Martin's AP Human Geography

Geography

Region:  Caribbean

Area (square mi.): 27,750 sq km (147th biggest out of 249 in world)

Climate: tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds

Arable Land: 28.11%

Capital City: Port-au-Prince

Top 3 Cities:

1. Port-au-Prince
2. Cap-Haïtien
3. Gonaïves

Population

Population:   9,035,536 total pop.

Density:  936.410 (/mi2)

Migration Rate:  2.07 migrant(s)/1,000

Growth Rate:  1.838%

CBR:  29.1 births/1,000

TFR:3.81 children

IMR: 59.69 deaths/1,000  (37 of 224)

CDR:  8.65 deaths/1,000

% Urbanized:     47  %

Life Expectancy: 60.78   Rank:  181 of 224

AIDS rate:  approx 5%    Rank:  28th worst of 224

Literacy Rate:   (adults over 15)     52.9%

Health Issues:

• 1/2 children unvacciated
• 40% have access to health care
• 90% of children suffer waterborne illness & parasites

Language

Haitian Creole

French (spoken in professional sector)

Culture

Historical Influences:

• Haiti was discovered by Columbus
• 1600’s French import African slaves to work Haiti’s sugar and forest resources
• Culture mix of native Taino, French, and African elements.

Greeting: Alo (Hello)

Customs/Traditions:  greet everyone in room, new acq. get handshake, everyone else kiss on cheek

Food:  rice and beans every day, spicy foods popular, snack: bread & butter w/ jam, pork, goat, guinea pig, seafood

Haitian Food

Family: parents lived w/ married children, single mother household very common, divorce rate is high

Clothing: prefer western style clothing,  men – gold as status symbol.

Housing: built w/ whatever materials avail.

• primitive cinderblock, access to electricity & running water rare

Recreation: radios, love music, some have tv’s

• soccer, dominoes, cards popular

Religions: 80% Catholic, 16% Protestant

Haitian Vodou (voodoo) practiced in some degree by majority of Haitians (has legal status as religion)

Vodou is a religion that worships a deity, and tries to access family spirits through rituals whereby the spirits possess one’s body.  There is a moral code, priests, and an elaborate set of rituals.

Most voodooists believe that their religion can coexist with Catholicism.

Ethnicity

Black 95% – Mulatto and white 5%

Economy

Currency: Gourde

GDP (ppp)   14.475 Billion          World Rank: 112 of 163

GDP (ppp) per capita:$1,782.20 World Rank: 132 of 163

HDI Status:   0.532

HDI World Rank: Medium Dev. 149 of 182

Labor %: Agric.: 28        Indust.:   20      Services:  52

Unempl: N/A very high

% Below Poverty: 80%

Happy Planet Index:  50.8

HPI World Rank: 42 of 143

Politics

Type of govt.: Parliamentary Republic

Legal System: based on Roman civil law system

Freedom House Pol. Rights Score:    4

Civil Rights Score:   5

Freedom Index (circle):    Partly Free

Press Freedom (circle):    Partly Free

Corruption Perception Index: 1.8        World Rank: 168th worst of 180

Domestic/Regional Pol. Conflicts:

• history of pol. violence
• Feb. 2004 armed rebellion forces resig. of Pres. Aristide.
• 2006 democratically elected Pres.
• slums of Port-au-Prince called “the most dangerous place on Earth” by United Nations.

Current Issues

Jan 12th 7.0 Mag. earthquake.  Estimates of dead from 150,000 – 300,000.

Much of country destroyed

1925 – 60% forestest – today less than 2% forest remains