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lng Va ell el a en ee, | NV LF AY ITT AW Centre De Formation Technique Pour L’Avancement Des Jeunes Du Sud’Est Inc. Country Profile Background General Geographical and Macroeconomic Situation Haiti (Republic of Haiti) is located on the western part of the island of Hispaniola (Greater Antillean archipelago in the Caribbean Sea). Haiti shares the island with the Dominican Republic. The geographical characteristics are follows: e Area: total: 27,750 sq km; land - 27,560 sq km; water - 190 sq km; e Area—comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland e Climate: tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds e Terrain: mostly rough and mountainous e Natural resources: bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower e Items imported: Haitian rum, beer, cigars, furniture, etc. e Literacy rate - 53 percent e Land use: arable land- 20% permanent crops - 3%; permanent pastures - 18%; forests and woodland- 5%; other- 44%. e Natural hazards: lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodic droughts; e Environment—current issues: extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel); soil erosion; inadequate supplies of potable water e Environment—international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life e More than two-thirds of the population live on less than $1 per day e Approximately 58 percent of the population is less than 25 years old. e Haiti ranks 154 of 177 countries in the UN's Human Development Index (CIA, 2010; USAID, 2009; The World Bank, 2010). Light manufactures ($165.1 million); fuel and lubricants ($651.8 million), essential oils ($17.8), mango ($10.0 million), cacao ($7.4 million) were the main exports. U.S. (69%), Dominican Republic (10.2%), Canada (3%), and Mexico (2.8%) were the main countries of exports. U.S. (43.8%), China (5.4%), Brazil (4.1%), Colombia (2.9%) were the main countries of import to Haiti in 2008. The country had mainly imported fuel and lubricants ($651.8 million), food ($616.9 million), manufactured goods ($242.7 million), and machinery/ transport equipment ($187.7 million) (CFI, 2009). PO Box 666 Brentwood, NY 11717 © Phone (631) 273-4100 © Fax (631) 273-4111 © yair@cefotaj.org © Wwww.cefotaj.org HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019452