Haiti - Introduction 2019
top of pageBackground: 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
Climate: tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
Terrain: mostly rough and mountainous
Natural resources: bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower, arable land
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
GeographyNote: 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
top of pagePopulationDistribution: fairly even distribution; largest concentrations located near coastal areas:
10,788,440 (July 2018 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: 83
Growth rate: 1.31% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 84
Below poverty line: 58.5% (2012 est.)
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
Age structure0-14 years: 32.27% (male 1,733,920 /female 1,747,387)
15-24 years: 21.11% (male 1,139,188 /female 1,137,754)
25-54 years: 37.32% (male 1,997,816 /female 2,028,495)
55-64 years: 5.1% (male 262,494 /female 287,515)
65 years and over: 4.21% (male 199,617 /female 254,254) (2018 est.)
Major infectious diseasesDegree of risk: very high (2016)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever (2016)
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria (2016):
note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus
top of pageCapitalName: Port-au-PrinceGeographic 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
ConstitutionHistory: 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 (2018)
Legal system: civil law system strongly influenced by Napoleonic Code
Executive branchChief of state: President Jovenel MOISE (since 7 February 2017)
Head of government: Prime Minister Fritz William MICHEL (since 22 July 2019); note - Prime Minister Jean Michel LAPIN resigned on 22 July 2019
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 branchDescription:bicameral legislature or le Corps legislatif ou le Parlement consists of:
le Senat or Senate (30 seats, 29 filled as of June 2019; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 6-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years)
la Chambre de deputes or Chamber of Deputies (119 seats; 116 filled as of June 2019; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 4-year terms); note - when the 2 chambers meet collectively it is known as LAssemblee nationale or the National Assembly and is convened for specific purposes spelled out in the constitution
Elections:
Senate - last held on 20 November 2016 with runoff on 29 January 2017 (next scheduled for 27 October 2019)
Chamber of Deputies - last held on 9 August 2015 with runoff on 25 October 2015 and 20 November 2016 (next scheduled for 27 October 2019)
Election results:
Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 27, women 1, percent of women 3.6%
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 115, women 3, percent of women 2.5%; note - total legislature percent of women 2.7%
Judicial branchHighest 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 representationIn 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 anthemName: 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
top of pageEconomy overview: Haiti is a free market economy with low labor costs and tariff-free access to the US for many of its exports. Two-fifths of all Haitians depend on the agricultural sector, mainly small-scale subsistence farming, which remains vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters. Poverty, corruption, vulnerability to natural disasters, and low levels of education for much of the population represent some of the most serious impediments to Haiti’s economic growth. Remittances are the primary source of foreign exchange, equivalent to more than a quarter of GDP, and nearly double the combined value of Haitian exports and foreign direct investment.Currently the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with close to 60% of the population living under the national poverty line, Haiti’s GDP growth rose to 5.5% in 2011 as the Haitian economy began recovering from the devastating January 2010 earthquake that destroyed much of its capital city, Port-au-Prince, and neighboring areas. However, growth slowed to below 2% in 2015 and 2016 as political uncertainty, drought conditions, decreasing foreign aid, and the depreciation of the national currency took a toll on investment and economic growth. Hurricane Matthew, the fiercest Caribbean storm in nearly a decade, made landfall in Haiti on 4 October 2016, with 140 mile-per-hour winds, creating a new humanitarian emergency. An estimated 2.1 million people were affected by the category 4 storm, which caused extensive damage to crops, houses, livestock, and infrastructure across Haiti’s southern peninsula.US economic engagement under the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) and the 2008 Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act (HOPE II) have contributed to an increase in apparel exports and investment by providing duty-free access to the US. The Haiti Economic Lift Program (HELP) Act of 2010 extended the CBTPA and HOPE II until 2020, while the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 extended trade benefits provided to Haiti in the HOPE and HELP Acts through September 2025. Apparel sector exports in 2016 reached approximately $850 million and account for over 90% of Haitian exports and more than 10% of the GDP.Investment in Haiti is hampered by the difficulty of doing business and weak infrastructure, including access to electricity. Haiti's outstanding external debt was cancelled by donor countries following the 2010 earthquake, but has since risen to $2.6 billion as of December 2017, the majority of which is owed to Venezuela under the PetroCaribe program. Although the government has increased its revenue collection, it continues to rely on formal international economic assistance for fiscal sustainability, with over 20% of its annual budget coming from foreign aid or direct budget support.
Industries: textiles, sugar refining, flour milling, cement, light assembly using imported parts
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: 215
Exports:
$980.2 million (2017 est.)
$995 million (2016 est.)
Rank: 161
Partners: US 80.6%, Dominican Republic 4.9% (2017)
Commodities: apparel, manufactures, oils, cocoa, mangoes, coffee
Imports:
$3.618 billion (2017 est.)
$3.183 billion (2016 est.)
Rank: 144
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)
Debt external:
$2.762 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$2.17 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Rank: 146
Exchange rates:
65.21 (2017 est.)
63.34 (2016 est.)
63.34 (2015 est.)
50.71 (2014 est.)
45.22 (2013 est.)
top of pageHaiti - Communication 2019
top of pageTelephone systemGeneral assessment: telecommunications infrastructure is among the least-developed in Latin America and the Caribbean; domestic cell service is functional (2018)
Domestic: fixed-line is less than 1 per 100; mobile-cellular telephone services have expanded greatly in the last decade due to low-cost GSM (Global Systems for Mobile) phones and pay-as-you-go plans; mobile-cellular teledensity is 61 per 100 persons (2018)
International: country code - 509; landing points for the BDSNi and Fibralink submarine cables to 14 points in the Bahamas and Dominican Republic; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)
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)
top of pageMilitary 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; the small Coast Guard is not part of the military, but rather the Haitian National Police. (2019)
Haiti - Transportation 2019
top of pageHaiti - Transnational issues 2019
top of pageDisputes 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 personsIDPs: 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
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