Haiti Guardian Angel

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map of HaitiHaiti Bref Histoire
PORT-AU-PRINCE, 16 fév 2006 (AFP) - La République d'Haïti, sous assistance militaire et économique, est dirigée depuis février 2004 par un gouvernement de transition.

  - Situation Geographique: Haïti (27.750 km2) se partage dans les Caraïbes l'île d'Hispaniola avec la République Dominicaine. Le pays est à moins de 80 km de Cuba et à quelque 1.000 km de Miami (Etats-Unis).

  - Population: 8,3 millions d'habitants, incluant 95% de Noirs, descendants d'esclaves africains, et 5% de mulâtres et de blancs. Taux d'alphabétisation: 45%. Espérance de vie: environ 50 ans.

  - Capitale: Port-au-Prince (2,3 millions d'habitants). Autres villes importantes: Cap-Haïtien (nord), Gonaïves (nord-ouest), Cayes (sud), Jacmel (sud-est).

  - Langues: français et créole.

  - Religion: catholicisme (majoritaire), protestantisme, vaudou.

  - Historique: sous domination espagnole jusqu'en 1697, puis française, Haïti devient la première république noire indépendante en 1804 après la défaite du corps expéditionnaire de Napoléon Bonaparte qui voulait y rétablir l'esclavage aboli par la Révolution française.

Entre 1915 et 1934: occupation militaire américaine, combattue par une guérilla paysanne. De 1957 à 1986: dictature de François Duvalier, puis de son fils Jean-Claude. En 1990, le prêtre Jean Bertrand Aristide est élu lors de la première élection libre au suffrage universel. En décembre 1991, il est renversé par un coup d'Etat militaire et s'exile. Il regagne Haïti en 1994 après une intervention militaire américaine. Un de ses proches, René Préval, prend la présidence en 1996. Aristide redevient président en février 2001 après un scrutin boycotté par l'opposition. Sous la pression des Etats-Unis, de la France et du Canada, et d'une insurrection armée, il démissionne en février 2004 et s'exile en Afrique du Sud. Quelque 7.500 Casques bleus et policiers internationaux tentent de stabiliser depuis juin 2004 le pays, dirigé par un gouvernement de transition.

  - Systeme Politique: Depuis la Constitution de 1987, régime semi-présidentiel avec un Premier ministre issu de la majorité parlementaire au Sénat et à la Chambre des députés. Le président est élu au suffrage universel pour un mandat de 5 ans.

  - Economie: 80% de la population vit sous le seuil de pauvreté.

  - Ressources: Agriculture (canne à sucre, bananes, café, mangues). Pêche. Elevage. Industrie d'assemblage (électronique et textiles).

map of Haiti   - Chomage: 65%.

  - PNB: 390 dollars par habitant en 2004.

  - Dette Exterieure: plus d'1,3 milliard de dollars.

  - Forces Armees: L'armée haïtienne a été dissoute en 1994. La police compte quelque 5.300 hommes.

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map of HaitiHaiti Brief History
-Background: 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. It is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

-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:
Total: 27,750 sq km, Land: 27,560 sq km , Water: 190 sq km.

-Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Maryland

-Natural resources: bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower

-Land use: arable land: 28.3% permanent crops: 11.61% other: 60.09% (2001)

-Irrigated land: 750 sq km (1998 est.)

-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

-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

-Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes

-Geography - note: shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)

-Population: 8,121,622 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 2005 est.)

-Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.6% (male 1,741,622/female 1,721,436) 15-64 years: 53.9% (male 2,137,225/female 2,242,639) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 124,383/female 154,317) (2005 est.)

-Median age: total: 18.03 years male: 17.63 years female: 18.44 years (2005 est.)

-Population growth rate: 2.26% (2005 est.)

-Birth rate: 36.59 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

-Death rate: 12.34 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

-Net migration rate: -1.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

-Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

-Infant mortality rate: total: 73.45 deaths/1,000 live births male: 79.92 deaths/1,000 live births female: 66.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

-Life expectancy at birth: total population: 52.92 years male: 51.58 years female: 54.31 years (2005 est.)

-Total fertility rate: 5.02 children born/woman (2005 est.)

-HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 5.6% (2003 est.)

-HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 280,000 (2003 est.)

-HIV/AIDS - deaths: 24,000 (2003 est.)

