Short facts about the geography of Haiti

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:

Central America and the Caribbean

Area:

total:  27,750 sq km land:  27,560 sq km water:  190 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Maryland

Land boundaries:

total:  275 km border countries:  Dominican Republic 275 km

Coastline:

1,771 km

Maritime claims:

contiguous zone:  24 NM continental shelf:  to depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone:  200 NM territorial sea:  12 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:  20% permanent crops:  13% permanent pastures:  18% forests and woodland:  5% other:  44% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:

750 sq km (1993 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, Nuclear Test Ban

Geography - note:

shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)

Source: World Factbook