneth H. MERTEN
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); the colors are taken from the French Tricolor and represent the union of blacks and mulattoes

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

Economy overview: Haiti's economy suffered a severe setback when a 7.1 magnitude earthquake damaged its capital city Port-au-Prince in January 2010. Already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty the damage to Port-au-Prince caused the country's GDP to contract an estimated 8% in 2010. 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. US economic engagement under the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act passed in December 2006 has boosted apparel exports and investment by providing tariff-free access to the US. Congress voted in 2010 to extend the legislation until 2020 under the Haitian Economic Lift Act (HELP); the apparel sector accounts for three-quarters of Haitian exports and nearly one-tenth of GDP. Remittances are the primary source of foreign exchange equaling nearly a quarter of GDP and more than twice the earnings from exports. Haiti suffers from 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. Haiti received debt forgiveness for over $1 billion of its debt through the Highly-Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative in 2009. The remainder of its outstanding external debt was cancelled by donor countries in early 2010 but has since climbed back to about $500 million. The government relies on formal international economic assistance for fiscal sustainability.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 145
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 213

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 205
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 23%
Industry: 20%
Services: 57% (2009 est.)

Agriculture products: coffee mangoes sugarcane rice corn sorghum; wood

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

Industrial production growth rate: -8% (2010 est.)
Rank: 165

Labor force: 3.643 million
Rank: 95
Note: shortage of skilled labor unskilled labor abundant (2007)
By occupation agriculture: 66%
By occupation industry: 9%
By occupation services: 25% (1995)

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

Population below poverty line: 80% (2003 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)
Rank: 7

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2% (2009 est.)
Rank: 134

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 17.81% (31 December 2008 est.)
Rank: 29

Stock of narrow money: $800 million (31 December 2009 est)
Rank: 144

Stock of broad money: $2.958 billion (31 December 2008)
Rank: 131

Stock of domestic credit: $1.698 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 132

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$627 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 126

Exports: $551 million (2009 est.)
Rank: 163
Commodities: apparel manufactures oils cocoa mangoes coffee
Partners: US 79.76% Dominican Republic 7.24% Canada 2.96% (2009)

Imports: $2.032 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 146
Commodities: food manufactured goods machinery and transport equipment fuels raw materials
Partners: US 33.11% Dominican Republic 23.53% Netherlands Antilles 10.75% China 5.36% (2009)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $790 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 109

Debt external: $1.362 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 162

Exchange rates: gourdes (HTG) per US dollar - 41.198 (2010) 41.195 (2009) 39.216 (2008) 37.138 (2007) 40.232 (2006)

Electricity
Production: 665 million kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 153
Consumption: 273 million kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 168
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 101
Consumption: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 145
Exports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Exports rank: 173
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 165
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2010 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 169

Telephones
Main lines in use: 108,300 (2009)
Main lines in use rank: 142
Mobile cellular: 3.648 million (2009)
Mobile cellular rank: 108

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 reached 40 per 100 persons in 2009
International: country code - 509; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

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

Internet
Country code: .ht
Hosts: 273 (2010)
Hosts rank: 185
Users: 1 million (2009)
Users rank: 99

Military expenditures: 0.4% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 167

Airports: 14 (2010)
Rank: 148
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 10
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 8 (2010)

Roadways
Total: 4,160 km
Rank: 155
Paved: 1011 km
Unpaved: 3,149 km (2000)

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

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