| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Central America and the Caribbean |
| Geographical Location |
19° 00' North Latitude
72° 25' West Longitude |
| Surface Area |
27,750 sq km |
| Climate |
Tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds |
| Natural Resources |
Bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower |
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| Political Information |
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| Country Name |
Republic of Haiti |
| Capital City |
Port-au-Prince |
| Government Type |
Elected government |
| Administrative Divisions |
9 departments (departements, singular - departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand 'Anse, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est |
| Independence Day |
1 January 1804 (from France) |
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| Demographical Information |
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| Population |
8,121,622 |
| Nationality |
Haitian |
| Ethnic Groups |
Black 95%, mulatto and white 5% |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982) |
| Languages |
French (official), Creole (official) |
| Population Growth Rate |
2.26% (2005 est.) |
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| Economical Information |
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| Currency |
Gourde (HTG) |
| Industries |
Sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light assembly industries based on imported parts |
| Labor Force |
3.6 million (1995) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
Agriculture 66%, industry 9%, services 25% |
| Agriculture Products |
Coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum, wood |
| Export Commodities |
Manufactures, coffee, oils, cocoa, mangoes |
| Export Partners |
US 81.8%, Dominican Republic 7.2%, Canada 4.2% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Food, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, raw materials |
| Import Partners |
US 52.9%, Dominican Republic 6%, Japan 2.9% (2004) |
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| Transportation |
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| Railways |
- |
| Highways |
4,160 km |
| Pipelines |
- |
| Airports |
13 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Cap-Haitien, Gonaives, Jacmel, Jeremie, Les Cayes, Miragoane, Port-au-Prince, Port-de-Paix, Saint-Marc |
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| Communication |
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| Phone Code |
+509 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.ht |
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| Other |
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| Short History |
The native Arawak 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 - 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 and after a prolonged struggle, became the first black republic to declare its independence in 1804. Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history.
It is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. |
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