er: 4% (male 140,932; female 141,907) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.53% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 32.55 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 13.97 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 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 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 97.64 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 51.65 years
male: 49.53 years
female: 53.88 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.59 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Haitian(s)
adjective: Haitian

Ethnic groups: black 95%, mulatto plus white 5%

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

Languages: French (official) 20%, Creole

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 45%
male: 48%
female: 42.2% (1995 est.)

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

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)

Constitution: 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

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Rene Garcia PREVAL (since 7 February 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Rosny SMARTH resigned June 1997;
currently no prime minister; ratification of a new prime minister
held up in political gridlock stemming from controversy over the 6
April 1997 elections
cabinet: Cabinet; chosen by the prime minister in consultation w