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Background: |
The native Taino Amerindians - who inhabited the island of Hispaniola
when it was discovered by COLUMBUS in 1492 - were virtually
annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early
17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola,
and 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 black republic to declare its independence
in 1804. The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti
has been plagued by political violence for most of its history.
After an armed rebellion led to the departure of President
Jean-Betrand ARISTIDE in February 2004, an interim government
took office to organize new elections under the auspices of
the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).
Continued violence and technical delays have prompted repeated
postponements, and Haiti missed the constitutionally-mandated
presidential inauguration date of 7 February 2006. |
Location: |
Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between
the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the
Dominican Republic |
Population: |
8,308,504
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into
account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can
result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and
death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in
the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise
be expected (July 2006 est.) |
Age structure: |
0-14 years: 42.4% (male 1,770,523/female 1,749,853)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 2,201,957/female 2,301,886)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 125,298/female 158,987)
(2006 est.) |
Median age: |
total: 18.2 years
male: 17.8 years
female: 18.6 years (2006 est.) |
Population growth
rate: |
2.3% (2006 est.) |
Birth rate: |
36.44 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Death rate: |
12.17 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Net migration rate: |
-1.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Infant mortality
rate: |
total: 71.65 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 78.01 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 65.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Life expectancy
at birth: |
total population: 53.23 years
male: 51.89 years
female: 54.6 years (2006 est.) |
Total fertility
rate: |
4.94 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - adult
prevalence rate: |
5.6% (2003 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - people
living with HIV/AIDS: |
280,000 (2003 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
24,000 (2003 est.) |
Nationality: |
noun: Haitian(s)
adjective: Haitian |
Ethnic groups: |
black 95%, mulatto and white 5% |
Religions: |
Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal
4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3%
note: roughly half of the population practices Voodoo |
Languages: |
French (official), Creole (official) |
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 52.9%
male: 54.8%
female: 51.2% (2003 est.) |
Country name: |
conventional long form: Republic of Haiti
conventional short form: Haiti
local long form: Republique d'Haiti/Repiblik d' Ayiti
local short form: Haiti/Ayiti |
Government type: |
elected government |
Capital: |
name: Port-au-Prince
geographic coordinates: 18 32 N, 72 20 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April;
ends last Sunday in October |
Administrative
divisions: |
10 departments (departements, singular - departement); Artibonite,
Centre, Grand 'Anse, Nippes, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest,
Sud, Sud-Est |
Independence: |
1 January 1804 (from France) |
National holiday: |
Independence Day, 1 January (1804) |
Constitution: |
approved March 1987; suspended June 1988 with most articles reinstated
March 1989; constitutional government ousted in a military
coup in September 1991, although in October 1991, military
government claimed to be observing the constitution; returned
to constitutional rule in October 1994; constitution remains
technically in force but has not been observed since Aristide's
departure in 2004 |
Legal system: |
based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal |
Executive branch: |
chief of state: President Rene PREVAL (since 14 May
2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard ALEXIS
(since 30 May 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation
with the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year
term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 7
February 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister appointed
by the president, ratified by the National Assembly
election results: Rene PREVAL elected president; percent
of vote - Rene PREVAL 51% |
Legislative branch: |
bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale consists of
the Senate (30 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve
six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the
Chamber of Deputies (99 seats; members are elected by popular
