Background: 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.

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: 376 km
Border countries: (1) Dominican Republic 376 km

Coastline: 1,771 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguouszone: 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
Highest point: Pic la Selle 2,674 m
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 470 m

Natural resources: bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower, arable land

Land use
Agricultural land: 66.4% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 38.5% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 10.2% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 17.7% (2018 est.)
Forest: 3.6% (2018 est.)
Other: 30% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 970 km² (2012)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 190 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Industrial: 51 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 1.209 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 14.022 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

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); it is the most mountainous nation in the Caribbean

Population
Distribution: fairly even distribution; largest concentrations located near coastal areas: 11,198,240 (July 2021 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
Growth rate: 1.22% (2021 est.)
Below poverty line: 58.5% (2012 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Haitian(s)
Adjective: Haitian

Ethnic groups: Black 95%, mixed and White 5%

Languages: French (official), Creole (official)
Major language samples:

Religions: Protestant/Methodist/Adventist/Jehovah's Witness 51.8%, Roman Catholic 35.4%, Vodou 1.7%, none 11% (2016-17 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 structure
0-14 years: 31.21% (male 1,719,961/female 1,734,566)
15-24 years: 20.71% (male 1,145,113/female 1,146,741)
25-54 years: 38.45% (male 2,110,294/female 2,145,209)
55-64 years: 5.3% (male 280,630/female 305,584)
65 years and over: 4.33% (male 210,451/female 269,228) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 60.4
Youth dependency ratio: 52.1
Elderly dependency ratio: 8.3
Potential support ratio: 13.3 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 24.1 years
Male: 23.8 years
Female: 24.3 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.22% (2021 est.)

Birth rate: 21.4 births/1000 population (2021 est.)

Death rate: 7.29 deaths/1000 population (2021 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.9 migrant(s)/1000 population (2021 est.)

Population distribution: fairly even distribution; largest concentrations located near coastal areas

Urbanization
Urban population: 58% of total population (2021)
Rate of urbanization: 2.47% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 2.844 million PORT-AU-PRINCE (capital) (2021)

Environment
Current issues: extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel); soil erosion; overpopulation leads to inadequate supplies of potable water and and a lack of sanitation; natural disasters
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 14.63 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 2.98 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 6.12 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.01 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 22.4 years (2016/7 est.)
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-49

Maternal mortality ratio: 480 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 41.29 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 47.1 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 35.42 deaths/1000 live births (2021 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 65.61 years
Male: 62.94 years
Female: 68.31 years (2021 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.48 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 34.3% (2016/17)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 91.5% of population
Improved rural: 55.4% of population
Improved total: 75% of population
Unimproved urban: 8.5% of population
Unimproved rural: 44.6% of population
Unimproved total: 25% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 7.7% (2018)

Physicians density: 0.23 physicians/1000 population (2018)

Hospital bed density: 0.7 beds/1000 population (2013)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 80.6% of population
Improved rural: 40% of population
Improved total: 62.1% of population
Unimproved urban: 19.4% of population
Unimproved rural: 60% of population
Unimproved total: 37.9% of population (2017 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.9% (2020 est.)
People living with hivaids: 150,000 (2020 est.)
Deaths: 2,200 (2020 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2020)
Food or water borne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
Vector borne diseases: dengue fever and malaria

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 22.7% (2016)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 9.5% (2016/17)

Education expenditures: 1.7% of GDP (2018)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 61.7%
Male: 65.3%
Female: 58.3% (2016)

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
Etymology: the native Taino name means 'Land of High Mountains' and was originally applied to the entire island of Hispaniola

Government type: semi-presidential 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 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

Independence: 1 January 1804 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1804)

Constitution
History: 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 many times, last in 2012

Legal system: civil law system strongly influenced by Napoleonic Code

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

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descentonly: at least one parent must be a native-born citizen of Haiti
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Acting President Ariel HENRY (since 20 July 2021); note - Prime Minister Ariel HENRY has assumed the responsibilities of president following the assassination of President Jovenel MOISE on 7 July 2021; an election is expected to be held on 7 November 2021; MOISE had been president since 7 February 2017
Head of government: Prime Minister Ariel HENRY (since 20 July 2021)
Cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president; parliament must ratify the Cabinet and Prime Minister's governing policy
Elections and appointments: 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:

