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| Introduction | Haiti |
| Background: | The native Arawak Amerindians - who inhabited the island of Hispaniola when it was discovered by Columbus in 1492 - were virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola, and in 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the island - Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean, but only through the heavy importation of African slaves and considerable environmental degradation. In the late 18th century, Haiti's nearly half million slaves revolted under Toussaint L'OUVERTURE and after a prolonged struggle, became the first black republic to declare its independence in 1804. Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history. It is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. |
| People | Haiti |
| Population: | 7,656,166 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 42.2% (male 1,646,216; female 1,583,294) 15-64 years: 54.1% (male 2,018,914; female 2,124,287) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 133,241; female 150,214) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 18.1 years male: 17.6 years female: 18.7 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 1.71% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 33.76 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 13.21 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -3.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 74.38 deaths/1,000 live births female: 68.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 79.83 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 51.78 years male: 50.52 years female: 53.12 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 4.76 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 5.6% (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 280,000 (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 24,000 (2003 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Haitian(s) adjective: Haitian |
| Ethnic groups: | black 95%, mulatto and white 5% |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982) note: roughly half of the population practices Voodoo |
| Languages: | French (official), Creole (official) |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 52.9% male: 54.8% female: 51.2% (2003 est.) |
| Government | Haiti |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Haiti conventional short form: Haiti local short form: Haiti local long form: Republique d'Haiti |
| Government type: | elected government |
| 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) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 1 January (1804) |
| Constitution: | approved March 1987; suspended June 1988 with most articles reinstated March 1989; in October 1991 government claimed to be observing the constitution; returned to constitutional rule in October 1994 |
| Legal system: | based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: Interim President Boniface ALEXANDER (since 29 February 2004) note: Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE resigned as president on 29 February 2004 head of government: Interim Prime Minister Gerald LATORTUE (since 12 March 2004) cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president election results: Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE elected president; percent of vote - Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE 92% elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 26 November 2000 (next to be held in 2004); prime minister appointed by the president, ratified by the National Assembly |
| Legislative branch: | bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale consists of the Senate (27 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of Deputies (83 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FL 26, independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FL 73, MOCHRENA 3, PLB 2, OPL 1, vacant 1, other minor parties and independents 3 elections: Senate - last held for two-thirds of seats 21 May 2000 with runoffs on 9 July boycotted by the opposition; seven seats still disputed; election for remaining one-third held on 26 November 2000 (next to be held in 2004); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 May 2000 with runoffs on 30 July boycotted by the opposition; one vacant seat rerun 26 November 2000 (next to be held in 2004) |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation |
| Political parties and leaders: | Alliance for the Liberation and Advancement of Haiti or ALAH [Reynold GEORGES]; Assembly of Progressive National Democrats or RDNP [Leslie MANIGAT]; Convention for Democratic Unity or KID [leader NA]; Convergence (opposition coalition composed of ESPACE, OPL, and MOCHRENA) [Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES, Evans PAUL, Luc MESADIEU, Victor BENOIT]; Democratic Consultation Group coalition or ESPACE [Evans PAUL, Victor BENOIT] composed of the following parties: National Congress of Democratic Movements or KONAKOM, National Progressive Revolutionary Party or PANPRA, Generation 2004, and Haiti Can; Haitian Christian Democratic Party or PDCH [Marie-France CLAUDE]; Haitian Democratic Party or PADEM [Clark PARENT]; Lavalas Family or FL [Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE]; Mobilization for National Development or MDN [Hubert DE RONCERAY]; Movement for National Reconstruction or MRN [Rene THEODORE]; Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti or MIDH [Marc BAZIN]; Movement for the Organization of the Country or MOP [Gesner COMEAU and Jean MOLIERE]; National Cooperative Action Movement or MKN [Volrick Remy JOSEPH]; National Front for Change and Democracy or FNCD [Evans PAUL and Turneb DELPE]; New Christian Movement for a New Haiti or MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU]; Open the Gate or PLB [Renaud BERNARDIN]; Struggling People's Organization or OPL [Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | Autonomous Haitian Workers or CATH; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation of Workers Trade Unions or FOS; National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants Movement or MPP; Popular Organizations Gathering Power or PROP; Roman Catholic Church |
| International organization participation: | ACCT, ACP, Caricom, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Raymond VALCIN (as of December 2003) chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) FAX: [1] (202) 745-7215 telephone: [1] (202) 332-4090 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador James B. FOLEY embassy: 5 Harry S Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince telephone: [509] 222-0354, 222-0269, 222-0200, 222-0327 FAX: [509] 223-1641 or 222-0200 ext 460 |
| Flag description: | 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) |
| Communications | Haiti |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 130,000 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 140,000 (2002) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: domestic facilities barely adequate; international facilities slightly better domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service international: country code - 509; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 41, FM 26, shortwave 0 (1999) |
| Radios: | 415,000 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 2 (plus a cable TV service) (1997) |
| Televisions: | 38,000 (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .ht |
| Internet hosts: | NA |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 3 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 80,000 (2002) |
| Transportation | Haiti |
| Highways: | total: 4,160 km paved: 1,011 km unpaved: 3,149 km (1999 est.) |
| Ports and harbors: | Cap-Haitien, Gonaives, Jacmel, Jeremie, Les Cayes, Miragoane, Port-au-Prince, Port-de-Paix, Saint-Marc |
| Merchant marine: | none |
| Airports: | 12 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
| Military | Haiti |
| Military branches: | Haitian National Police (HNP) note: the regular Haitian Army, Navy, and Air Force have been demobilized but still exist on paper until or unless they are constitutionally abolished |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 18 years of age for voluntary recruitment into the police force (2001) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 1,792,112 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 975,341 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 97,429 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $25.8 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 0.9% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Haiti |
| Disputes - international: | despite efforts to control illegal migration, Haitians fleeing economic privation and civil unrest continue to cross into Dominican Republic and to sail to neighboring countries; Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island |
| Illicit drugs: | major Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and Europe; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions; pervasive corruption |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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