vote to serve four-year terms); note - in reestablishing the
Senate, the candidate in each department receiving the most
votes in the last election serves six years, the candidate
with the second most votes serves four years, and the candidate
with the third most votes serves two years
elections: Senate - last held 21 April 2006, run-off
elections to be determined (next regular election, for one third
of seats, to be held in 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held
21 April 2006, run-off elections to be determined (next regular
election to be held in 2010)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party
- NA; seats by party - L'ESPWA 11, OPL 4, FL 3, FUSION 3, LAAA
2, UNCRH 2, ALYANS 1, PONT 1, 3 seats subject to run-off election;
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - L'ESPWA 19, FUSION 15, ALYANS 10, OPL 8, FL 6, UNCRH
6, MPH 4, RDNP 4, LAAA 3,KONBA 3, FRN 1, MOCHRENHA 1, MRN 1,
Tet-Ansanm 1, MIRN 1, JPDN 1, UNITE 1, PLH 1, 13 seats subject
to run-off election |
Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation |
Political parties
and leaders: |
Artibonite in Action or LAAA [Youri LATORTUE]; Assembly of Progressive
National Democrats or RDNP [Leslie MANIGAT]; Convention for
Democratic Unity or KID [Evans PAUL]; Cooperative Action to
Build Haiti or KONBA [Evans LESCOUFALIR]; Democratic Alliance
or ALYANS (coalition composed of KID and PPRH) [Evans PAUL];
Effort and Solidarity to Create an Alternative for the People
or ESKAMP [Joseph JASME]; For Us All or PONT [Jean-Marie CHERESTAL];
Front for Hope or L'ESPWA (alliance of ESKAMP, PLB, and grass-roots
organizations Grand-Anse Resistance Committee, the Central
Plateau Peasants' Group, and Kombit Sudest) [Rene PREVAL];
Grand Center Right Front coalition (composed of MDN, MRN, and
PDCH) [Hubert de RONCERAY]; Haitian Christian Democratic Party
or PDCH [Osner FEVRY and Marie-Denise CLAUDE]; Haitian Democratic
and Reform Movement or MODEREH [Dany TOUSSAINT and Pierre Soncon
PRINCE]; Heads Together or Tet-Ansanm [Dr. Gerard BLOT]; Independent
Movement for National Reconciliation or MIRN [Luc FLEURINORD];
Justice for Peace and National Development or JPDN [Rigaud
DUPLAN]; Fanmi Lavalas or FL [Rudy HERIVEAUX]; Liberal Party
of Haiti or PLH [Gehy MICHEL]; Merging of Haitian Social Democratic
Parties or FUSION or FPSDH (merged Ayiti Capable, Haitian National
Revolutionary Party, and National Congress of Democratic Movements)
[Serge GILLES]; Mobilization for Haiti's Development or MPH
[Samir MOURRA]; Mobilization for National Development or MDN
[Hubert de RONCERAY]; Movement for National Reconstruction
or MRN [Jean Henold BUTEAU]; Movement for the Installation
of Democracy in Haiti or MIDH [Marc BAZIN]; National Christian
Union for the Reconstruction of Haiti or UNCRH [Marie Claude
GERMAIN]; National Front for the Reconstruction of Haiti or
FRN [Guy PHILIPPE]; New Christian Movement for a New Haiti
or MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU]; Open the Gate Party or PLB [Anes
LUBIN]; Popular Party for the Renewal of Haiti or PPRH [Claude
ROMAIN and Daniel SUPPLICE]; Struggling People's Organization
or OPL [Edgard LEBLANC]; Union for Haiti or UPH (coalition
of MIDH and FL) [Marc BAZIN]; Union of Nationalist and Progressive
Haitians or UNITE [Edouard FRANCISQUE] |
Political pressure
groups and leaders: |
Autonomous Organizations of Haitian Workers or CATH [Fignole
ST-CYR]; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation
of Workers Trade Unions or FOS; Grand-Anse Resistance Committee,
or KOREGA; Group of 184 Civil Society Organizations, or G-184
[Andy APAID]; National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants
Movement or MPP [Chavannes JEAN-BAPTISTE]; Popular Organizations
Gathering Power or PROP; Roman Catholic Church; Protestant
Federation of Haiti |
International organization
participation: |
ACCT, ACP, Caricom, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory),
ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, OAS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTO |
Diplomatic representation
in the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Raymond JOSEPH (as of
October 2005)
chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington,
DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-4090
FAX: [1] (202) 745-7215
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York,
San Juan (Puerto Rico) |
Diplomatic representation
from the US: |
chief of mission: Ambassador Timothy M. CARNEY
embassy: 5 Harry S Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince
mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince
telephone: [509] 222-0200
FAX: [509] 223-9038 |
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) |
Economy - overview: |
In this poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, 80% of the
population lives in abject poverty. Two-thirds of all Haitians
depend on the agriculture sector, mainly small-scale subsistence
farming, and remain vulnerable to damage from frequent natural
disasters, exacerbated by the country's widespread deforestation.
