Haiti Facts

by countryaah · Published June 3, 2019 · Updated April 25, 2020

Haiti, State of the Caribbean; 27,750 km², 11.1 million residents (2019).Haiti covers the western part of the island of Hispaniola (also called Haiti) in the Greater Antilles. The capital is Port-au-Prince (928,000 residents, 2012).

Country facts

Republic of Haiti / Republic of Haiti
Country abbreviation: HT
Area: 27 750 km²
Population (2019): 11.1 million residents
Capital: Port-au-Prince
Main languages: French, Haitian
State: Republic
Head of State: Jovenel Moïse (President)
Head of Government: Jospeh Jouthe
Per capita GDP (2018): US $ 868
GNI per capita (2018): US $ 800
Currency unit: 1 gourde = 100 centimes
Currency code: HTG
Country number (telephony): 509
Internet Domain Name: ht
Time difference compared to Sweden: −6
National Day: January 1 (Independence Day, 1804)

Nature

Land use: forest (5%), agricultural land (33%), other (72%)
Highest mountain: La Selle (2,674 m asl)

Population

Population density (2019): 400 residents per km²
Natural population growth (2019): 1.6%; birthrate 25 ‰, death count 9 ‰
Age structure (2019): 0-14 years (34%), 15-64 (61%), 65- (5%)
Average life expectancy (2019): men 61 years, women 66 years
Infant mortality (2019): 59 per 1,000 live births
Population forecast 2050: 15 million residents
HDI (2017): 0.498 (place 168 of 189)
Urbanization rate (2019): 55%
Most populous city (2012): Port-au-Prince (928,000 residents)

Business

Industry’s contribution to GDP (2017): agriculture (22%), industry (20%), service (58%)
Exports (2017): US $ 980 million
Main export products: clothing, manufacturing
Main exporting countries: USA, Dominican Republic
Imports (2017): US $ 3,618 million
Main import products: food, oil products, machinery
Main importing countries: USA, China, Netherlands
Railway network: no railway network

Haiti is very mountainous. The mountain ranges in the north and south mean that Haiti has two projecting peninsula far to the west. These enclose the wide and deep penetration of the Gulf of Gonâve and the island of Gonâve.

The legislative power is a parliament with two chambers; the executive power belongs to the president who is elected for five years.

Haiti, which became independent in 1804, is one of the world’s poorest countries. Comparable economic and social indicators show that the country has slipped after many other poor countries. Political chaos, age-old production methods and extensive land destruction make the country very difficult to recover in the foreseeable future. Agricultural commodities dominate exports, but the importance of industrial products has increased. Due to economic special regulations for foreign-owned industry, only a small part of the income from the production increase will benefit the country.

In 2010, the capital Port-au-Prince was hit by a powerful earthquake and nearly 225,000 people were killed. The city and the country have still not recovered from this disaster. The situation worsened further in 2012 when the country was hit by tropical cyclone Sandy.