from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Haiti
Introduction
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 departure of President
Jean-Betrand 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 have prompted repeated postponements,
and Haiti missed the constitutionally-mandated
presidential inauguration date of 7 February 2006.
Geography
Location: Caribbean, western one-third of the island of
Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North
Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic
Geographic 19 00 N, 72 25 W
coordinates:
Map Central America and the Caribbean
references:
Area: total: 27,750 sq km
land: 27,560 sq km
water: 190 sq km
Area - slightly smaller than Maryland
comparative:
Land total: 360 km
boundaries: border countries: Dominican Republic 360 km
Coastline: 1,771 km
Maritime territorial sea: 12 nm
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 lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
extremes: highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m
Natural bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble,
resources: hydropower
Land use: arable land: 28.11%
permanent crops: 11.53%
other: 60.36% (2005)
Irrigated 920 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to
hazards: severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding
and earthquakes; periodic droughts
Environment - extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested
current land is being cleared for agriculture and used as
issues: fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable
water
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
international Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine
agreements: Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes
Geography - shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic
note: (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the
Dominican Republic)
People
Population: 8,308,504
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 and death rates, lower population and growth
rates, and changes in the distribution of population by
age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2006
est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.4% (male 1,770,523/female 1,749,853)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 2,201,957/female 2,301,886)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 125,298/female 158,987)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 18.2 years
male: 17.8 years
female: 18.6 years (2006 est.)
Population 2.3% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 36.44 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 12.17 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -1.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 71.65 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 78.01 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 65.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 53.23 years
expectancy at male: 51.89 years
birth: female: 54.6 years (2006 est.)
Total 4.94 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 5.6% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 280,000 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 24,000 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Haitian(s)
adjective: Haitian
Ethnic groups: black 95%, mulatto and white 5%
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
Languages: French (official), Creole (official)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 52.9%
male: 54.8%
female: 51.2% (2003 est.)
Government
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 elected government
type:
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 10 departments (departements, singular - departement);
divisions: Artibonite, Centre, Grand 'Anse, Nippes, Nord,
Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est
Independence: 1 January 1804 (from France)
National Independence Day, 1 January (1804)
holiday:
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
remains technically in force but has not been observed
since Aristide's departure in 2004
Legal system: based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Rene PREVAL (since 14 May
branch: 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard
ALEXIS (since 30 May 2006)
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 bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
branch: 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 are elected by popular vote to serve four-year
terms); note - in reestablishing the Senate, 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 21 April 2006, run-off
elections to be determined (next regular election, for
one third of seats, to be held in 2008); Chamber of
Deputies - last held 21 April 2006, run-off elections
to be determined (next regular election to be held in
2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - L'ESPWA 11, OPL 4, FL 3, FUSION 3,
LAAA 2, UNCRH 2, ALYANS 1, PONT 1, 3 seats subject to
run-off election; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote
by party - NA; seats by party - L'ESPWA 19, FUSION 15,
ALYANS 10, OPL 8, FL 6, UNCRH 6, MPH 4, RDNP 4, LAAA
3,KONBA 3, FRN 1, MOCHRENHA 1, MRN 1, Tet-Ansanm 1,
MIRN 1, JPDN 1, UNITE 1, PLH 1, 13 seats subject to
run-off election
Judicial Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation
branch:
Political Artibonite in Action or LAAA [Youri LATORTUE]; Assembly
parties and of Progressive National Democrats or RDNP [Leslie
leaders: MANIGAT]; Convention for Democratic Unity or KID [Evans
PAUL]; Cooperative Action to Build Haiti or KONBA
[Evans LESCOUFALIR]; Democratic Alliance or ALYANS
(coalition composed of KID and PPRH) [Evans PAUL];
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
(alliance of ESKAMP, PLB, and grass-roots organizations
Grand-Anse Resistance Committee, the Central Plateau
Peasants' Group, and Kombit Sudest) [Rene PREVAL];
Grand Center Right Front coalition (composed of MDN,
MRN, and PDCH) [Hubert de RONCERAY]; 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 (merged Ayiti Capable,
Haitian National Revolutionary Party, and National
Congress of Democratic Movements) [Serge GILLES];
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 and Daniel
SUPPLICE]; Struggling People's Organization or OPL
[Edgard LEBLANC]; Union for Haiti or UPH (coalition of
MIDH and FL) [Marc BAZIN]; Union of Nationalist and
Progressive Haitians or UNITE [Edouard FRANCISQUE]
Political Autonomous Organizations of Haitian Workers or CATH
pressure [Fignole ST-CYR]; Confederation of Haitian Workers or
groups and CTH; Federation of Workers Trade Unions or FOS;
leaders: Grand-Anse Resistance Committee, or KOREGA; Group of
184 Civil Society Organizations, or G-184 [Andy APAID];
National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants
Movement or MPP [Chavannes JEAN-BAPTISTE]; Popular
Organizations Gathering Power or PROP; Roman Catholic
Church; Protestant Federation of Haiti
International ACCT, ACP, Caricom, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
organization ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
participation: IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, OAS,
OIF, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Raymond JOSEPH (as of
representation October 2005)
in the US: chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-4090
FAX: [1] (202) 745-7215
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York,
San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Janet A. SANDERSON
representation embassy: 5 Harry S Truman Boulevard,
from the US: Bicentenaire-Port-au-Prince
mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince
telephone: [509] 222-0200
FAX: [509] 223-9038
Flag two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a
description: 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
Economy - In this poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, 80%
overview: of the population lives in abject poverty. Two-thirds
of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector,
mainly small-scale subsistence farming, and remain
vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters,
exacerbated by the country's widespread deforestation.
