Legend:
 Definition
 Field Listing
 Rank Order
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Background:
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The native Arawak Amerindians - who inhabited the island of Hispaniola when it was discovered by Columbus in 1492 - were virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola, and in 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the island - Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean, but only through the heavy importation of African slaves and considerable environmental degradation. In the late 18th century, Haiti's nearly half million slaves revolted under Toussaint L'OUVERTURE and after a prolonged struggle, became the first black republic to declare its independence in 1804. Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history since then, and it is now one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Over three decades of dictatorship followed by military rule ended in 1990 when Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE was elected president. Most of his term was usurped by a military takeover, but he was able to return to office in 1994 and oversee the installation of a close associate to the presidency in 1996. ARISTIDE won a second term as president in 2000, and took office early in 2001. However, a political crisis stemming from fraudulent legislative elections in 2000 has not yet been resolved.
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Location:
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Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic
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Geographic coordinates:
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19 00 N, 72 25 W
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Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean
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Area:
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total: 27,750 sq km
land: 27,560 sq km
water: 190 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Maryland
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Land boundaries:
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total: 360 km
border countries: Dominican Republic 360 km
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Coastline:
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1,771 km
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Maritime claims:
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contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
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Climate:
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tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
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Terrain:
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mostly rough and mountainous
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m
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Natural resources:
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bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower
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Land use:
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arable land: 20.32%
permanent crops: 12.7%
other: 66.98% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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750 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodic droughts
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Environment - current issues:
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extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban
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Geography - note:
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shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)
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Population:
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7,527,817
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2003 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 42.7% (male 1,637,853; female 1,575,893)
15-64 years: 53.6% (male 1,962,975; female 2,073,353)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 131,784; female 145,959) (2003 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 17.9 years
male: 17.4 years
female: 18.5 years (2002)
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Population growth rate:
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1.67% (2003 est.)
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Birth rate:
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34.06 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
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Death rate:
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13.36 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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-4.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 76.01 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 70.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 81.59 deaths/1,000 live births
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 51.61 years
male: 50.36 years
female: 52.92 years (2003 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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4.86 children born/woman (2003 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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6.1% (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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250,000 (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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30,000 (2001 est.)
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Nationality:
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noun: Haitian(s)
adjective: Haitian
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Ethnic groups:
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black 95%, mulatto and white 5%
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982)
note: roughly half of the population also practices Voodoo
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Languages:
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French (official), Creole (official)
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 52.9%
male: 54.8%
female: 51.2% (2003 est.)
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Haiti
conventional short form: Haiti
local short form: Haiti
local long form: Republique d'Haiti
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Government type:
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elected government
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Capital:
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Port-au-Prince
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Administrative divisions:
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9 departments (departements, singular - departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand 'Anse, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est
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Independence:
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1 January 1804 (from France)
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 1 January (1804)
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Constitution:
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approved March 1987; suspended June 1988, with most articles reinstated March 1989; in October 1991, government claimed to be observing the constitution; return to constitutional rule, October 1994
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Legal system:
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based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE (since 7 February 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Yvon NEPTUNE (since 4 March 2002); note - former Prime Minister CHERESTAL resigned in January 2002
cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 26 November 2000 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president, ratified by the National Assembly
election results: Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE elected president; percent of vote - Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE 92%
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale consists of the Senate (27 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of Deputies (83 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held for two-thirds of seats 21 May 2000, with runoffs on 9 July boycotted by the opposition; seven seats still disputed; election for remaining one-third held on 26 November 2000 (next to be held NA 2002); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 May 2000, with runoffs on 30 July boycotted by the opposition; one vacant seat rerun 26 November 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FL 26, independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FL 73, MOCHRENA 3, PLB 2, OPL 1, vacant 1, other minor parties and independents 3
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation
