Haiti

republicIndependence 1 January 1804 (from France)

Haiti as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 69 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalPort-au-Prince

Area27,750 km2

Populationas each edition published it

6.29 million July 1991 · 6.14m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.68% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 17.9 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 45.45 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

6.3 children per woman 1991 · 6.4 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

106 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 107 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $340 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition -4% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Total area

27,750km2

land area: 27,560 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than Maryland

Coastline

1,771 km Contiguous zone: 24 nm;
Continental shelf: to depth of exploitation;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate

tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds

Land use

arable land 20%;
permanent crops 13%;
meadows and pastures 18%;
forest and woodland 4%;
other 45%;
includes irrigated 3%

Environment

lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October;
occasional flooding and earthquakes;
deforestation;
soil erosion

Note

shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic

People

14 fields

Population

6,286,511

(July 1991), growth rate 2.3% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

43Death

Literacy

53%

(male 59%, female 47%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Roman Catholic is the official religion; 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)

Language

French (official) spoken by only 10% of population; all speak Creole

Labor force

2,300,000;
agriculture 66%, services 25%, industry 9%;
shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1982)

Organized labor

Government

Republic

17 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

67.5%

Rev. Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE 67.5%Marc BAZIN 14.2%Louis DEJOIE 4.9%16 December 1990 (next election to be held by December 1995)

Senate, 27 seats, elected 16 December 1990, with runoff held 20 January 1991one dot, one seat

(27) FNCD 13ANDP 6PAIN 2MRN 2PDCH 1RDNP 1PNT 1independent 1

Long-form name

Republic of Haiti

Type

republic

Capital

Port-au-Prince

Administrative divisions

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

Independence

1 January 1804 (from France)

Constitution

27 August 1983, suspended February 1986;
draft constitution approved March 1987, suspended June 1988, most articles reinstated March 1989;
March 1987 Constitution fully observed by government installed on 7 February 1991

Legal system

based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday

Independence Day, 1 January (1804)

Executive branch

president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

bicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale) consisting of an upper house or Senate and a lower house or House of Deputies

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal (Cour de Cassation) Chief of State--President Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE (since 7 February 1991);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Rene PREVAL (since 13 February 1991) National Front for Change and Democracy (FNCD) led by Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE, including Congress of Democratic Movements (CONACOM), Victor BENOIT;
National Konbite Movement (MKN), Volvick Remy JOSEPH;
National Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ANDP), a coalition consisting of Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti (MIDH), Marc BAZIN;
National Progressive Revolutionary Party (PANPRA), Serge GILLES;
and 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), Sylvio CLAUDE;
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

Suffrage

universal at age 18 President--last held 16 December 1990 (next election to be held by December 1995); results--Rev. Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE 67.5%, Marc BAZIN 14.2%, Louis DEJOIE 4.9%; Senate--last held 16 December 1990, with runoff held 20 January 1991 (next to be held by December 1992); results--percent of vote NA; seats--(27) FNCD 13, ANDP 6, PAIN 2, MRN 2, PDCH 1, RDNP 1, PNT 1, independent 1; Chamber of Deputies--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) FNCD 27, ANDP 17, PDCH 7, PAIN 6, RDNP 6, MDN 5, PNT 3, MKN 2, MODELH 2, MRN 1, independent 5, other 2

Communists

United Party of Haitian Communists (PUCH), Rene THEODORE (roughly 2,000 members)

Other political or pressure groups

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)

Member of

ACCT, 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

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador (vacant), Charge d'Affaires Raymond Alcide JOSEPH;
Chancery at 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 332-4090 through 4092;
there are Haitian Consulates General in Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan (Puerto Rico);
US--Ambassador Alvin P. ADAMS, Jr.;
Embassy at Harry Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince (mailing address is P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince), telephone [509] (1) 20-354 or 20-368, 20-200, 20-612

Flag

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

About 85% of the population live in abject poverty.

17 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$2.7billion

per capita $440; real growth rate - 3.0% (1990 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

20%

(1990 est.)

External debt

$838million

(December 1990)

Exports $169 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)commodities, where a share is given

light manufactures

69%coffee

19%other agriculture

8%other

; partners--US 84%, Italy 4%, France 3%, other industrial 6%, less developed countries 3% (1987)

Imports $348 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.)

machines and manufactures

34%food and beverages

22%petroleum products

14%chemicals

10%fats and oils

; partners--US 64%, Netherlands Antilles 5%, Japan 5%, France 4%, Canada 3%, Germany 3% (1987)

Budget

Revenues

$300 millionExpenditures

$416 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $145 million (1990 est.)

Overview

About 85% of the population live in abject poverty. Agriculture is mainly small-scale subsistence farming and employs two-thirds 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.