1996 Edition

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)

Location

19 00 N, 72 25 W -- Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly larger than Maryland

land area

27,560 sq km

total area

27,750 sq km

Climate

tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds

Coastline

1,771 km

Environment

current issues

extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and use as fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water

international agreements

party to - Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

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

Geographic coordinates

19 00 N, 72 25 W

Geographic note

shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)

International disputes

claims US-administered Navassa Island

Irrigated land

750 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

border country

Dominican Republic 275 km

total

275 km

Land use

arable land

20%

forest and woodland

4%

meadows and pastures

18%

other

45%

permanent crops

13%

Location

Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

to depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural resources

bauxite

Terrain

mostly rough and mountainous

highest point

Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m

lowest point

Caribbean Sea 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 46% (male 1,568,943; female 1,523,406) 15-64 years: 50% (male 1,614,679; female 1,758,388) 65 years and over: 4% (male 132,460; female 133,663) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

38.15 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

15.96 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

black 95%, mulatto and European 5%

Infant mortality rate

103.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

French (official) 10%, Creole

Life expectancy at birth

female

51.35 years (1996 est.)

male

47.26 years

total population

49.26 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

female

42.2%

male

48%

total population

45%

Nationality

adjective

Haitian

noun

Haitian(s)

Net migration rate

-4.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

6,731,539 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.77% (1996 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 80% (of which an overwhelming majority also practice Voodoo), Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982)

Sex ratio

all ages

0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

5.69 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

9 departments, (departements, singular - departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand'Anse, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est

Capital

Port-au-Prince

Chamber of Deputies

elections last held 25 June 1995 with reruns on 13 August and runoffs on 17 September; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - 83 total

Constitution

approved March 1987, suspended June 1988, most articles reinstated March 1989; in October 1991, government claimed to be observing the constitution; return to constitutional rule, October 1994

Data code

HA

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Jean CASIMIR

telephone

[1] (202) 332-4090 through 4092

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet; was chosen by prime minister in consultation with the president

chief of state

President Rene Garcia PREVAL (since 7 February 1996), was elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 17 December 1995 (next to be held by December 2000); results - Rene PREVAL 88%, Leon JEUNE 2.5%, Victor BENOIT 2.3%

head of government

Prime Minister Rosny SMARTH (since March 1996) was appointed by the president

FAX

[1] (202) 745-7215

[509] 23-1641

consulate(s) general

Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Flag

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)

Independence

1 January 1804 (from France)

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, Caricom (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal (Cour de Cassation)

Legal system

based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

Name of country

conventional long form

Republic of Haiti

conventional short form

Haiti

local long form

Republique d'Haiti

local short form

Haiti

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 January (1804)

Other political or pressure groups

Roman Catholic Church; Confederation of Haitian Workers (CTH); Federation of Workers Trade Unions (FOS); Autonomous Haitian Workers (CATH); National Popular Assembly (APN); Papaye Peasants Movement (MPP)

Political parties and leaders

National Front for Change and Democracy (FNCD), Evans PAUL and Turneb DELPE; National Cooperative Action Movement (MKN), Volvick Remy JOSEPH; National Congress of Democratic Movements (CONACOM), Victor BENOIT; Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti (MIDH), Marc BAZIN; National Progressive Revolutionary Party (PANPRA), Serge GILLES; National Patriotic Movement of November 28 (MNP-28), Dejean BELIZAIRE; National Agricultural and Industrial Party (PAIN), Louis DEJOIE; Movement for National Reconstruction (MRN), Rene THEODORE; Haitian Christian Democratic Party (PDCH), Fritz PIERRE; Assembly of Progressive National Democrats (RDNP), Leslie MANIGAT; National Labor Party (PNT), Remy ZAMOR; Mobilization for National Development (MDN), Hubert DE RONCERAY; Democratic Movement for the Liberation of Haiti (MODELH), Francois LATORTUE; Haitian Social Christian Party (PSCH), Gregoire EUGENE; Movement for the Organization of the Country (MOP), Gesner COMEAU and Jean MOLIERE; Democratic Unity Confederation (KID), Evans PAUL; National Lavalas Political Organization (OPL), Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES; Open the Gate Party (PLB), Renaud BERNARDIN; Haitian National Democratic Progressive Party (PNDPH), Turneb DELPE

Senate

elections last held 25 June 1995 with reruns on 13 August and runoffs on 17 September (next to be held 25 June 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - 27 total

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador William Lacy SWING

embassy

5 Harry Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince

mailing address

P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince

telephone

[509] 22-0354, 22-0368, 22-0200, 22-0612

Agriculture

coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood

Budget

expenditures

$299.4 million including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95)

revenues

$242 million

Currency

1 gourde (G) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $NA

Economic overview

About 75% of the population lives in abject poverty. Nearly 70% of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming and employs about two-thirds of the economically active work force. The country has experienced only moderate job creation since President ARISTIDE was returned to power in October 1994. Failure to reach agreement with multilateral lenders in late 1995 led to rising deficit spending and subsequently increasing inflation and a drop in the value of the Haitian currency in the final months of 1995. Potential investors, both foreign and domestic, have been reluctant to risk their capital, planning to "wait and see" what happens in the months following the inauguration of newly elected President Rene PREVAL and the drawdown of UN peacekeeping forces. The PREVAL government will have to grapple with implementing necessary, although unpopular, economic reforms in order to obtain badly needed foreign aid and improve Haiti's ability to attract foreign capital if the Haitian economy is to gain momentum. Haiti will continue to depend heavily on foreign aid in the medium term.

Electricity

capacity

150,000 kW

consumption per capita

86 kWh (1993)

production

590 million kWh

Exchange rates

gourdes (G) per US$1 - 16.783 (January 1996), 16.160 (1995), 12.947 (1994), 12.805 (1993), 10.953 (1992), 8.240 (1991)

Exports

$161 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)

commodities

light manufactures 65%, coffee 19%, other agriculture 8%, other 8%

partners

US 81%, Europe 12% (1993)

External debt

$827 million (September 1995 est.)

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

GDP

purchasing power parity - $6.5 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

34.8%

industry

23%

services

42.2% (1991 est.)

GDP per capita

$1,000 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

4.5% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana en route to the US and Europe

Imports

$537 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.)

commodities

machines and manufactures 34%, food and beverages 22%, petroleum products 14%, chemicals 10%, fats and oils 9%

partners

US 51%, Europe 16%, Latin America 18% (1993)

Industrial production growth rate

2.5% (1995 est.)

Industries

sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, tourism, light assembly industries based on imported parts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

14.5% (FY 94/95)

Labor force

2.3 million

by occupation

agriculture 66%, services 25%, industry 9%

note

shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1982)

Unemployment rate

60% (1995 est.)

Branches

Haitian National Police

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

1,379,116

males fit for military service

746,617

males reach military age (18) annually

67,287 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 33, FM 0, shortwave 2

Radios

320,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

domestic facilities barely adequate, international facilities slightly better

domestic

NA

international

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones

50,000 (1990 est.)

Television broadcast stations

4 (1987 est.)

Televisions

32,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Airports

total

11

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

1

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

2

with paved runways under 914 m

4

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

4 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

944 km

total

3,978 km

unpaved

3,034 km (1987 est.)

Merchant marine

none

Ports

Cap-Haitien, Gonaives, Jacmel, Jeremie, Cayes, Miragoane, Port-au-Prince, Port-de-Paix, Saint-Marc

Railways

narrow gauge

40 km 0.760-m gauge

total

40 km (single track; privately owned industrial line)-closed in early 1990's

Waterways

negligible; less than 100 km navigable