Haiti

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

• 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

total:

24.7 years (2023 est.)

male:

24.4 years

female:

24.9 years

at birth:

1.01 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

0.99 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.78 male(s)/female

total population:

0.97 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

total:

38.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

male:

42.4 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

35.1 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

64.8 years (2023 est.)

male:

63 years

female:

66.7 years

degree of risk:

very high (2023)

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases:

dengue fever and malaria

total:

2.85 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.55 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.03 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

2.26 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

7.7% (2020 est.)

male:

12.2% (2020 est.)

female:

3.1% (2020 est.)

women married by age 15:

2.1%

women married by age 18:

14.9%

men married by age 18:

1.6% (2017 est.)

total:

35.7% (2021 est.)

male:

28.1%

female:

45.6%

• 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 a lack of sanitation;
• natural disasters

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified:

Nuclear Test Ban

urban population:

59.7% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

2.47% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

severe localized food insecurity:

• due to high food prices, natural disasters, and worsening civil insecurity - about 4.9 million people are estimated to face severe acute food insecurity and were in need of urgent food assistance between March and June 2023;
• the high levels of food insecurity are the result of sustained economic downturn, reducing domestic food production, elevated food prices, fuel shortage and frequent natural disasters;
• the situation is exacerbated by worsening insecurity, which has limited access to essential services, including markets, caused population displacements and hampered delivery of humanitarian assistance (2023)

particulate matter emissions:

9.69 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

2.98 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

6.12 megatons (2020 est.)

municipal:

190 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial:

50 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural:

1.21 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Haiti

conventional short form:

Haiti

local long form:

Republique d'Haiti (French)/ Repiblik d Ayiti (Haitian Creole)

local short form:

Haiti (French)/ Ayiti (Haitian Creole)

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

etymology:

• according to tradition, in 1706, a Captain de Saint-Andre named the bay and its surrounding area after his ship Le Prince;
• the name of the town that grew there means, "the Port of The Prince"

history:

• many previous;
• latest adopted 10 March 1987, with substantial revisions in June 2012;
• note – the constitution is commonly referred to as the “amended 1987 constitution”

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 majority 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 many times, last in 2012

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

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

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

chief of state:

• President (vacant);
• note - Prime Minister Ariel HENRY assumed executive responsibilities, including naming Cabinet members, following the assassination of President MOISE on 7 July 2021;
• new elections have not yet been scheduled

head of government:

Prime Minister Ariel HENRY (since 20 July 2021)

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 had been originally scheduled for 9 October 2016 but was postponed until 20 November 2016 due to Hurricane Matthew

election results:

• 2016: 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%

; 2011: Michel MARTELLY elected president in second round; percent of vote - Michel MARTELLY (Peasant's Response) 68%, Mirlande MANIGAT (RDNP) 32%

highest court(s):

• Supreme Court or Cour de cassation (currently 11 of 12 judges as prescribed by the constitution, 8 of whom were appointed in March 2023);
• note - Haiti is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice;
• Constitutional Court, called for in the 1987 constitution but not yet established;
• High Court of Justice, for trying high government officials - currently not functional

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 Haiti's 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;
• magistrate's courts;
• land, labor, and children's courts

note : the Superior Council of the Judiciary or Conseil Superieur du Pouvoir Judiciaire is a 9-member body charged with the administration and oversight of the judicial branch of government

• Alternative League for Haitian Progress and Emancipation (Ligue Alternative pour le Progres et l’Emancipation Haitienne) or LAPEH [Jude CELESTIN]
• Christian Movement for a New Haiti or MCNH or Mochrenha [Luc MESADIEU]
• Christian National Movement for the Reconstruction of Haiti or UNCRH [Jean Chavannes JEUNE]
• Combat of Peasant Workers to Liberate Haiti (Konbit Travaye Peyizan Pou Libere Ayiti) or Kontra Pep La [Jean William JEANTY]
• 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]
• Democratic and Popular Sector (Secteur Democratique et Populaire) or SDP [Nenel CASSY, Andre MICHEL, and Marjorie MICHEL]
• Democratic Unity Convention (Konvansyon Inite Demokratik) or KID [Enold JOSEPH]
• 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 [Maryse NARCISSE and former President Jean Bertrand ARISTIDE]
• Forward (En Avant) [Jerry TARDIEU]
• Fusion of Haitian Social Democrats (Fusion Des Sociaux-Démocrates Haïtiens) or FHSD [Edmonde Supplice BEAUZILE]
• G18 Policy Platform (Plateforme Politique G18) [Joseph WUILSON]
• Haiti in Action (Ayiti An Aksyon Haiti's Action) or AAA [Youri LATORTUE]
• Haitian Tet Kale Party (Parti Haitien Tet Kale) or PHTK [Line Sainphaar BALTHAZAR]
• Independent Movement for National Reconciliation or MIRN [Luc FLEURINORD]
• Lavni Organization or LAVNI [Yves CRISTALIN]
• Lod Demokratik [Jean Renel SENATUS]
• Love Haiti (Renmen Ayiti) or RA [Jean Henry CEANT]
• MTV Ayiti [Reginald BOULOS]
• National Consortium of Haitian Political Parties (Consortium National des Partis Politiques Haitiens) or CNPPH [Jeantel JOSEPH]
• National Shield Network (Reseau Bouclier National) [Victor PROPHANE and Garry BODEAU]
• Organization of the People's Struggle (Oganizasyon Pep Kap Lite) or OPL [Edgard LEBLANC]
• Patriotic Unity (Inite Patriyotik) or Inite [Sorel YACINTHE and Levaillant Louis JEUNE]
• Platform Pitit Desalin (Politik Pitit Dessalines) or PPD [Jean-Charles MOISE]
• Political Party for Us All or Bridge (Pont) or Pou Nou Tout [Jean Marie CHERESTAL]
• Popular Patriotic Dessalinien Movement (Mouvement Patriotique Populaire Dessalinien) or MOPOD [Jean Andre VICTOR]
• Rally of Progressive National Democrats (Rassemblement des Democrates Nationaux Progressistes) or RDNP [Eric JEAN-BAPTISTE]
• Respe (Respect) [Charles Henry BAKER]
• Women and Families Political Parties (Defile Pati Politik Fanm Ak Fanmi) [Marie Rebecca GUILLAUME]

