About Beautiful Haiti
General
Official Name --- Republic d'Haiti
Population --- 6,867,995 (2000 est.)
Area --- 27,750 sq. km (slightly smaller than Maryland)
Capital --- Port-au-Prince, pop. 2 million est.
Other Cities --- Cap-Haitien, pop: 100,000 est.; Gonaives
Currency --- Gourde
Official Languages --- Haitian Creole, French
Geography
Terrain --- mostly rough and mountainous
Elevation lowest --- 0m at Caribbean Seahighest: 2680m at Chaine de la Selle
Natural Resources --- bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower
The Land Use
Arable --- 20% permanent crops --- 13% permanent pastures --- 18%
forest and woodlands --- 5% other --- 44%
Natural Hazards lies in hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October, occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodic droughts
Environmental Issues Extensive deforestation (agriculture and fuel)
Severe soil erosion; Inadequate supplies of potable water
Population, Health and Education
Growth Rate --- 1.39% (2000 est.)
Net Migration Rate --- 2.97 migrants/1,000 pop.
Sex Ratio (total) --- .97 male(s)/female
Infant Mortality Rate--- 97.1/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy (total)--- 49.21 years; (male) 47.46 years; (female) 51.06 years
Ethnic Groups --- black 95%, mulatto and white 5%
Religions --- Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16%
(Baptist, Pentecostal, Adventist). Note: roughly one-half the population also practices Voodoo
Adult Literacy --- Rate 47% (male), 41% (female)
Population with access to safe drinking water --- 43%
urban--- 29%
rural--- 41%
Population with access to sewage disposal --- 27%
urban--- 43%
rural---16%
Doctors per 1,000 population ---.79
Hospital beds per 1,000--- 8
Economy
GDP --- 9.2 billion; real growth rate: 2.4%
GDP per capita --- $1,340 (1999 est.)
Real Annual Income per capita --- $250
Population below poverty line --- 80%
Unemployment --- 70%
Industries --- sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, tourism, light assembly industry based on imported parts
Agricultural products --- coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood
Export commodities manufactures --- coffee, oils, mangoes
Export partners--- US 86%, EU 11%
Import commodities--- food, machinery, transport equipment, fuels
Import partners --- US 60%, EU 12%
Debt (external) --- $1 billion (1997 est.)
Economic Aid (recipient) --- $730.6 million (1995)
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