Haiti

mean elevation:

470 m

elevation extremes:

0 m lowest point: Caribbean Sea; 2680 highest point: Chaine de la Selle

• lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October;
• occasional flooding and earthquakes;
• periodic droughts

• extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel);
• soil erosion;
• overpopulation leads to inadequate supplies of potable water and and a lack of sanitation;
• natural disasters

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified:

Hazardous Wastes

• shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic);
• it is the most mountainous nation in the Caribbean

noun:

Haitian(s)

adjective:

Haitian

0-14 years:

32.27% (male 1,733,920 /female 1,747,387)

15-24 years:

21.11% (male 1,139,188 /female 1,137,754)

25-54 years:

37.32% (male 1,997,816 /female 2,028,495)

55-64 years:

5.1% (male 262,494 /female 287,515)

65 years and over:

4.21% (male 199,617 /female 254,254) (2018 est.)

total dependency ratio:

62.3 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio:

54.8 (2015 est.)

elderly dependency ratio:

7.5 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio:

13.3 (2015 est.)

at birth:

1 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

0-14 years:

0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years:

1 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years:

0.99 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years:

0.91 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over:

0.81 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Haiti

conventional short form:

Haiti

local long form:

Republique d'Haiti/Repiblik d Ayiti

local short form:

Haiti/Ayiti

etymology:

the native Taino name means "Land of High Mountains" and was originally applied to the entire island of Hispaniola

name:

Port-au-Prince

geographic coordinates:

18 32 N, 72 20 W

time difference:

UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

history:

many previous; latest adopted 10 March 1987 (2018)

amendments:

• proposed by the executive branch or by either the Senate or the Chamber of Deputies;
• consideration of proposed amendments requires support by at least two-thirds majority of both houses;
• passage requires at least two-thirds of the membership present and at least two-thirds majority of the votes cast;
• approved amendments enter into force after installation of the next president of the republic;
• constitutional articles on the democratic and republican form of government cannot be amended;
• amended 2011, 2012 (2018)

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a native-born citizen of Haiti

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

highest courts:

Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation (consists of a chief judge and other judges); note - Haiti is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice

judge selection and term of office:

• judges appointed by the president from candidate lists submitted by the Senate of the National Assembly;
• note - Article 174 of the Haiti Constitution states that judges of the Supreme Court are appointed for 10 years, whereas Article 177 states that judges of the Supreme Court are appointed for life

subordinate courts:

• Courts of Appeal;
• Courts of First Instance;
• magistrates' courts;
• special courts

chief of state:

President Jovenel MOISE (since 7 February 2017)

head of government:

• Prime Minister Jean Henry CEANT (since 16 September 2018);
• note - Prime Minister Dr. Jack Guy LAFONTANT (since 21 March 2017) resigned on 14 July 2018, after plans to raise fuel prices sparked riots

cabinet:

Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president; parliament must ratify the Cabinet and Prime Minister's governing policy

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a single non-consecutive term);
• last election originally scheduled for 9 October 2016 but postponed until 20 November 2016 due to Hurricane Matthew

election results:

• Jovenel MOISE elected president in first round;
• percent of vote - Jovenel MOISE (PHTK) 55.6%, Jude CELESTIN (LAPEH) 19.6%, Jean-Charles MOISE (PPD) 11%, Maryse NARCISSE (FL) 9%;
• other 4.8%

• Alternative League for Haitian Progress and Empowerment or LAPEH [Jude CELESTIN]
• Christian Movement for a New Haiti or MCNH [Luc MESADIEU]
• Christian National Movement for the Reconstruction of Haiti or UNCRH [Chavannes JEUNE]
• Convention for Democratic Unity or KID [Evans PAUL]
• Cooperative Action to Rebuild Haiti or KONBA [Jean William JEANTY]
• December 16 Platform or Platfom 16 Desanm [Dr. Gerard BLOT]
• Democratic Alliance Party or ALYANS [Evans PAUL] (coalition includes KID and PPRH)
• Democratic Centers' National Council or CONACED [Osner FEVRY]
• Dessalinian Patriotic and Popular Movement or MOPOD [Jean Andre VICTOR]
• Effort and Solidarity to Create an Alternative for the People or ESKAMP [Joseph JASME]
• Fanmi Lavalas or FL [Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE]
• For Us All or PONT [Jean-Marie CHERESTAL]
• Fusion of Haitian Social Democrats or FHSD [Edmonde Supplice BEAUZILE]
• Grouping of Citizens for Hope or RESPE [Charles-Henri BAKER]
• Haitians for Haiti [Yvon NEPTUNE]
• Haitian Tet Kale Party or PHTK [Ann Valerie Timothee MILFORT]
• Haiti in Action or AAA [Youri LATORTUE]
• Independent Movement for National Reconstruction or MIRN [Luc FLEURINORD]
• Konbit Pou refe Ayiti or KONBIT
• Lavni Organization or LAVNI [Yves CRISTALIN]
• Liberal Party of Haiti or PLH [Jean Andre VICTOR]
• Love Haiti or Renmen Ayiti [Jean-Henry CEANT, Camille LEBLANC]
• Mobilization for National Development or MDN [Hubert de RONCERAY]
• New Christian Movement for a New Haiti or MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU]
• Organization for the Advancement of Haiti and Haitians or OLAHH
• Party for the Integral Advancement of the Haitian People or PAIPH
• Patriotic Unity or IP [Marie Denise CLAUDE]
• Peasant's Response or Repons Peyizan [Michel MARTELLY]
• Platform Alternative for Progress and Democracy or ALTENATIV [Victor BENOIT and Evans PAUL]
• Platform of Haitian Patriots or PLAPH [Dejean BELISAIRE, Himmler REBU]
• Platform Pitit Desaline or PPD [Jean-Charles MOISE]
• Pont
• Popular Party for the Renewal of Haiti or PPRH [Claude ROMAIN]
• PPG18
• Rally of Progressive National Democrats or RDNP [Mirlande MANIGAT]
• Renmen Ayiti or RA [Jean-Henry CEANT]
• Reseau National Bouclier or Bouclier
• Respect or RESPE
• Strength in Unity or Ansanm Nou Fo [Leslie VOLTAIRE]
• Struggling People's Organization or OPL [Jacques-Edouard ALEXIS]
• Truth (Verite)
• Union [Chavannes JEUNE]
• Unity or Inite [Levaillant LOUIS-JEUNE]
• Vigilance or Veye Yo [Lavarice GAUDIN]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Paul Getty ALTIDOR (since 2 May 2012)

