These people, many of whom farm small plots of poor mountain land, are often malnourished. Infant mortality is 74 per 1,000 births, life expectancy at birth is only 52 years, and the incidence of diseaseshas access to safe drinking water, and only 28 percent has access to sanitary sewer systems. A Haitians live in poverty with little education, few opportunities for employment, and limited political influence.
Most of Haiti's farmers work subsistence plots of land that produce small amounts of cash crops. Soil erosion and overworked land are major agricultural problems, while hurricanes and drought have also taken their toll. Coffee, sugarcane, sisal, and fruit are the major commercial crops, while beans, rice, corn, and sorghum are the main food crops. Coffee is the major agricultural export. Chickens are the most common livestock, but cattle, goats,and pigs are also raised.
Basic Haitian Word List
hello (a.m.)... bonjou
hello (p.m.)... bonswa
goodbye... orevwa, babay
please... souple
thank you... mesi
you're welcome... padikwa
excuse me... eskize-m, padon
My name is ____..... Mwen rele _____.
I am fine... Mw en bien
How much is that?... Konbien sa?
Where do you live... Kote ou rele
Do you know Jesus?... Eske ou konne Jezu
Jesus loves you... Jezu renmen ou.
I will pray for you... Ma prie pou ou
God bless you... Bon-Die beni ou
Praise the Lord... Beni swa léternel
How do you say ____?... Douman ou di_____?
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes
Geography - note: shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic)
People
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
Ethnic groups:
black 95%, mulatto and white 5%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3%
note: roughly half of the population practices voodoo
- written by Children's Lifeline