Haiti

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

6 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 41, FM 26, shortwave 0 (1999)

Radios

415,000 (1997)

Telephone system

domestic facilities barely adequate; international facilities slightly better domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

60,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

0 (1995)

Television broadcast stations

2 (plus a cable TV service) (1997)

Televisions

38,000 (1997)

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 80% 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 2000 will be especially challenging in the face of mounting popular criticism of reforms.

Electricity - consumption

677 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

728 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 55.63% hydro: 41.62% nuclear: 0% other: 2.75% (1998)

Exchange rates

gourdes (G) per US$1 - 18.262 (January 2000), 17.965 (1999), 16.505 (1998), 17.311 (1997), 15.093 (1996), 16.160 (1995)

Exports

$322 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities

manufactures, coffee, oils, mangoes

Exports - partners

US 86%, EU 11% (1998)

Fiscal year

1 October - 30 September

GDP

purchasing power parity - $9.2 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 32% industry: 20% services: 48% (1998 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,340 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.4% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$762 million (c.i.f., 1999)

Imports - commodities

food, machinery and transport equipment, fuels

Imports - partners

US 60%, EU 12% (1998)

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)

9% (1999 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

80% (1998 est.)

Unemployment rate

70%; widespread underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs (1999)

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

bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower

Terrain

mostly rough and mountainous

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affairs Les ALEXANDER to be temporary chief of mission until new ambassador is confirmed 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 FAX: [509] 23-1641

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Louis Harold JOSEPH 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, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Executive branch

chief of state: President Rene Garcia PREVAL (since 7 February 1996) head of government: Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard ALEXIS (since NA March 1999); ALEXIS was appointed by President PREVAL, filling the post that had been vacant since the resignation of Rosny SMARTH in June 1997 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

elected government

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

Judicial branch

Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation

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, and an election for nine seats 6 April 1997 but results were disputed; next election for two-thirds of Senate postponed until May 2000; 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 postponed until May 2000) 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)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for the Liberation and Advancement of Haiti or ALAH [Reynold GEORGES]; Assembly of Progressive National Democrats or RDNP [Leslie MANIGAT]; Confederation for Democratic Unity or KID [Evans PAUL]; Democratic Consultation Group coalition or ESPACE [Evans PAUL] composed of the following parties: Confederation for Democratic Unity KONAKOM, PANPRA, Generation 2004, and Haiti Can or Ayiti Kapab; Generation 2004 [Claude ROUMAIN]; Haiti Can or Ayiti Kapab [Ernst VERDIEU]; Haitian Christian Democratic Party or PDCH [Fritz PIERRE]; Haitian Democratic Party or PADEMH [Clark PARENT]; Lavalas Family or FL [Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE]; Mobilization for National Development or MDN [Hubert DE RONCERAY]; Movement for National Reconstruction or MRN [Rene THEODORE]; Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti or MIDH [Marc BAZIN]; Movement for the Organization of the Country or MOP [Gesner COMEAU and Jean MOLIERE]; National Alliance for Democracy and Progress [leader NA]; National Congress of Democratic Movements or KONAKOM [Victor BENOIT]; National Front for Change and Democracy or FNCD [Evans PAUL and Turneb DELPE]; National Progressive Revolutionary Party or PANPRA [Serge GILLES]; Open the Gate Party or PLB [Renaud BERNARDIN]; Struggling People's Organization or OPL [Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES]; Union of Patriotic Democrats or UPD [Rockefeller GUERRE]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Autonomous Haitian Workers or CATH; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation of Workers Trade Unions or FOS; National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants Movement or MPP; Popular Organizations Gathering Power or PROP; Roman Catholic Church

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

One of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history. Over three decades of dictatorship followed by military rule ended in 1990 when Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE was elected president. Most of his term was usurped by a military takeover, but he was able to return to office in 1994 and oversee the installation of a close associate to the presidency in 1996.

Military - note

the Haitian Armed Forces have been demobilized and replaced by the Haitian National Police

Military branches

Haitian National Police (HNP) note: the regular Haitian Army, Navy, and Air Force have been demobilized but still exist on paper until 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: 1,579,897 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 857,666 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 83,863 (2000 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 41% (male 1,430,018; female 1,393,665) 15-64 years: 55% (male 1,814,964; female 1,945,165) 65 years and over: 4% (male 138,533; female 145,650) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

31.97 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

15.13 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

black 95%, mulatto plus white 5%

Infant mortality rate

97.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

French (official), Creole (official)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 49.21 years male: 47.46 years female: 51.06 years (2000 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

-2.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

6,867,995 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 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.39% (2000 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: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.5 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

claims US-administered Navassa Island

Illicit drugs

major Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and Europe [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]

Airports

13 (1999 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 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 5 (1999 est.)

Highways

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

Merchant marine

none (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors

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

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