chancery:

2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 332-4090

FAX:

[1] (202) 745-7215

consulate(s) general:

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Orlando (FL), New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Michele SISON (since 21 February 2018)

embassy:

Tabarre 41, Route de Tabarre, Port-au-Prince

mailing address:

(in Haiti) P.O. Box 1634, Port-au-Prince, Haiti; (from abroad) 3400 Port-au-Prince, State Department, Washington, DC 20521-3400

telephone:

[509] 229-8000

FAX:

[509] 229-8028

• 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);
• the colors are taken from the French Tricolor and represent the union of blacks and mulattoes

name:

"La Dessalinienne" (The Dessalines Song)

lyrics/music:

Justin LHERISSON/Nicolas GEFFRARD

note: adopted 1904; named for Jean-Jacques DESSALINES, a leader in the Haitian Revolution and first ruler of an independent Haiti

agriculture:

38.1%

industry:

11.5%

services:

50.4% (2010)

lowest 10%:

47.7% (2001)

highest 10%:

47.7% (2001)

general assessment:

telecommunications infrastructure is among the least-developed in Latin America and the Caribbean; domestic cell service is functional (2016)

domestic:

• fixed-line is less than 1 per 100;
• mobile-cellular telephone services have expanded greatly in the last decade due to low-cost GSM (Global Systems for Mobile) phones and pay-as-you-go plans;
• mobile-cellular teledensity is 61 per 100 persons (2016)

international:

country code - 509; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2016)

• 130 television stations throughout the country, including 1 government-owned;
• cable TV subscription service available;
• 495 radio stations (of them, only 135 are licensed), including 1 government-owned;
• more than 250 private and community radio stations;
• over 50 FM stations in Port-au-Prince alone (2015)

total:

4,266 km (2009)

paved:

768 km (2009)

unpaved:

3,498 km (2009)

total:

4 (2017)

by type:

general cargo 3, other 1 (2017)

• since 2004, peacekeepers from the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti have assisted in maintaining civil order in Haiti;
• the mission currently includes 6,685 military, 2,607 police, and 443 civilian personneldespite efforts to control illegal migration, Haitians cross into the Dominican Republic and sail to neighboring countriesHaiti claims US-administered Navassa Island

IDPs:

37,667 (includes only IDPs from the 2010 earthquake living in camps or camp-like situations; information is lacking about IDPs living outside of camps or who have left camps) (2017)

stateless persons:

2,302 (2017)

note: stateless persons are individuals without a nationality who were born in the Dominican Republic prior to January 2010

current situation:

• Haiti is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking;
• most of Haiti’s trafficking cases involve children in domestic servitude vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse;
• dismissed and runaway child domestic servants often end up in prostitution, begging, or street crime;
• other exploited populations included low-income Haitians, child laborers, and women and children living in IDP camps dating to the 2010 earthquake;
• Haitian adults are vulnerable to fraudulent labor recruitment abroad and, along with children, may be subjected to forced labor in the Dominican Republic, elsewhere in the Caribbean, South America, and the US;
• Dominicans are exploited in sex trafficking and forced labor in Haiti

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List – Haiti does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
• however, it is making significant efforts to do so;
• in 2014, Haiti was granted a waiver from an otherwise required downgrade to Tier 3 because its government has a written plan that, if implemented would constitute making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
• in 2014, Haiti developed a national anti-trafficking action plan and enacted a law prohibiting all forms of human trafficking, although judicial corruption hampered its implementation;
• progress was made in investigating and prosecuting suspected traffickers, but no convictions were made;
• the government sustained limited efforts to identify and refer victims to protective services, which were provided mostly by NGOs without government support;
• campaigns to raise awareness about child labor and child trafficking continued (2015)

• Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and Europe;
• substantial bulk cash smuggling activity;
• Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions;
• pervasive corruption;
• significant consumer of cannabis