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 use 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
signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban

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

@Haiti:People

Population: 6,611,407 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 1,451,550; female 1,409,056)
15-64 years : 53% (male 1,668,670; female 1,811,957)
65 years and over: 4% (male 134,366; female 135,808) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.39% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 33.12 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 15.25 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years : 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.99 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 102.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 49.49 years
male : 47.45 years
female: 51.63 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.76 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Haitian(s)
adjective: Haitian

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
total population: 45%
male: 48%
female: 42.2% (1995 est.)

@Haiti:Government

Country name:
conventional long form : Republic of Haiti
conventional short form: Haiti
local long form: Republique d'Haiti
local short form: Haiti

Data code: HA

Government type: republic

National capital: Port-au-Prince

Administrative divisions: 9 departments, (departements, singular -
departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand'Anse, Nord, Nord-Est,
Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est

Independence: