1985 Edition

Agriculture

main crops — coffee, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum

Aid

economic — bilateral commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-83), from US, $317 million; ODA and OOF from other Western countries (1970-82), $296 million; military US (FY70-83), $3 million

Airfields

86 total, 85 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways; 11 with runways 1, 220-2,439 m

15 total, 12 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,4403,659 m, 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Branches

Guyana Defense Force (including Maritime Corps and Air Corps), Guyana Police Force, Guyana People's Milita, Guyana National Service

lifetime President; unicameral legislature (59-member National Assembly) has very limited powers; judiciary appointed by President

Army, Navy, Air Corps, Volunteers for National Security

Budget

(1982) revenues, $176 million; expenditures, $366 million

Capital

Port-au-Prince

Civil air

5 major transport aircraft

4 major transport aircraft

Coastline

1,771 km People

820 km People

Communists

United Haitian Communist Party (PUCH), illegal and in exile; domestic strength unknown; party leaders in exile

Elections

constitution as amended in 1983 named Duvalier President for Life and granted him authority to name his successor; most recent legislative election held February 1984 Political parties and leaders: National Unity Party, inactive government party; Haitian Christian Democratic Party, Sylvio Claude (inactive); Haitian Christian Socialist Party, Gregoire Eugene (inactive)

Electric power

184,000 kW capacity (1984); 314 million kWh produced (1984), 54 kWh per capita

Ethnic divisions

95% black, 5% mulatto and European

90% mestizo (mixed Indian and European), 7% Indian, 2% black, 1% white

Exports

$167.6 million (f.o.b., 1983); coffee, light industrial products, bauxite, essential oils, sisal

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications

1 October-30 September Communications

Government leader

Jean-Claude DUVALIER, President for Life (since 1971)

Highways

7,650 km total; 550 km paved, 5,000 km gravel, 1,525 km earth, 575 km unimproved

3,975 km total; 950 km paved, 900 km otherwise improved, 2,125 km unimproved

Imports

$284 million (f.o.b., 1982); consumer durables, foodstuffs, industrial equipment, petroleum products, construction materials

Inland waterways

6,000 km total of navigable waterways; Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo Rivers are navigable by oceangoing vessels for 150 km, 100 km, and 80 km, respectively

negligible; less than 100 km navigable

Labor force

2.3 million (est. 1975); 79% agriculture, 14% services, 7% industry; significant unemployment; shortage of skilled labor; unskilled labor abundant

1.2 million (1984); 54% agriculture, 28% services, 13% manufacturing, 4% construction, 1% other; 30% unemployed; 60% underemployed

Land boundaries

1,530 km Water

Language

French (official) spoken by only 10% of population; all speak Creole

Spanish, Indian dialects

Legal system

based on Roman civil law system; constitution adopted 1964 and amended 1971 and 1983; legal education at State University in Port-au-Prince and private law colleges in Cap-Haitien, Les Cayes, Gonai'ves, and Jeremie; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Limits of territorial waters (claimed)

12 nm (economic, including fishing, 200 nm)

12 nm (economic, including fishing, 200 nm)

Literacy

23%

56%

Major industries

sugar refining, textiles, flour milling, cement manufacturing, bauxite mining, tourism, light assembly industries

Major trade partners

exports — 59% US; imports—45% US (1978)

Member of

FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDE— Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ITU, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO Economy CNP:$1.5billion(1982), $300 per capita; real growth rate 1982, -1%

Military manpower

males 15-49, 206,000; 164,000 fit for military service 70 tm North Atlantic Ocean Caribbean Sea See region*! map HI Land 27,749 km2; the size of Maryland; 44% unproductive, 31% cultivated, 18% rough pasture, 7% forest Land boundary '.-361 km Water

males 15-49, 1,293,000; 720,000 fit for military service; about 62,000 reach military age (18) annually Caribbean Sea Puerto Cones Boundary not necessarily authoritative Sec riflonil imp III Land 112,088 km2; slightly larger than Tennessee; 36% waste and built on; 30% pasture; 27% forest; 7% crop

Monetary conversion rate

4.94 gourdes=US$l (November 1984)

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 January

Nationality

noun — Haitian(s); adjective — Haitian

noun — Honduran(s); adjective— Honduran

Official name

Republic of Haiti

Organized labor

less than 1% of labor force Government

40% of urban labor force, 20% of rural work force (1981)

Other political or pressure groups

none Honduras

Political subdivisions

five departments despite constitutional provision for nine)

Population

5,762,000 (July 1985), average annual growth rate 1.9%

4,394,000 (July 1985), average annual growth rate 3.4%

Ports

1 major (Georgetown), 6 minor

2 major (Port-au-Prince, Cap Haitien), 12 minor

Railroads

185km total, allsingle track 1.435meter gauge

80 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge, single-track, privately owned industrial line

Religion

75-80% Roman Catholic (of which an overwhelming majority also practice Voodoo), 10% Protestant

about 97% Roman Catholic; small Protestant minority

Suffrage

universal over age 18

Telecommunications

fair telecom system with radio-relay network and over 27,000 telephones (3.3 per 100 popl.); tropospheric scatter link to Trinidad; 3 AM, 3 FM, no TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station Defense Forces

domestic facilities barely adequate, international facilities slightly better; 40,000 telephones (0.8 per 100 popl.); 34 AM, 1 1 FM, 2 TV stations; 1 Atlantic Ocean satellite station Defense Forces

Type

republic

Voting strength

(1984 legislative elections) Assembly comprised of regime loyalists