azards: lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and
subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding
and earthquakes; periodic droughts
international agreements: party to - Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear
Test Ban

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

People
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Population: 6,731,539 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 46% (male 1,568,943; female 1,523,406)
15-64 years: 50% (male 1,614,679; female 1,758,388)
65 years and over: 4% (male 132,460; female 133,663) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.77% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 38.15 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 15.96 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.52 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 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
all ages: 0.97 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 103.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 49.26 years
male: 47.26 years
female: 51.35 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.69 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Haitian(s)
adjective: Haitian

Ethnic divisions: black 95%, mulatto and European 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: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 45%
male: 48%
female: 42.2%

Government
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Name of country:
conventional long form: Republic of Haiti
conventional short form: Haiti
local long form: Republique d'Haiti
local short form: Haiti

Data code: HA

Type of government: republic

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: 1 January 1804 (from France)

National holiday: Independence Day, 1 January (1804)

Const