ABOUT OUR LAND HAITI

This is a short description of the Land. If you want to know more, please visit the website of the Haitian Embassy in the USA. Our country is the first black Nation to claim its independance from slavery from France in 1804. Here is a little bit about the country.

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