Haiti
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Port-au-Prince
- Population
- 11,898,812 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 27,750 sq km
- Government
- semi-presidential republic
- Religions
- Catholic 55%, Protestant 29%, Vodou 2.1%, other 4.6%, none 10% (2018 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Black 95%, mixed and White 5%
- Currency
- gourdes (HTG)
- Life Expectancy
- 65.6 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .ht
- Climate
- tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
- Terrain
- mostly rough and mountainous
- Natural Resources
- bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower, arable land
- Major Exports
- garments, essential oils, scrap iron, industrial acids/oils/alcohols, bedding (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
The native Taino -- who inhabited the island of Hispaniola when Christopher COLUMBUS first landed in 1492 -- were virtually wiped out by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola.