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Communications

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Haitian National Police

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49: 1,379,116 males fit for military service: 746,617 males reach military age (18) annually: 67,287 (1996 est.)

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 33, FM 0, shortwave 2

Radios [time series]

320,000 (1992 est.)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

domestic facilities barely adequate, international facilities slightly better domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]

50,000 (1990 est.)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

4 (1987 est.)

Televisions [time series]

32,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood

Budget [time series]

revenues: $242 million expenditures: $299.4 million including capital expenditures of $NA (FY94/95)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 gourde (G) = 100 centimes

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: ODA, $NA

Economic overview [time series]

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 only moderate job creation since President ARISTIDE was returned to power in October 1994. Failure to reach agreement with multilateral lenders in late 1995 led to rising deficit spending and subsequently increasing inflation and a drop in the value of the Haitian currency in the final months of 1995. Potential investors, both foreign and domestic, have been reluctant to risk their capital, planning to "wait and see" what happens in the months following the inauguration of newly elected President Rene PREVAL and the drawdown of UN peacekeeping forces. The PREVAL government will have to grapple with implementing necessary, although unpopular, economic reforms in order to obtain badly needed foreign aid and improve Haiti's ability to attract foreign capital if the Haitian economy is to gain momentum. Haiti will continue to depend heavily on foreign aid in the medium term.

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 150,000 kW production: 590 million kWh consumption per capita: 86 kWh (1993)

Exchange rates [time series]

gourdes (G) per US$1 - 16.783 (January 1996), 16.160 (1995), 12.947 (1994), 12.805 (1993), 10.953 (1992), 8.240 (1991)

Exports [time series]

$161 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: light manufactures 65%, coffee 19%, other agriculture 8%, other 8% partners: US 81%, Europe 12% (1993)

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$827 million (September 1995 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 October - 30 September

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

purchasing power parity - $6.5 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP composition by sector) [time series]

agriculture: 34.8% industry: 23% services: 42.2% (1991 est.)

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

$1,000 (1995 est.)

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

4.5% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$537 million (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: machines and manufactures 34%, food and beverages 22%, petroleum products 14%, chemicals 10%, fats and oils 9% partners: US 51%, Europe 16%, Latin America 18% (1993)

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

2.5% (1995 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

14.5% (FY 94/95)

Labor force [time series]

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

Unemployment rate [time series]

60% (1995 est.)

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: extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and use as fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water 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 international agreements: party to - Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban

Geographic coordinates [time series]

19 00 N, 72 25 W

Geography - note (Geographic note) [time series]

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

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 border country: 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, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic

Map references [time series]

Central America and the Caribbean

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

Terrain [time series]

mostly rough and mountainous lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m

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 25 June 1995 with reruns on 13 August and runoffs on 17 September; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - 83 total

Constitution [time series]

approved March 1987, suspended June 1988, most articles reinstated March 1989; in October 1991, government claimed to be observing the constitution; return to constitutional rule, October 1994

Data code [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: [1] (202) 332-4090 through 4092

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Rene Garcia PREVAL (since 7 February 1996), was elected for a five-year term by universal suffrage; election last held 17 December 1995 (next to be held by December 2000); results - Rene PREVAL 88%, Leon JEUNE 2.5%, Victor BENOIT 2.3% head of government: Prime Minister Rosny SMARTH (since March 1996) was appointed by the president cabinet: Cabinet; was chosen by prime minister in consultation with the president

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

[1] (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)

International organization participation [time series]

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, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO

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)

Country name (Name of country) [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]

Roman Catholic Church; Confederation of Haitian Workers (CTH); Federation of Workers Trade Unions (FOS); Autonomous Haitian Workers (CATH); National Popular Assembly (APN); Papaye Peasants Movement (MPP)

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

National Front for Change and Democracy (FNCD), Evans PAUL and Turneb DELPE; National Cooperative Action Movement (MKN), Volvick Remy JOSEPH; National Congress of Democratic Movements (CONACOM), Victor BENOIT; 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), Fritz PIERRE; Assembly of Progressive National Democrats (RDNP), Leslie MANIGAT; National Labor Party (PNT), Remy ZAMOR; 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; Democratic Unity Confederation (KID), Evans PAUL; National Lavalas Political Organization (OPL), Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES; Open the Gate Party (PLB), Renaud BERNARDIN; Haitian National Democratic Progressive Party (PNDPH), Turneb DELPE

Legislative branch (Senate) [time series]

elections last held 25 June 1995 with reruns on 13 August and runoffs on 17 September (next to be held 25 June 1999); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - 27 total

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type of government) [time series]

republic

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

chief of mission: Ambassador William Lacy SWING 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

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 46% (male 1,568,943; female 1,523,406) 15-64 years: 50% (male 1,614,679; female 1,758,388) 65 years and over: 4% (male 132,460; female 133,663) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

38.15 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate [time series]

15.96 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

black 95%, mulatto and European 5%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

103.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages [time series]

French (official) 10%, Creole

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 49.26 years male: 47.26 years female: 51.35 years (1996 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 45% male: 48% female: 42.2%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Haitian(s) adjective: Haitian

Net migration rate [time series]

-4.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population [time series]

6,731,539 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.77% (1996 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)

Sex ratio [time series]

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 all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate [time series]

5.69 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 11 with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m: 2 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 with paved runways under 914 m: 4 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 4 (1995 est.)

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 3,978 km paved: 944 km unpaved: 3,034 km (1987 est.)

Merchant marine [time series]

none

Ports [time series]

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

Railways [time series]

total: 40 km (single track; privately owned industrial line)-closed in early 1990's narrow gauge: 40 km 0.760-m gauge

Waterways [time series]

negligible; less than 100 km navigable