Haiti
Country Guide

Explore Haiti

Haiti with its capital Port-au-Prince is located in North America (Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola). It covers some 27,751 square kilometers (slightly smaller than Maryland) with a population of 10,646,700. Haitian and French are some of the languages spoken by the majority in Haiti. Did you know that Dominican Republic is the only bordering country.

Haiti is a Caribbean country that occupies the western one-third of the island of Hispaniola. The eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola is occupied by the Dominican Republic. Haiti is a country with a troubled past, and its future still remains uncertain. Decades of poverty, environmental degradation, violence, instability, dictatorship, and coups have left it the poorest nation in the western hemisphere.

Popular Destinations in Haiti

Administrative regions of Haiti

• Centre
• Departement de Nippes
• Departement de l'Artibonite
• Departement de l'Ouest
• Departement du Nord-Est
• Grandans
• Nord
• Nord-Ouest
• Sud
• Sud-Est

About the country

The terrain is mostly rough and mountainous. The average density of population is about 384 per km². The climate in Haiti can be described as tropical with semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds. Possible natural disasters include lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October, occasional flooding and earthquakes and periodic droughts.

To reach someone Haiti dial +509 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 3G, 4G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".ht". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 110 V - 60 Hz (plugs: A, B). The sign for the locally used currency Gourde is HTG.

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.

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. 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. President Michel MARTELLY resigned in February 2016 and was replaced by Interim President Jocelerme PRIVERT. President-elect Jovenel MOISE won the November 2016 elections and assumed office in February 2017.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 148)	27,750	sq km
Land (World Rank: 144)	27,560	sq km
Water (World Rank: 135)	190	sq km
Forest (World Rank: 102)	17.70	%
Comparative	slightly smaller than Maryland
Coastline
1771
Landborder
376
Elevation
Highest point (World Rank: 90)	2,680	m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 31)	66.40	%
Arable (World Rank: 17)	38.50	%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 30)	10.20	%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 102)	17.70	%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 97)	970	sq km
Map reference
Central America and the Caribbean
Environment
Issues	- extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel) - inadequate supplies of potable water - soil erosion
Agreement party	- Biodiversity - Climate Change - Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol - Desertification - Law of the Sea - Marine Dumping - Marine Life Conservation - Ozone Layer Protection
Agreement signed	Hazardous Wastes
Hazzards	- lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October - occasional flooding and earthquakes - periodic droughts
Location
Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic
Climate
tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
Terrain
mostly rough and mountainous

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People

Population
Total (World Rank: 88)	10,646,700
Deathrate (World Rank: 106)	0.76	%
Birthrate (World Rank: 66)	2.30	%
Growthrate (World Rank: 82)	1.34	%
Migration rate (World Rank: 128)	-0.20	%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 63)	2.72	%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 169)	22.70
Female (World Rank: 170)	23.20
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 79)	1,740,290
0 14 female (World Rank: 76)	1,752,660
15 24 male (World Rank: 77)	1,132,390
15 24 female (World Rank: 75)	1,129,840
25 54 male (World Rank: 87)	1,943,680
25 54 female (World Rank: 86)	1,972,350
55 64 male (World Rank: 100)	254,352
55 64 female (World Rank: 99)	279,431
65 x male (World Rank: 102)	194,535
65 x female (World Rank: 107)	247,182
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 36)	4.68	%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 185)	64	years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 179)	67	years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 187)	62	years
Hospital bed per 1000 (World Rank: 132)	1.30
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 185)	27.60	%
Obesity adult (World Rank: 73)	22.70	%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 192)	57.70	%

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Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 150)	979,700,000	kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 175)	371,700,000	kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 86)	80.90	%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 89)	18.80	%
Source renew (World Rank: 151)	0.30	%
Refined products
Consumption (World Rank: 139)	19,000	bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 118)	19,020	bbl / day
Natural gas
Consumption (World Rank: 149)	12	m³
Carbon footprint
2100000

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Nation

Budget
Health (World Rank: 62)	8	% of GDP
Surplus (World Rank: 167)	-6	% of GDP
National symbol
Hispaniolan trogon
National colours
red
Adjective
Haitian
Noun
Haitian(s)
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. 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. President Michel MARTELLY resigned in February 2016 and was replaced by Interim President Jocelerme PRIVERT. President-elect Jovenel MOISE won the November 2016 elections and assumed office in February 2017.
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

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Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 148)	19,350,000,000	USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 158)	1.40	%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 208)	1,800	USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 39)	22.20	%
Source industry (World Rank: 150)	20.30	%
Source service (World Rank: 141)	57.50	%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 87)	4,594,000
In poverty (World Rank: 14)	58.50	%
Products
Industries	- cement - flour milling - light assembly using imported parts - sugar refining - textiles
Agriculture	- cocoa - coffee - corn - mangoes - rice - sorghum - sugarcane - vetiver - wood
Exports	- apparel - cocoa - coffee - mangoes - manufactures - oils
Imports	- food - fuels - machinery - manufactured goods - raw materials - transport equipment

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Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 201)	5,692
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 184)	1.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 194)	62.00
Assessment	0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 126)	1,282,690
Population (World Rank: 202)	12.20	%

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Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 158)	4.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 131)	10.00
Road
Total length (World Rank: 155)	4,266
Paved length (World Rank: 150)	768
Unpaved length (World Rank: 109)	3,498

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