1998 Edition

Area

total: 27,750 sq km land: 27,560 sq km water: 190 sq km

Area-comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Climate

tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds

Coastline

1,771 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m

Environment-current issues

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

Environment-international agreements

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

Geographic coordinates

19 00 N, 72 25 W

Geography-note

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

Irrigated land

750 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 275 km border countries: Dominican Republic 275 km

Land use

arable land: 20% permanent crops: 13% permanent pastures: 18% forests and woodland: 5% other: 44% (1993 est.)

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 hazards

lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodic droughts

Natural resources

none

Terrain

mostly rough and mountainous

Age structure

0-14 years: 43% (male 1,465,735; female 1,422,260) 15-64 years: 53% (male 1,733,636; female 1,881,367) 65 years and over: 4% (male 138,678; female 138,825) (July 1998 est.)

Birth rate

32.84 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate

14.17 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 95%, mulatto plus white 5%

Infant mortality rate

98.98 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Languages

French (official) 20%, Creole

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 51.4 years male: 49.33 years female: 53.58 years (1998 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 45% male: 48% female: 42.2% (1995 est.)

Nationality

noun: Haitian(s) adjective: Haitian

Net migration rate

-3.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Population

6,780,501 (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate

1.51% (1998 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982) note: roughly one-half of the population also practices Voodoo

Sex ratio

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: 1 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.67 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Administrative divisions

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

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

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Haiti conventional short form: Haiti local long form: Republique d'Haiti local short form: Haiti

Data code

HA

Executive branch

chief of state: President Rene Garcia PREVAL (since 7 February 1996) head of government: Prime Minister Rosny SMARTH resigned June 1997; currently no prime minister; ratification of a new prime minister held up in political gridlock stemming from controversy over the 6 April 1997 elections cabinet: Cabinet; chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 17 December 1995 (next to be held by December 2000); prime minister appointed by the president, ratified by the Congress election results: Rene Garcia PREVAL elected president; percent of vote-Rene Garcia PREVAL 88%, Leon JEUNE 2.5%, Victor BENOIT 2.3%

FAX

[1] (202) 745-7215 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Timothy Michael CARNEY 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

[509] 23-1641

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)

Government type

republic

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, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); mission led by charge d' affairs chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-4090 through 4092

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (Cour de Cassation) Political parties and leaders: Lavalas Family (FL), Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE; National Lavalas Political Organization (OPL), Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES; National Front for Change and Democracy (FNCD), Evans PAUL and Turneb DELPE; National Congress of Democratic Movements (KONACOM), Victor BENOIT; Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti (MIDH), Marc BAZIN; National Progressive Revolutionary Party (PANPRA), Serge GILLES; Movement for National Reconstruction (MRN), Rene THEODORE; Haitian Christian Democratic Party (PDCH), Fritz PIERRE; Assembly of Progressive National Democrats (RDNP), Leslie MANIGAT; Mobilization for National Development (MDN), Hubert DE RONCERAY; Movement for the Organization of the Country (MOP), Gesner COMEAU and Jean MOLIERE; Open the Gate Party (PLB), Renaud BERNARDIN; Union of Patriotic Democrats (UPD), Rockefeller GUERRE; Generation 2004, Claude ROUMAIN; Alliance for the Liberation and Advancement of Haiti (ALAH), Reynold GEORGES; Haitian Democratic Party (PADEMH), Clark PARENT; National Alliance for Democracy and Progress; Haiti Can (Ayiti Kapab), Ernst VERDIEU Political pressure groups and leaders: 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); Popular Organizations Gathering Power (PROP)

Legal system

based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale consists of the Senate (27 seats; members serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of Deputies (83 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: Senate-last held 25 June 1995 with reruns on 13 August and runoffs on 17 September (election held for nine seats 6 April 1997; results disputed and runoffs postponed indefinitely); Chamber of Deputies-last held 25 June 1995 with reruns on 13 August and runoffs on 17 September (next Senate and Chamber elections to be held November 1998) election results: Senate-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-Lavalas Political Organization 7, Lavalas family-leaning 7, independent 2, non-active members 2, vacant 9; Chamber of Deputies-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-Lavalas Political Organization (OPL) 32, antineoliberal bloc 24, minor parties and independents 22, vacant 5

National capital

Port-au-Prince

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 January (1804)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture-products

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

Budget

revenues: $284 million expenditures: $308 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY96/97 est.)

Currency

1 gourde (G) = 100 centimes

Debt-external

$781 million (1995 est.)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economy-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 little or no job creation since President PREVAL took office in February 1996, although the informal economy is growing. Failure to reach agreements with international sponsors have denied Haiti badly needed budget and development assistance. Meeting aid conditions in 1998 will be especially challenging in the face of mounting popular criticism of reforms.

Electricity-capacity

153,000 kW (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita

48 kWh (1995)

Electricity-production

315 million kWh (1995)

Exchange rates

gourdes (G) per US$1 (end of period)-17.311 (December 1997), 17.311 (1997), 15.093 (1996), 16.160 (1995), 12.947 (1994), 12.805 (1993)

Exports

total value: $90 million (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: light manufactures 53%, coffee 17%, other agriculture 17% partners: US 76.3%, EU 19.8% (1996)

Fiscal year

1 October-30 September Communications

GDP

purchasing power parity-$7.1 billion (1997 est.)

GDP-composition by sector

agriculture: 44% industry: 13% services: 43% (1995)

GDP-per capita

purchasing power parity-$1,070 (1997 est.)

GDP-real growth rate

1.1% (1997 est.)

Imports

total value: $665 million (f.o.b., 1996) commodities: machines and manufactures 34%, food and beverages 22%, petroleum products 14%, chemicals 10%, fats and oils 9% partners: US 65.0%, EU 13.9% (1995)

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 price index

17% (1997 est.)

Labor force

total: 3.6 million (1995) by occupation: agriculture 66%, services 25%, industry 9% note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1982)

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.)

Unemployment rate

60% (1996 est.)

Airports

14 (1997 est.) Airports-with paved runways: total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.) Airports-with unpaved runways: total: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 6 (1997 est.)

Highways

total: 4,160 km paved: 1,011 km unpaved: 3,149 km (1996 est.)

Merchant marine

none

Railways

total: 40 km (single track; privately owned industrial line)-closed in early 1990s narrow gauge: 40 km 0.760-m gauge

Waterways

NEGL; less than 100 km navigable Ports and harbors: Cap-Haitien, Gonaives, Jacmel, Jeremie, Les Cayes, Miragoane, Port-au-Prince, Port-de-Paix, Saint-Marc

Military branches

Haitian National Police (HNP) note: the regular Haitian Army, Navy, and Air Force have been demobilized but still exist on paper until/unless constitutionally abolished

Military expenditures-dollar figure

$NA; note-mainly for police and security activities

Military expenditures-percent of GDP

NA%

Military manpower-availability

males age 15-49: 1,490,464 (1998 est.) Military manpower-fit for military service: males: 807,330 (1998 est.)

Military manpower-military age

18 years of age

Military manpower-reaching military age annually

males: 75,448 (1998 est.)

Disputes-international

claims US-administered Navassa Island

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana en route to the US and Europe (territory of Australia)