1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
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
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 42% (male 1,464,529; female 1,420,772) 15-64 years: 54% (male 1,783,884; female 1,932,240) 65 years and over: 4% (male 140,932; female 141,907) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
32.55 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
13.97 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Ethnic groups
black 95%, mulatto plus white 5%
Infant mortality rate
97.64 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
French (official) 20%, Creole
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 51.65 years male: 49.53 years female: 53.88 years (1999 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
-3.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
6,884,264 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
1.53% (1999 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: 0.99 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
4.59 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
9 departments, (departements, singular--departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand'Anse, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est
Capital
Port-au-Prince
Constitution
approved March 1987; suspended June 1988, with 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%
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, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Louis Harold JOSEPH chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 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
Judicial branch
Supreme Court (Cour de Cassation) Political parties and leaders: Lavalas Family or FL ROUMAIN]; Alliance for the Liberation and Advancement of Haiti or Political pressure groups and leaders: Roman Catholic Church; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation of Workers Trade Unions or FOS; Autonomous Haitian Workers or CATH; National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants Movement or MPP; Popular Organizations Gathering Power or 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 of Deputies elections due November 1998 but delayed indefinitely) election results: Senate--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--OPL 7, FL-leaning 7, independents 3, vacant 10; Chamber of Deputies--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--OPL 32, antineoliberal bloc 24, minor parties and independents 22, vacant 5
National holiday
Independence Day, 1 January (1804)
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood
Budget
revenues: $323 million expenditures: $363 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY97/98 est.)
Currency
1 gourde (G) = 100 centimes
Debt--external
$1 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient
$730.6 million (1995)
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 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 1999 will be especially challenging in the face of mounting popular criticism of reforms.
Electricity--consumption
415 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
415 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 60.24% hydro: 39.76% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
gourdes (G) per US$1--16.778 (January 1999), 16.205 (1998), 17.311 (1997), 15.093 (1996), 16.160 (1995), 12.947 (1994)
Exports
$110 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Exports--commodities
light manufactures 80.5%, coffee 7.6%, other agriculture 7.2%
Exports--partners
US 76%, EU 19% (1997)
Fiscal year
1 October--30 September
GDP
purchasing power parity--$8.9 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 42% industry: 14% services: 44% (1997 est.)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$1,300 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
3% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$486 million (f.o.b., 1997)
Imports--commodities
machines and manufactures 50%, food and beverages 39%, petroleum products 2%, chemicals 5%, fats and oils 4%
Imports--partners
US 60%, EU 12% (1997)
Industrial production growth rate
0.6% (1997 est.)
Industries
sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, tourism, light assembly industries based on imported parts
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
8% (1998 est.)
Labor force
3.6 million (1995) note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1998)
Labor force--by occupation
agriculture 66%, services 25%, industry 9%
Population below poverty line
75% (1998 est.)
Unemployment rate
60% (1996 est.)
Communications
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
2 (in addition, there is a cable TV station) (1997)
Televisions
32,000 (1992 est.)
Transportation
Airports
13 (1998 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 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 5 (1998 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 and Security
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: 1,541,402 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 835,578 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--military age
18 years of age
Military manpower--reaching military age annually
males: 80,158 (1999 est.)
Military--note
the Haitian Armed Forces have been demobilized and replaced by the Haitian National Police
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
claims US-administered Navassa Island
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana en route to the US and Europe