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Political parties and leaders:
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Alliance for the Liberation and Advancement of Haiti or ALAH [Reynold GEORGES]; Assembly of Progressive National Democrats or RDNP [Leslie MANIGAT]; Convergence (opposition coalition composed of ESPACE, OPL, and MOCHRENA) [Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES, Evans PAUL, Luc MESADIEU, Victor BENOIT]; Democratic Consultation Group coalition or ESPACE [Evans PAUL, Victor BENOIT] composed of the following parties: National Congress of Democratic Movements or KONAKOM, National Progressive Revolutionary Party or PANPRA, Generation 2004, and Haiti Can; Haitian Christian Democratic Party or PDCH [Marie-France CLAUDE]; Haitian Democratic Party or PADEM [Clark PARENT]; Lavalas Family or FL [Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE]; Mobilization for National Development or MDN [Hubert DE RONCERAY]; Movement for National Reconstruction or MRN [Rene THEODORE]; Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti or MIDH [Marc BAZIN]; Movement for the Organization of the Country or MOP [Gesner COMEAU and Jean MOLIERE]; National Cooperative Action Movement or MKN [Volrick Remy JOSEPH]; National Front for Change and Democracy or FNCD [Evans PAUL and Turneb DELPE]; New Christian Movement for a New Haiti or MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU]; Open the Gate or PLB [Renaud BERNARDIN]; Struggling People's Organization or OPL [Gerard PIERRE-CHARLES]
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Autonomous Haitian Workers or CATH; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation of Workers Trade Unions or FOS; National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants Movement or MPP; Popular Organizations Gathering Power or PROP; Roman Catholic Church
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International organization participation:
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ACCT, ACP, Caricom, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chief of Mission Harry Frantz LEO
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
FAX: [1] (202) 745-7215
telephone: [1] (202) 332-4090
chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador James B. Foley
embassy: 5 Harry S Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince
mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince
telephone: [509] 222-0354, 222-0368, 222-0200, 222-0612
FAX: [509] 223-1641
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Flag description:
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two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which contains a palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength)
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Economy - overview:
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About 80% 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. Following legislative elections in May 2000, fraught with irregularities, international donors - including the US and EU - suspended almost all aid to Haiti. The economy shrank an estimated 1.2% in 2001 and an estimated 0.9% in 2002. The contraction will likely intensify in 2003 unless a political agreement with donors is reached on economic policy. Suspended aid and loan disbursements totaled more than $500 million at the start of 2003.
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $10.6 billion (2002 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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-0.9% (2002 est.)
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2002 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 30%
industry: 20%
services: 50% (2001 est.)
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Population below poverty line:
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80% (2002 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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11.9% (2001 est.)
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Labor force:
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3.6 million
note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1995)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 66%, services 25%, industry 9%
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Unemployment rate:
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widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs (2002 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: $273 million
expenditures: $361 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY 00/01 est.)
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Industries:
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sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light assembly industries based on imported parts
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA
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Electricity - production:
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580 million kWh (2001)
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 60.3%
hydro: 39.7%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0%
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Electricity - consumption:
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539.4 million kWh (2001)
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2001)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2001)
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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11,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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NA (2001)
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Oil - imports:
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NA (2001)
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Agriculture - products:
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coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum; wood
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Exports:
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$298 million f.o.b. (2002)
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Exports - commodities:
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manufactures, coffee, oils, cocoa
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Exports - partners:
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US 83.9%, Dominican Republic 6.6%, Canada 2.4% (2002)
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Imports:
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$1.14 billion c.i.f. (2002)
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Imports - commodities:
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food, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, raw materials
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Imports - partners:
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US 53.4%, Dominican Republic 5.3%, Colombia 3.4% (2002)
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Debt - external:
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$1.2 billion (1999)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$120 million (FY02)
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Currency:
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gourde (HTG)
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Currency code:
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HTG
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Exchange rates:
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gourdes per US dollar - 29.25 (2002), 24.43 (2001), 21.17 (2000), 16.94 (1999), 16.77 (1998)
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Fiscal year:
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1 October - 30 September
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Railways:
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total: 40 km
narrow gauge: 40 km 0.760-m gauge; single-track
note: privately owned industrial line; closed in early 1990s (2001 est.)
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Highways:
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total: 4,160 km
paved: 1,011 km
unpaved: 3,149 km (1999 est.)
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Waterways:
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NEGL; less than 100 km navigable
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Ports and harbors:
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Cap-Haitien, Gonaives, Jacmel, Jeremie, Les Cayes, Miragoane, Port-au-Prince, Port-de-Paix, Saint-Marc
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Merchant marine:
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none (2002 est.)
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Airports:
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12 (2002)
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 10
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 6 (2002)
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This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003
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