230
D
O
M
IN
IC
A
N(^) R
E
P
.
Golfe de la
Gonâve
Caribbean Sea
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
Île de la Tortue
Île de la Gonâve
Mas
sif
(^) du
(^) N
or
d
Massif d
e la Hotte
Port-de-Paix Cap-Haïtien
Gonaïves
Hinche
Cayes Jacmel
Jérémie
Fort-
Liberté
Pétionville
St-Marc Petite-
Rivière-
de-l'Artibonite
Limbé
Desdunes
PORT-AU-PRINCE
1000m/3281ft
500m/1640ft
200m/656ft
Sea Level
Haiti
NORTH & CENTRAL AMERICA
FACTFILE
OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Haiti
DATE OF FORMATION: 1804
CAPITAL: Port-au-Prince
POPULATION: 10 million
TOTAL AREA: 10,714 sq. miles
(27,750 sq. km)
DENSITY: 943 people per sq. mile
LANGUAGES: French Creole*, French
RELIGIONS: Roman Catholic 80%,
Protestant 16%, other 3%, nonreligious 1%;
Voodoo is widely practiced
ETHNIC MIX: Black African 95%, Mixed race
and European 5%
GOVERNMENT: Presidential system
CURRENCY: Gourde = 100 centimes
Formerly a French colony, Haiti shares the Caribbean
island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. At
independence in 1804, it became the world’s first black republic.
GEOGRAPHY
Predominantly mountainous, with
forests and fertile plains.
CLIMATE
Tropical, with rain throughout the
year. Humid in coastal areas, much cooler
in the mountains.
PEOPLE & SOCIETY
Most Haitians are of African
descent. A few have European roots,
primarily French. The rigid class structure
maintains vast disparities of wealth.
The majority of the population live in
extreme poverty; Haiti is one of the
poorest countries in the Americas.
A combination of political oppression
and a collapsing economy led thousands
to seek asylum in the US or the
Dominican Republic. Though most are
Christians, many Haitians practice
Voodoo, which was recognized as an
official religion in 2003.
THE ECONOMY
In crisis due to instability, hurricane
damage, and corruption. Profiteering
from narcotics trade to US. Food
shortages. 70% unemployment.
INSIGHT: A slave rebellion headed
by Toussaint Louverture in 1791 led to
Haiti’s independence
50 km50 miles00