The economy grew 1.5% in 2005, the highest growth rate
since 1999. Haiti suffers from rampant inflation, a
lack of investment, and a severe trade deficit. In
early 2005, Haiti paid its arrears to the World Bank,
paving the way for reengagement with the Bank. The
government is reliant on formal international economic
assistance for fiscal sustainability. Remittances are
the primary source of foreign exchange, equaling nearly
a quarter of GDP in 2005.
GDP $13.97 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $4.321 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 1.8% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $1,700 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 28%
composition by industry: 20%
sector: services: 52% (2004 est.)
Labor force: 3.6 million
note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor
abundant (1995)
Labor force - agriculture: 66%
by occupation: industry: 9%
services: 25%
Unemployment widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than
rate: two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs
(2002 est.)
Population 80% (2003 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 15.7% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 27.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $400 million
expenditures: $600.8 million; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Agriculture - coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood
products:
Industries: sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light
assembly industries based on imported parts
Industrial NA%
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 546 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 60.3%
production by hydro: 39.7%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 507.8 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 11,800 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Current $23 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $390.7 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - manufactures, coffee, oils, cocoa, mangoes
commodities:
Exports - US 80.8%, Dominican Republic 6.9%, Canada 4% (2005)
partners:
Imports: $1.471 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - food, manufactured goods, machinery and transport
commodities: equipment, fuels, raw materials
Imports - US 49.3%, Netherlands Antilles 12%, Colombia 3.2%
partners: (2005)
Reserves of $100 million (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $1.313 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $153 million (FY05 est.)
recipient:
Currency gourde (HTG)
(code):
Currency code: HTG
Exchange gourdes per US dollar - 40.449 (2005), 38.352 (2004),
rates: 42.367 (2003), 29.251 (2002), 24.429 (2001)
Fiscal year: 1 October - 30 September
Communications
Telephones - 140,000 (2004)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 400,000 (2004)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: domestic facilities barely
system: adequate; international facilities slightly better
domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk
service
international: country code - 509; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio AM 41, FM 26, shortwave 0 (1999)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 415,000 (1997)
Television 2 (plus a cable TV service) (1997)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 38,000 (1997)
Internet .ht
country code:
Internet 6 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 3 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 500,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 12 (2006)
Airports - total: 4
with paved 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2006)
Airports - total: 8
with unpaved 914 to 1,523 m: 1
runways: under 914 m: 7 (2006)
Roadways: total: 4,160 km
paved: 1,011 km
unpaved: 3,149 km (1999)
Ports and Cap-Haitien
terminals:
Military
Military the regular Haitian Armed Forces (FAdH) - Army, Navy,
branches: and Air Force - have been demobilized but still exist
on paper unless they are constitutionally abolished
Military 18 years of age for voluntary recruitment into the
service age police force (2001)
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 1,626,491
available for females age 18-49: 1,637,657 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 948,320
for military females age 18-49: 931,972 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 98,554
reaching females age 18-49: 97,690 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $25.96 million (2003 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 0.9% (2003 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - since 2004, about 8,000 peacekeepers from the UN
international: Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) maintain
civil order in Haiti; despite efforts to control
illegal migration, Haitians fleeing economic privation
and civil unrest continue to 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 money-laundering
activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Haiti
for illicit financial transactions; pervasive
corruption