Facts and History of Haiti

LOCATION:
CARIBBEAN, WESTERN ONE-THIRD OF THE ISLAND OF HISPANIOLA, BETWEEN THE CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN, WEST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

AREA:
27,750 SQ KM (10, 714 SQ FT) APPROXIMATELY THE SIZE OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND

CLIMATE:
TROPICAL—AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IS 81 DEGREES
POPULATION: 8.9 MILLION (APPROX 1.4 MILLION IN CAPITAL OF PORT-AU-PRINCE) PROJECTED POPULATION IN 2025: 13.2 MILLION

INFANT MORTALITY RATE:
62.3 DEATHS PER 1000 LIVE BIRTHS (8.26 IN THE UNITED STATES)

LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH:
57 YEARS (77.8 YEARS IN THE UNITED STATES)

LITERACY:
ONLY 52.9% OF THOSE OVER 15 CAN READ AND WRITE

NATIONAL HOLIDAY—INDEPENDENCE DAY—JANUARY 1
HAITI BECAME THE FIRST BLACK REPUBLIC TO DECLARE ITS INDEPENDENCE IN 1804.

ECONOMY:
HAITI IS THE POORTEST COUNTRY IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE, WITH 80% OF THE POPULATION LIVING BELOW THE POVERTY LINE. THE PER CAPITA INCOME IN HAITI IS $480 PER YEAR. THE VAST MAJORITY OF HAITIANS LIVE ON LESS THAN $2 PER DAY.

LANGUAGE:
FRENCH IS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE GOVERNMENT AND BUSINESS, BUT HAITIAN CREOLE, A MIXTURE OF FRENCH AND AFRICAN LANGUAGES, IS PRIMARILY SPOKEN.