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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 14 usable: 11 with permanent-surface runways: 3 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 3

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 4,000 km paved: 950 km unpaved: otherwise improved 900 km; unimproved earth 2,150 km

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

negligible; less than 100 km navigable

Ports [time series]

Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haitien; six minor ports

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

40 km 0.760-meter narrow gauge, single-track, privately owned industrial line

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

domestic facilities barely adequate, international facilities slightly better; 36,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 33 AM, no FM, 4 TV, 2 shortwave; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Affiliation [time series]

(territory of Australia)

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army (including Police), Navy, Air Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $34 million, 1.5% of GDP (1988 est.)

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 1,313,265; fit for military service 709,712; reach military age (18) annually 62,488 (1994 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 28% of GDP and employs around 70% of work force; mostly small-scale subsistence farms; commercial crops - coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, wood; staple crops - rice, corn, sorghum; shortage of wheat flour

Budget [time series]

revenues: $300 million expenditures: $416 million, including capital expenditures of $145 million (1990 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 gourde (G) = 100 centimes

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (1970-89), $700 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $770 million

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 217,000 kW production: 480 million kWh consumption per capita: 75 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates [time series]

gourdes (G) per US$1 - 12.00 (1 July 1993), 8.4 (December 1991), fixed rate of 5.000 through second quarter of 1991

Exports [time series]

$135 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: light manufactures 65%, coffee 19%, other agriculture 8%, other 8% partners: US 84%, Italy 4%, France 3%, other industrial countries 6%, less developed countries 3% (1987)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$838 million (December 1990)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 October - 30 September

Illicit drugs [time series]

transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana en route to the US and Europe

Imports [time series]

$423 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.) commodities: machines and manufactures 34%, food and beverages 22%, petroleum products 14%, chemicals 10%, fats and oils 9% partners: US 64%, Netherlands Antilles 5%, Japan 5%, France 4%, Canada 3%, Germany 3% (1987)

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate -2% (1991 est.); accounts for 15% of GDP

Industries [time series]

sugar refining, textiles, flour milling, cement manufacturing, tourism, light assembly industries based on imported parts

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

20% (FY92 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $5.2 billion (1993 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$800 (1993 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

-13% (FY92 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

About 75% of the population live in abject poverty. Agriculture is mainly small-scale subsistence farming and employs nearly three-fourths of the work force. The majority of the population does not have ready access to safe drinking water, adequate medical care, or sufficient food. Few social assistance programs exist, and the lack of employment opportunities remains one of the most critical problems facing the economy, along with soil erosion and political instability. Trade sanctions applied by the Organization of American States in response to the September 1991 coup against President ARISTIDE have further damaged the economy. Output continued to drop in 1993 although not as sharply as in 1992.

Unemployment rate [time series]

25%-50% (1991)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 27,750 sq km land area: 27,560 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland

Climate [time series]

tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds

Coastline [time series]

1,771 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: deforestation; soil erosion natural hazards: lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes international agreements: party to - Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

claims US-administered Navassa Island

Irrigated land [time series]

750 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 275 km, Dominican Republic 275 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 20% permanent crops: 13% meadows and pastures: 18% forest and woodland: 4% other: 45%

Location [time series]

Caribbean, in the northern Caribbean Sea, about 90 km southeast of Cuba

Map references [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims [time series]

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: to depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

bauxite

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

mostly rough and mountainous

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Port-au-Prince

Legislative branch (Chamber of Deputies) [time series]

elections last held 16 December 1990, with runoff held 20 January 1991 (next to be held by December 1994); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (83 total) FNCD 27, ANDP 17, PDCH 7, PAIN 6, RDNP 6, MDN 5, PNT 3, MKN 2, MODELH 2, MRN 1, independents 5, other 2

Constitution [time series]

constitution approved March 1987, suspended June 1988, most articles reinstated March 1989; October 1991, government claims to be observing the Constitution

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Jean CASIMIR chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 332-4090 through 4092

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE (since 7 February 1991), ousted in a coup in September 1991, but still recognized by international community as Chief of State; election last held 16 December 1990 (next to be held by December 1995); results - Rev. Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE 67.5%, Marc BAZIN 14.2%, Louis DEJOIE 4.9% head of government: acting Prime Minister Robert MALVAL (since August 1993) cabinet: Cabinet; chosen by prime minister in consultation with the president

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

(202) 745-7215 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[509] 23-1641

Flag [time series]

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)

Independence [time series]

1 January 1804 (from France)

Judicial branch [time series]

Court of Appeal (Cour de Cassation)

Legal system [time series]

based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

bicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ACCT, ACP, CARICOM (observer), CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LAES, LORCS, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Country name (Names) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 1 January (1804)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Democratic Unity Confederation (KID); Roman Catholic Church; Confederation of Haitian Workers (CTH); Federation of Workers Trade Unions (FOS); Autonomous Haitian Workers (CATH); National Popular Assembly (APN); Revolutionary Front for Haitian Advancement and Progress (FRAPH)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

National Front for Change and Democracy (FNCD), including National Congress of Democratic Movements (CONACOM), Victor BENOIT, and National Cooperative Action Movement (MKN), Volvick Remy JOSEPH; Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti (MIDH), Marc BAZIN; National Progressive Revolutionary Party (PANPRA), Serge GILLES; National Patriotic Movement of November 28 (MNP-28), Dejean BELIZAIRE; National Agricultural and Industrial Party (PAIN), Louis DEJOIE; Movement for National Reconstruction (MRN), Rene THEODORE; Haitian Christian Democratic Party (PDCH), Joseph DOUZE; Assembly of Progressive National Democrats (RDNP), Leslie MANIGAT; National Party of Labor (PNT), Thomas DESULME; Mobilization for National Development (MDN), Hubert DE RONCERAY; Democratic Movement for the Liberation of Haiti (MODELH), Francois LATORTUE; Haitian Social Christian Party (PSCH), Gregoire EUGENE; Movement for the Organization of the Country (MOP), Gesner COMEAU and Jean MOLIERE

Legislative branch (Senate) [time series]

elections last held 18 January 1993, widely condemned as illegitimate (next to be held December 1994); results - percent of vote NA; seats - (27 total) FNCD 12, ANDP 8, PAIN 2, MRN 1, RDNP 1, PNT 1, independent 2

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador William Lacy SWING embassy: Harry Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince telephone: [509] 22-0354, 22-0368, 22-0200, or 22-0612

People

Birth rate [time series]

39.72 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate [time series]

18.78 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

black 95%, mulatto and European 5%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

108.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages [time series]

French (official) 10%, Creole

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 45.11 years male: 43.45 years female: 46.85 years (1994 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) total population: 53% male: 59% female: 47%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Haitian(s) adjective: Haitian

Net migration rate [time series]

-4.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population [time series]

6,491,450 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.63% (1994 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 80% (of which an overwhelming majority also practice Voodoo), Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982)

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.94 children born/woman (1994 est.)