Haiti Geography:
Location:
Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic
Geographic coordinates:
19 00 N, 72 25 W
Map references:
Area:
total:
27,750 sq km
land:
27,560 sq km
water:
190 sq km
Area - comparative:
Slightly smaller than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 360 km
border countries: Dominican Republic 360 km
Coastline:
1,771 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: to depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate:
Tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
Terrain:
Mostly rough and mountainous
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m
Natural resources:
Bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 28.3%
permanent crops: 11.61%
other: 60.09%
(2001)
Irrigated land:
750 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject 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 used 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, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes (not ratified)
Geography - Note:
Shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic) |
