Geography

• Total Area: Just slightly smaller than Maryland at 17,243 square miles
• Borders: The Dominican Republic
• Climate: Mostly tropical, but semi-arid where mountains cut off trade winds
• Percentage of land fit for cultivation: 28.8%
• Natural Hazards: Lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and is subject to severe storms from June to October.
• Environmental Issues: Severe deforestation, soil erosion, and lack of portable water.

People

• Population: 9,035,536
• Age Divisions:  0-14 years/38.1%   15-64 years/58.5%  65+ years/3.4%
• Median Age: 20.2 years
• Infant Mortality Rate:  59.69 deaths per 1,000 live births
• Life Expectancy: 60.8 years
• HIV Prevalence Rate: 2.2%
• Major Infectious Diseases: Bacterial diarrhea, Hepatitis A, Typhoid Fever, Dengue Fever, Malaria, and Tuberculosis.
• Language: Creole
• Literacy Rate: 52.9%

Economy

• GDP (Purchasing Power): $11.59 billion
• GDP (Real Growth Rate):  2.3%
• GDP (Per Capita): $1,300
• Labor Force: 3.6 million
• Labor Force (Occupation): Agriculture/66%  Industry/9%  Services/25%
• Unemployment Rate:  2/3 of labor force do not have formal jobs
• Distribution of Family Income: 59.2%
• Budget: Revenues/$820.6 million    Expenditures/$965.2 million
• Agriculture Products: Coffee, Mangoes, Sugarcane, Rice, Corn, and wood.
• Industries: Sugar Refining, Flour Milling, Textiles, Cement, and Light Assembly.
• Electricity (Consumption): 330 million kWh
• Oil (Consumption): 12,370 bbl/day
• External Debt: $1.463 billion
• Exchange Rates: Gourdes per US Dollar: 39.216

Communications

• Telphone Lines: 108,300
• Cellular Phones: 2.5 million
• Radio Stations: AM 41, FM 26, and Shortwave 0
• Television Stations: 2 (plus a cable TV service)
• Internet Hosts: 7
• Internet Users: 1 million

Transportations

• Airports: 14 (4 with paved runways)
• Roadways: 2,584.9 miles (628.2 paved)