Haiti, a tiny island positioned in the Caribbean Sea is one of the world’s poorest countries, ranking 149 out of 182 countries. The island known as Hispaniola when it was discovered in 1492 by Columbus, was originally inhabited by Taino Amerindians. Within 25 years, Spanish settlers effectively destroyed this indigenous population. When Spain ceded to the French in 1697 the island was renamed Haiti. The French imported slaves from the continent of Africa to work in their forestry and sugar related industries, making the French colony one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean. In the late 18th Century, the then more than half a million slaves revolted against the colonial administration and after a long struggle Haiti finally gained its independence in 1804 – making it the first black-led republic and first independent Caribbean state. The tiny country is no stranger to political, civil and environmental unrest. After the brutal 29-year rule under ‘Papa Doc’, new hope formed after the 1990 democratic election of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. However, he was soon to be ousted by a military coup. In 1994 a constitutional leadership was returned after sanctions and US military intervention, only to be forced out into exile once again by international military intervention responding to allegations of serious political irregularities and human rights abuses. Currently, Haiti has had an elected leadership since May 2006 under President Rene Preval, and a UN stabilization force (MINUSTAH) since 2004.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Some 80% of its population lives below the poverty line with 54% living in abject poverty. Two-thirds of the population is dependent on small-scale subsistence farming which is being hampered by environmental natural disasters and deforestation. Remittances from Haitians living overseas are the primary source of foreign exchange, equaling nearly a quarter of GDP and more than twice the earnings from exports. Haiti’s high inflation, a lack of investment because of political insecurity and limited infrastructure, environmental disasters and a severe trade deficit of US$891 million continues to hamper its development.
Haiti at a glance
| Land Mass | 10,714 square miles |
| Population | 9,035,536 |
| Population Density | 843.3 per square mile |
| Capital city | Port-au-Prince (population 1,998,000) |
| Head of state | President René Garcia Préval |
| Head of government | Prime minister Mich?le Duvivier Pierre-Louis |
| Currency | Gourde |
| Population mix | African-Caribbean 95%, mixed and European 5% |
| Religion | Catholic 55%, Protestant 29%, none 10%. About half the population practice voodoo, officially recognized as a religion since 2003 |
| Main languages | French, Creole |
| National icons | Wyclef Jean (musician) Fabrice Noel (footballer) |
| Main industries | Sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light manufacturing |
| Key crops/livestock | Coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum |
| Key exports | Clothing, oils, cocoa, mangoes, coffee |
| Unemployment rate | 66% without formal jobs |
| Media freedom index | 73 (out of 173) |
Source: www.bbc.co.uk, www.guardian.co.uk, www.cia.gov, www.haiti.org
Selected Basic Indicators – 2007 figures (unless stated)
| Under-5 mortality rank | 47th |
| Under-5 mortality rate | 76 |
| Infant mortality rate (under 1) | 57 |
| Neonatal mortality rate | 32 (2004) |
| Maternal Mortality per 100,000 | 680 (WHO/UNICEF) |
| Annual no. of births | 270,000 |
| Annual no. of under-5 deaths | 21,000 |
| GNI per capita (US$), 2007 | 560 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 61 years |
| HIV/AIDS rate | 2.2% (UNAIDS) |
| Total adult literacy rate (%) | 62% (2000-7) |
| Primary school net enrolment/attendance | 50% (2000-7) |
| % share of household income – lowest 40% | 9 (1995-2005) |
| % share of household income – highest 20% | 63 (1995-2005) |
| Doctors per 1,000 head of population | 0.3 |
Source: The State of the World’s Children on www.unicef.org, UNAIDS
See https://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/stats_popup1.html for glossary of data definitions.