Location | |
Flag | |
Quick Facts | |
Capital | Port-au-Prince (Haitian Creole: Pòtoprens) |
Government | Elected government |
Currency | Gourde (HTG) |
Area | 27,750 km2 |
Population | 8,308,504(July 2006 est.) |
Language | French, Creole, Spanish |
Religion | Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16%, but much of the population also practices voodoo |
Electricity | 110/60Hz (USA Plug) |
Calling Code | 509 |
Internet TLD | .ht |
Time Zone | UTC-5 |
WARNING: Effects of the January 2010 earthquake, political tension, and high crime have resulted in travel advisories being issued by foreign governments. Infrastructure may be damaged or inadequate, and looting, intermittent roadblocks set by armed gangs, violent crime including kidnapping, car-jacking, and assault remain commonplace. In addition, a cholera pestilence threatens Port-au-Prince as of October 2010. |
Haiti (Haitian Creole: Ayiti, French: Haïti) is a Caribbean country that occupies the western one-third of the island of Hispaniola. The eastern two-thirds of Hispaniola is occupied by the Dominican Republic. The North Atlantic Ocean lies to the north, while the Caribbean Sea lies to the south. Haiti is a country with a troubled past, and its future still remains uncertain. Decades of poverty, environmental degradation, violence, instability, dictatorship, and coups have left it the poorest nation in the western hemisphere.