The Caribbean Country

Haiti is a country of the Greater Antilles occupying the western third of the island of Haiti, bordered on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the east by the Dominican Republic, south by the Caribbean Sea and west by the Canal du Vent, which separates the island of Cuba from Haiti.

The country's area is 27 750 km2. Its capital, Port-au-Prince, is located in the Gulf of La Gonave.


Geography

Haiti is made up of two peninsulas separated by the Gulf of La Gonave. La Gonave is the largest of the islands located off its coast, The Island of la Tortue, a famous haunt for buccaneers in the seventeenth century, is located in the north, off of Port-de-Paix, and Ile A Vache is located at the south-west in the Caribbean Sea, off the Cayes.

The country has a very rugged terrain. It is mostly mountainous, with mountains chains oriented east-west, separated by narrow valleys. The highest peak of the island is located in the Massif de la Selle, which rises to 2 640 m. The mountain ranges along the coast almost everywhere. The rivers are hard to navigate but the main one, the Artibonite river, is in part navigable. There are two large lakes near the Dominican border.

The climate is tropical. The rainy season extends from April to June and from October to November. The west coast and the Island of La Gonave enjoy a hot and dry climate with an average temperature of 27 ° C and the thermal variations are minimal between summer and winter. Mountains, south and north of the country and the narrow coastal plains have a colder and wetter climate.

Society

The population of Haiti is estimated at 6.70 million. Approximately 74% of the population lives in rural areas. Almost all of Haitians (95%) are descendants of black slaves, the rest of the population is mulatto (from the blending of African and English). The rivalry between these two communities have strongly influenced the political life since independence.

Haiti is divided into nine departments, headed by a prefect appointed by the government. The capital, Port-au-Prince, is by far the largest city in the country, with 1 100 000 inhabitants. Other smaller cities are Cap-Haitien in the north, Cayes, south and Gonaives on the west. The 1987 Constitution recognizes French and Haitian Creole as the two official languages.

 

Government and politics

The constitution that governs the Haitian political life is from the post-Duvalierist period. After the fall of the dictator, a new Constitution was approved by referendum in March 1987. The President of the Republic is elected by universal suffrage for a term of five years. He chooses his prime minister within the party that holds the majority in Parliament.

The bicameral Parliament, consists of a Chamber of Deputies with 77 members and a Senate of 27 members, all elected by universal suffrage. The judicial system is virtually paralyzed. It includes civilian courts, courts of peace, several courts of appeal and a Court of Cassation. The President appoints the judges and has the right to pardon.

Economy

Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world and a substantial part of its population survives in very precarious conditions.

Affected by both drought and storms, Haitian agriculture (65% of assets) is not as efficient as it could, overpopulation of the country side results in the exhaustion of land and erosion. Most farms are small family farms where they cultivate food crops (corn, cassava, sweet potatoes, beans, rice, plantain), some largest farms supplies the few exportable products: sugar cane, coffee, sisal, cocoa, coconuts, tobacco and cotton. Fishing remains extremely artisanal and wood is used for art crafts (masks, sculptures) mainly for export.

The national currency is the Gourd, which is divided into 100 cents.