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 took office to organize new elections under the auspices of the United Nations. Continued instability and technical delays prompted repeated postponements but Haiti inaugurated a democratically elected president and parliament in May of 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.

Geographic coordinates: 19 00 N 72 25 W

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

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

Coastline: 1771 km

Maritime claims
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 highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m

Natural resources: bauxite copper calcium carbonate gold marble hydropower

Land use
Permanent crops: 10.09%
Other: 53.87% (2011)

Irrigated land: 970 km² (2009)

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)

Population: 9,893,934 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 89
Growth rate: 0.99%
Growth rate rank: 118
Below poverty line: 80% (2003 est.)

Nationality
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%

Age structure
15-24 years: 21.5% (male 1,064,069/female 1,066,614)
25-54 years: 34.8% (male 1,713,478/female 1,729,432)
55-64 years: 5% (male 235,278/female 258,330)
65 years and over: 4.1% (male 178,842/female 221,996) (2013 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 57.8 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.5 %
Potential support ratio: 13.4 (2013)

Median age
Male: 21.6 years
Female: 22.1 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.99%
Rank: 118

Birth rate: 23.35 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 72

Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 101

Net migration rate: -5.5 migrant(s)/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 195

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 3.9% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: PORT-AU-PRINCE (capital) 2.143 million (2010)

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 signed but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 22.7

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 41
Male: 54.85 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 46.94 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 186
Male: 61.46 years
Female: 64.25 years

Total fertility rate: 2.88 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 66

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 34.5% (2012)

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 0.25 physicians/1000 population (1998)

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

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.9% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 31
People living with hivaids: 120,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 37
Deaths: 7,100 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 30

Major infectious diseases
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea hepatitis A and E and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria (2013)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 7.9% (2008)
Rank: 137

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 18.9% (2006)
Rank: 38

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Total population: 48.7%
Male: 53.4%
Female: 44.6% (2006 est.)

Country name
Conventional short form: Haiti
Local long form: Republique d'Haiti/Repiblik d' Ayiti
Local short form: Haiti/Ayiti

Government type: republic

Capital
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

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: many previous (23 total); latest adopted 10 March 1987; amended 2012 (2013)

Legal system: civil law system strongly influenced by Napoleonic Code

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: Prime Minister Laurent LAMOTHE (since 16 May 2012)
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 on 20 March 2011 (next to be held in 2015); prime minister appointed by the president ratified by the National Assembly
Election results: Michel MARTELLY won the runoff election held on 20 March 2011 with 67.6% of the vote against 31.7% for Mirlande MANIGAT

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);
Elections: Senate - last held on 28 November 2010 with run-off elections on 20 March 2011 (next regular election for one third of seats scheduled for 2012 but delayed); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 28 November 2010 with run-off elections on 20 March 2011 (next regular election to be held in 2014)
Election results: 2010 Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Inite 6 ALTENATIV 4 LAVNI 1; 2010 Chamber of Deputies- percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Inite 32 Altenativ 11 Ansanm Nou Fo 10 AAA 8 LAVNI 7 RASANBLE 4 KONBIT 3 MOCHRENA 3 Platforme Liberation 3 PONT 3 Repons Peyizan 3 Independent 2 MAS 2 MODELH-PRDH 1 PLAPH 1 RESPE 1 Veye Yo 1 vacant 4

Judicial branch: 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 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 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: Atlanta Boston Chicago Miami New York San Juan (Puerto Rico)
In the us consulate: Orlando (FL)
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 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)

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Justin LHERISSON/Nicolas GEFFRARD

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 5.4% in 2010. In 2011 the Haitian economy had begun recovering slowly from the effects of the earthquake. However two hurricanes adversely affected agricultural output and the slow public capital spending negatively affected the economic recovery in 2012. GDP growth for 2012 was 2.8% down from 5.6% in 2011. 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 20% 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. 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 through the Highly-Indebted Poor Country initiative in mid-2009. The remainder of its outstanding external debt was cancelled by donor countries following the 2010 earthquake but has since risen to nearly $1 billion. The government relies on formal international economic assistance for fiscal sustainability with over half of its annual budget coming from outside sources. The MARTELLY administration in 2011 launched a campaign aimed at drawing foreign investment into Haiti as a means for sustainable development. To that end the MARTELLY government in 2012 created a Commission for Commercial Code Reform effected reforms to the justice sector and inaugurated the Caracol industrial park in Haiti's north coast.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 147

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 119

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 210

Gross national saving: -4.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 139

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 19.5%
Services: 55.8% (2012 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 6.5% (2012 est.)
Rank: 39

Labor force: 4.81 million
Rank: 79
By occupation industry: 11.5%
By occupation services: 50.4% (2010)

Unemployment rate: 40.6% (2010 est.)
Rank: 189

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

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

Distribution of family income gini index: 59.2 (2001)
Rank: 7

Budget
Expenditures: $2.279 billion (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -6% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 175

Taxes and other revenues: 23.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 142

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Inflation rate consumer prices: 8.4% (2011 est.)
Rank: 166

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 11.61% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 69

Stock of narrow money: $1.003 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 147

Stock of broad money: $3.43 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 139

Stock of domestic credit: $1.268 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 141

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance: $-1.785 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 125

Exports: $768.1 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 165
Commodities: apparel manufactures oils cocoa mangoes coffee
Partners: US 81.7% (2012)

Imports: $3.014 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 150
Commodities: food manufactured goods machinery and transport equipment fuels raw materials
Partners: Dominican Republic 34.5% US 26.2% Netherlands Antilles 9.4% China 7% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.197 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 128

Debt external: $782.9 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 162

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $784.3 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 99

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 726 million kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 153
Consumption: 208.5 million kWh (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 185
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 208
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 198
Installed generating capacity: 130,000 kW (2012 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 169
Generation sources fossil fuels: 79% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 92
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 102
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 21% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 88
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2011 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 182

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 179
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 125
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 198
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 142

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products production rank: 186
Products consumption: 14,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 147
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products exports rank: 183
Products imports: 15,130 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products imports rank: 119

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 142
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 154
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 115
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 204
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 148

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 2.103 million Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 147

Telephones
Main lines in use: 50,000 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 163
Mobile cellular: 6.095 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 102

Telephone system
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 (Atlantic Ocean) (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
Hosts: 555 (2012)
Hosts rank: 181
Users: 1 million (2009)
Users rank: 98

Military expenditures: 0.4% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 166

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

Roadways
Rank: 155
Paved: 768 km
Unpaved: 3,498 km (2009)

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

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 corruptio