(Based on CIA World Factbook)
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, slightly smaller than Maryland
Climate: tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
Terrain: mostly rough and mountainous
Environment - current issues: extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and use as fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water
Population: 6,611,407 (July 1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 102.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: 49.49 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.76 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Ethnic groups: black 95%, mulatto plus white 5%
Religions: Roman Catholic 80% (of which an overwhelming majority also practice Voodoo), Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982)
Languages: French (official) 10%, Creole
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write 45%
Economy - overview: About 75% of the population lives in abject poverty. Nearly 70% of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming and employs about two-thirds of the economically active work force. GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,000 (1996 est.)
Unemployment rate: 60% (1996 est.)
Industries: sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, tourism, light assembly industries based on imported parts
Telephones: 50,000 (1990 est.)
Telephone system: domestic facilities barely adequate, international facilities slightly better international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radios: 320,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 4 (1987 est.)
Televisions: 32,000 (1992 est.)
Last updated April 18, 1998