-Nationality: noun: Haitian(s) adjective: Haitian

-Ethnic groups: black 95%, mulatto and white 5%

-Religions: Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982) note: roughly half of the population practices Voodoo

-Languages: French (official), Creole (official)

-Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 52.9% male: 54.8% female: 51.2% (2003 est.)

-Capital: Port-au-Prince Administrative divisions: 10 departments (departements, singular - departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand 'Anse, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est, Nippes

-Independence: 1 January 1804 (from France)

-National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1804)

-Constitution: approved March 1987; suspended June 1988 with most articles reinstated March 1989; in October 1991 government claimed to be observing the constitution; returned to constitutional rule in October 1994

-Legal system: based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

-Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

-Executive branch: chief of state: Interim President Boniface ALEXANDRE (since 29 February 2004) note: Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE resigned as president on 29 February 2004; ALEXANDRE, as Chief of the Supreme Court, constitutionally succeeded Aristide head of government: Interim Prime Minister Gerald LATORTUE (since 12 March 2004), chosen by extraconstitutional Council of Eminent Persons representing cross-section of political and civic interests 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 in November 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%

-Economy - overview: In this poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, 80% of the population lives in abject poverty, and natural disasters frequently sweep the nation. Two-thirds of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming. Following legislative elections in May 2000, fraught with irregularities, international donors - including the US and EU - suspended almost all aid to Haiti. The economy grew 3.5% in 2005. Suspended aid and loan disbursements totaled more than $500 million at the start of 2003. Haiti suffers from rampant inflation, a lack of investment, and a severe trade deficit. Civil strife in 2004 combined with extensive damage from flooding in southern Haiti in May 2004 and Tropical Storm Jeanne in northwestern Haiti in September 2004 further impoverished Haiti. In early 2005 Haiti paid its arrears to the World Bank, paving the way to reengagement with the Bank. The resumption of aid flows from all donors is alleviating but not ending the nation's bitter economic problems.

-GDP (purchasing power parity): $12.94 billion (2005 est.)

-GDP (official exchange rate): $5.191 billion (2005 est.)

-GDP - real growth rate: 3.5% (2005 est.)

-GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2005 est.)

-GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 30% industry: 20% services: 50% (2001 est.)

-Labor force: 3.6 million note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1995)

-Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 66%, industry 9%, services 25%

-Unemployment rate: widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs (2002 est.)

-Population below poverty line: 80% (2003 est.)

-Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

-Inflation rate (consumer prices): 13.3% (2005 est.)

-Investment (gross fixed): 27.4% of GDP (2004 est.)

-Budget: revenues: $400 million expenditures: $600.8 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2005 est.)

-Agriculture - products: coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum, wood

-Industries: sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light assembly industries based on imported parts

-Current account balance: $34.08 million (2005 est.)

-Exports: $390.7 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

-Exports - partners: US 81.2%, Dominican Republic 7.3%, Canada 4.1% (2004)

-Imports: $1.471 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

-Imports - partners: US 34.8%, Netherlands Antilles 18%, Malaysia 5.1%, Colombia 4.7% (2004)

-Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $95.26 million (2005 est.)

-Debt - external: $1.3 billion (2005 est.)

-Economic aid - recipient: $150 million (FY04 est.)

-Currency (code): gourde (HTG)

-Exchange rates: gourdes per US dollar - 39.14 (2005), 38.352 (2004), 42.367 (2003), 29.251 (2002), 24.429 (2001)

-Telephones - main lines in use: 130,000 (2002)

-Telephones - mobile cellular: 140,000 (2002)

-Telephone system: general assessment: domestic facilities barely adequate; international facilities slightly better domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service international: country code - 509; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

-Radio broadcast stations: AM 41, FM 26, shortwave 0 (1999)

-Television broadcast stations: 2 (plus a cable TV service) (1997)

-Internet country code: .ht

-Internet hosts: NA

-Internet users: 80,000 (2002)

-Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 7 (2005 est.)

-Roadways: total: 4,160 km paved: 1,011 km unpaved: 3,149 km (1999)

-Ports and terminals: Cap-Haitien ). map of Haiti

-Disputes - international: since 2004, about 8,000 peacekeepers from the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) maintain civil order in Haiti; despite efforts to control illegal migration, Haitians fleeing economic privation and civil unrest continue to cross into Dominican Republic and to sail to neighboring countries; Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island

-Illicit drugs: major Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and Europe; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions; pervasive corruption.

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