The economy grew 1.5% in 2005, the highest growth rate since
1999. Haiti suffers from rampant inflation, a lack of investment,
and a severe trade deficit. In early 2005, Haiti paid its arrears
to the World Bank, paving the way for reengagement with the
Bank. The government is reliant on formal international economic
assistance for fiscal sustainability. Remittances are the primary
source of foreign exchange, equaling nearly a quarter of GDP
in 2005. |
GDP (purchasing
power parity): |
$14.15 billion (2005 est.) |
GDP (official exchange
rate): |
$4.321 billion (2005 est.) |
GDP - real growth
rate: |
2% (2005 est.) |
GDP - per capita
(PPP): |
$1,700 (2005 est.) |
GDP - composition
by sector: |
agriculture: 28%
industry: 20%
services: 52% (2004 est.) |
Labor force: |
3.6 million
note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant
(1995) |
Labor force - by
occupation: |
agriculture: 66%
industry: 9%
services: 25% |
Unemployment rate: |
widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds
of the labor force do not have formal jobs (2002 est.) |
Population below
poverty line: |
80% (2003 est.) |
Household income
or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Inflation rate
(consumer prices): |
15.7% (2005 est.) |
Investment (gross
fixed): |
27.4% of GDP (2004 est.) |
Budget: |
revenues: $400 million
expenditures: $600.8 million; including capital expenditures
of $NA (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products: |
coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood |
Industries: |
sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light assembly
industries based on imported parts |
Industrial production
growth rate: |
NA% |
Electricity - production: |
546 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - consumption: |
507.8 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2003) |
Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day (2003 est.) |
Oil - consumption: |
11,800 bbl/day (2003 est.) |
Oil - exports: |
NA bbl/day |
Oil - imports: |
NA bbl/day |
Natural gas - production: |
0 cu m (2003 est.) |
Natural gas - consumption: |
0 cu m (2003 est.) |
Current account
balance: |
$23 million (2005 est.) |
Exports: |
$390.7 million f.o.b. (2005 est.) |
Exports - commodities: |
manufactures, coffee, oils, cocoa, mangoes |
Exports - partners: |
US 80.8%, Dominican Republic 6.9%, Canada 4% (2005) |
Imports: |
$1.471 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.) |
Imports - commodities: |
food, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment,
fuels, raw materials |
Imports - partners: |
US 49.3%, Netherlands Antilles 12%, Colombia 3.2% (2005) |
Reserves of foreign
exchange and gold: |
$100 million (2005 est.) |
Debt - external: |
$1.313 billion (2005 est.) |
Economic aid -
recipient: |
$153 million (FY05 est.) |
Currency (code): |
gourde (HTG) |
Exchange rates: |
gourdes per US dollar - 40.449 (2005), 38.352 (2004), 42.367
(2003), 29.251 (2002), 24.429 (2001) |
Fiscal year: |
1 October - 30 September |
Telephones - main
lines in use: |
140,000 (2004) |
Telephones - mobile
cellular: |
400,000 (2004) |
Telephone system: |
general assessment: domestic facilities barely adequate;
international facilities slightly better
domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk
service
international: country code - 509; satellite earth station
- 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 41, FM 26, shortwave 0 (1999) |
Television broadcast
stations: |
2 (plus a cable TV service) (1997) |
Military branches: |
the regular Haitian Armed Forces (FAdH) - Army, Navy, and Air
Force - have been demobilized but still exist on paper unless
they are constitutionally abolished |
Military service
age and obligation: |
18 years of age for voluntary recruitment into the police force
(2001) |
Manpower available
for military service: |
males age 18-49: 1,626,491
females age 18-49: 1,637,657 (2005 est.) |
Manpower fit for
military service: |
males age 18-49: 948,320
females age 18-49: 931,972 (2005 est.) |
Manpower reaching
military service age annually: |
males age 18-49: 98,554
females age 18-49: 97,690 (2005 est.) |
Military expenditures
- dollar figure: |
$25.96 million (2003 est.) |
Military expenditures
- percent of GDP: |
0.9% (2003 est.) |
Disputes - international: |
since 2004, about 8,000 peacekeepers from the UN Stabilization
Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) maintain civil order in Haiti;
despite efforts to control illegal migration, Haitians fleeing
economic privation and civil unrest continue to cross into
the Dominican Republic and sail to neighboring countries; Haiti
claims US-administered Navassa Island |
Illicit drugs: |
Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US
and Europe; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian
narcotics traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions;
pervasive corruption |
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