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Louis Harold JOSEPH (since 15 May 2023)

chancery:

2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 332-4090

FAX:

[1] (202) 745-7215

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://www.haiti.org/

consulate(s) general:

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

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Patricia AGUILERA (since 28 September 2023)

embassy:

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

mailing address:

3400 Port-au-Prince Place, Washington, DC 20521-3400

telephone:

[011] (509) 2229-8000

FAX:

[011] (509) 2229-8027

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://ht.usembassy.gov/

• 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

total World Heritage Sites:

1 (cultural)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

National History Park – Citadel, Sans Souci, Ramiers

• small Caribbean island economy and OECS-member state;
• extreme poverty and inflation;
• enormous income inequality;
• ongoing civil unrest due to recent presidential assassination;
• US preferential market access;
• very open to foreign direct investment

agriculture:

38.1%

industry:

11.5%

services:

50.4% (2010)

total:

35.7% (2021 est.)

male:

28.1%

female:

45.6%

lowest 10%:

0.7%

highest 10%:

47.7% (2001)

production:

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

consumption:

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports:

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports:

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves:

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

total petroleum production:

0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

21,100 bbl/day (2019 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate exports:

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports:

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

0 barrels (2021 est.)

production:

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

consumption:

3.341 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

exports:

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports:

3.341 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

proven reserves:

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

general assessment:

• Haiti is in desperate need of maintaining effective communication services to enable it to keep going through the countless natural disasters, the country’s telecoms sector is really only surviving on the back of international goodwill to repair and replace the systems destroyed in the latest upheaval;
• Haiti’s fixed-line infrastructure is now practically non-existent, having been torn apart by Hurricane Matthew in 2016;
• what aid and additional investment has been forthcoming has been directed towards mobile solutions;
• over half of the country can afford a mobile handset or the cost of a monthly subscription;
• and mobile broadband subscriptions is half of that again – an estimated 28% in 2022;
• international aid continues to flow in to try and help the country’s telecoms sector recover – the World Bank has released a further $120 million to go on top of the $60 million grant provided after the last major 7.2 earthquake in August 2021 (2022)

domestic:

fixed-line is less than 1 per 100; mobile-cellular teledensity is nearly 64 per 100 persons (2021)

international:

• country code - 509;
• landing points for the BDSNi and Fibralink submarine cables to 14 points in the Bahamas and Dominican Republic;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

• per 2019 data released by Haitian telecommunications regulator CONATEL (Conseil National des Télécommunications), there are 398 legal sound broadcasting stations on the territory, including about 60 community radio stations, and 7 radio stations on the AM band;
• the FM band in Haiti is oversaturated by 158 percent;
• most radio stations broadcast 17 to 19 hours a day;
• there are 105 television stations operating in Haiti, including 36 TV stations in Port- au- Prince, 41 others in the provinces, and more than 40 radio-television stations;
• a large number of broadcasting stations operate irregularly and some stations operate with technical parameters that do not comply with established standards, thus causing harmful interference to existing telecommunications systems;
• VOA Creole Service broadcasts daily on 30 affiliate stations (2019)

total:

4,102 km (2011)

paved:

600 km (2011)

unpaved:

3,502 km (2011)

• up to 2,000 military troops (the force is planned to eventually have around 5,000 personnel);
• estimates for the National Police range from a low of 9,000 to a high of about 13,000 (2023)

Haiti-Dominican Republic:

• the Dominican Republic has increased security along the Haitian border to prevent unauthorized migration and smuggling, including constructing a fence and deploying military troops;
• some disputes over border limits, particularly along the Massacre River

Haiti-US :

Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island

IDPs:

171,000 (violence among armed gangs in the metropolitan area os Port-au-Prince) (2022)

stateless persons:

2,992 (2018); note - individuals without a nationality who were born in the Dominican Republic prior to January 2010

• a transit point for cocaine from South America and marijuana from Jamaica en route to the United States;
• not a producer or large consumer of illicit drugs;
• some cultivation of cannabis for local consumption