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral legislature or le Corps l'egislatif ou le Parlement consists of:
le S'enat or Senate (30 seats; 10 filled as of July 2021; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 6-year terms (2-term limit) with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years)
la Chambre de deput'es 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; no term limits); note - when the 2 chambers meet collectively it is known as L'Assembl'ee 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 originally scheduled for 27 October 2019, but postponed to 26 September 2021)
Chamber of Deputies - last held on 9 August 2015 with runoff on 25 October 2015 and 20 November 2016 (next originally scheduled for 27 October 2019, but postponed to 26 September 2021)
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 branch
Highest 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 Haiti's 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; magistrate's courts;  land, labor, and children's courts

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 KONBIT
Lavni 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 OLAHH
Party for the Integral Advancement of the Haitian People or PAIPH
Patriotic 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]
Pont
Popular Party for the Renewal of Haiti or PPRH [Claude ROMAIN]
PPG18
Rally of Progressive National Democrats or RDNP [Mirlande MANIGAT]
Renmen Ayiti or RA [Jean-Henry CEANT]
Reseau National Bouclier or Bouclier
Respect or RESPE
Strength 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 representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Bocchit EDMOND (since 23 December 2020)
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 email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Michele SISON (since 21 February 2018)
From the us embassy: Tabarre 41, Route de Tabarre, Port-au-Prince
From the us mailing address: 3,400 Port-au-Prince Place, Washington, DC 20,521-3,400
From the us telephone: [011] (509) 2,229-8,000
From the us FAX: [011] (529) 2,229-8,027
From the us email address and website:

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 anthem
Name: 'La Dessalinienne' (The Dessalines Song)
Lyrics and music: 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

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 1.2% (2017 est.)

1.5% (2016 est.)

1.2% (2015 est.)

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 99.1% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 10% (2016 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 32.6% (2016 est.)
Investment in inventories: -1.4% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 20% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -60.3% (2017 est.)
Note: figure for household consumption also includes government consumption

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 22.1% (2017 est.)
Industry: 20.3% (2017 est.)
Services: 57.6% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: sugar cane, cassava, mangoes/guavas, plantains, bananas, yams, avocados, maize, rice, vegetables

Industries: textiles, sugar refining, flour milling, cement, light assembly using imported parts

Industrial production growth rate: 0.9% (2017 est.)

Labor force: 4.594 million (2014 est.)
Note: shortage of skilled labor; unskilled labor abundant
By occupation agriculture: 38.1%
By occupation industry: 11.5%
By occupation services: 50.4% (2010)

Unemployment rate: 40.6% (2010 est.)
Note: widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs

Population below poverty line: 58.5% (2012 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 41.1 (2012 est.)

59.2 (2001)

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

Budget
Revenues: $1.567 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $1.65 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: $-1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 18.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt: 31.1% of GDP (2017 est.)

33.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Revenue
From forest resources forest revenues: 0.68% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September

Inflation rate consumer prices: 14.7% (2017 est.)

13.4% (2016 est.)

Current account balance: -$348 million (2017 est.)

-$83 million (2016 est.)

Exports: $1.73 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

$1.78 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Partners: United States 81%, Canada 7% (2019)
Commodities: clothing and apparel, eels, essential oils, perfumes, mangoes, cocoa beans (2019)

Imports: $5.21 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

$5.67 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Partners: United States 39%, China 22%, Turkey 5% (2019)
Commodities: refined petroleum, rice, clothing and apparel, palm oil, poultry meats (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.361 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$2.11 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt external: $2.762 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$2.17 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 39% (2019)
Access electrification urban areas: 60% (2019)
Access electrification rural areas: 12% (2019)
Production: 1.023 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption: 406.2 million kWh (2016 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 332,000 kW (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 82% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 18% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products consumption: 21,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 20,030 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 5,952 (2019)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 6,843,380 (2019)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 60.76 (2019 est.)

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

Internet
Country code: .ht
Users total: 4.28 million (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 12.33% (2019 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 31,100 (2019)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2019 est.)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: HH

Airports
Total: 14 (2013)
With paved runways total: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2019)
With unpaved runways total: 10
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 8 (2013)

Roadways
Total: 4,266 km (2009)
Paved: 768 km (2009)
Unpaved: 3,498 km (2009)

Merchant marine
Total: 4
By type: general cargo 3, other 1 (2021)

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

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 17,105 (violence among armed gangs in the metropolitan area os Port-au-Prince) (2021)
Stateless persons: 2,992 (2018); note - individuals without a nationality who were born in the Dominican Republic prior to January 2010

Illicit drugs: a transit point for cocaine from South America and marijuana from Jamaica en route to the United States; not a producer or large consumer of illicit drugs; some cultivation of cannabis for local consumption