Introduction
Background
In 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the island of Hispaniola, which later became Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean. Currently the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti continues to experience bouts of political instability.
Geography
Area
total: 27,750 sq km
land: 27,560 sq km
water: 190 sq km
Climate
tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
Natural resources
bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower, arable land
People and Society
Population
11,470,261 (2023 est.)
Ethnic groups
Black 95%, mixed and White 5%
Languages
French (official), Creole (official)
Religions
Catholic 55%, Protestant 29%, Vodou 2.1%, other 4.6%, none 10% (2018 est.)
Population growth rate
1.23% (2023 est.)
Government
Government type
semi-presidential republic
Capital
name: Port-au-Prince
Executive branch
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)
Legislative branch
description: bicameral legislature or le Corps legislatif ou le Parlement consists of:
Senate or le Sénat de la République (30 seats; 0 filled as of January 2023); members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 6-year terms (2-term limit) with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years)
Chamber of Deputies or Chambre des députés (119 seats; 0 filled as of January 2023; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 4-year terms; no term limits); note - when the 2 chambers meet collectively it is known as the National Assembly or L'Assemblée nationale and is convened for specific purposes spelled out in the constitution
Economy
Economic overview
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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$32.856 billion (2021 est.)
$33.458 billion (2020 est.)
$34.615 billion (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$2,900 (2021 est.)
$3,000 (2020 est.)
$3,100 (2019 est.)
Agricultural products
sugar cane, cassava, mangoes/guavas, plantains, bananas, yams, avocados, maize, rice, vegetables
Industries
textiles, sugar refining, flour milling, cement, light assembly using imported parts
Remittances
20.04% of GDP (2021 est.)
23.82% of GDP (2020 est.)
20.47% of GDP (2019 est.)
Exports
$1.241 billion (2021 est.)
$1.014 billion (2020 est.)
$1.733 billion (2019 est.)
Exports - partners
United States 83%, Canada 4%, Mexico 3%, India 1%, Hong Kong 1% (2021)
Exports - commodities
clothing and apparel, essential oils, eels, mangoes, scrap iron (2021)
Imports
$5.222 billion (2021 est.)
$4.206 billion (2020 est.)
$5.161 billion (2019 est.)
Imports - partners
United States 26%, Dominican Republic 23%, China 19%, Turkey 3%, Indonesia 3% (2021)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, rice, clothing and apparel, poultry, palm oil (2021)
Exchange rates
gourdes (HTG) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
89.227 (2021 est.)
93.51 (2020 est.)
88.815 (2019 est.)
68.032 (2018 est.)
64.77 (2017 est.)
Page last updated: Wednesday, December 06, 2023
