Haiti (2004) | Bhutan (2001) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Administrative divisions | 9 departments (departements, singular - departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand 'Anse, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est | 18 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Daga, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang
note: there may be two new districts named Gasa and Yangtse |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 42.2% (male 1,646,216; female 1,583,294)
15-64 years: 54.1% (male 2,018,914; female 2,124,287) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 133,241; female 150,214) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years:
39.99% (male 424,832; female 394,725) 15-64 years: 56.05% (male 591,152; female 557,498) 65 years and over: 3.96% (male 41,125; female 40,080) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coffee, mangoes, sugarcane, rice, corn, sorghum, wood | rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs |
Airports | 12 (2003 est.) | 2 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
total:
1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 27,750 sq km
land: 27,560 sq km water: 190 sq km |
total:
47,000 sq km land: 47,000 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maryland | about half the size of Indiana |
Background | The native Arawak Amerindians - who inhabited the island of Hispaniola when it was discovered by Columbus in 1492 - were virtually annihilated by Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early 17th century, the French established a presence on Hispaniola, and in 1697, Spain ceded to the French the western third of the island - Haiti. The French colony, based on forestry and sugar-related industries, became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean, but only through the heavy importation of African slaves and considerable environmental degradation. In the late 18th century, Haiti's nearly half million slaves revolted under Toussaint L'OUVERTURE and after a prolonged struggle, became the first black republic to declare its independence in 1804. Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history. It is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. | Under British influence a monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later a treaty was signed whereby the country became a British protectorate. Independence was attained in 1949, with India subsequently guiding foreign relations and supplying aid. A refugee issue of some 100,000 Bhutanese in Nepal remains unresolved; 90% of these displaced persons are housed in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps. Maoist Assamese separatists from India, who have established themselves in the southeast portion of Bhutan, have drawn Indian cross-border incursions. |
Birth rate | 33.76 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 35.73 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $231.6 million
expenditures: $366.7 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.) |
revenues:
$146 million expenditures: $152 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY95/96 est.) note: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of Bhutan's budget expenditures |
Capital | Port-au-Prince | Thimphu |
Climate | tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds | varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas |
Coastline | 1,771 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | approved March 1987; suspended June 1988 with most articles reinstated March 1989; in October 1991 government claimed to be observing the constitution; returned to constitutional rule in October 1994 | no written constitution or bill of rights; note - Bhutan uses 1953 Royal decree for the Constitution of the National Assembly; on 7 July 1998, a Royal edict was ratified giving the National Assembly additional powers |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Haiti
conventional short form: Haiti local long form: Republique d'Haiti local short form: Haiti |
conventional long form:
Kingdom of Bhutan conventional short form: Bhutan |
Currency | gourde (HTG) | ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR) |
Death rate | 13.21 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 14.03 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $1.2 billion (1999) | $120 million (1998) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador James B. FOLEY
embassy: 5 Harry S Truman Boulevard, Port-au-Prince mailing address: P. O. Box 1761, Port-au-Prince telephone: [509] 222-0354, 222-0269, 222-0200, 222-0327 FAX: [509] 223-1641 or 222-0200 ext 460 |
the US and Bhutan have no formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassy in New Delhi (India) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Charge d'Affaires Raymond JOSEPH (as of November 2004)
chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-4090 FAX: [1] (202) 745-7215 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) |
none; note - Bhutan has a Permanent Mission to the UN; address: 2 United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone [1] (212) 826-1919; the Bhutanese mission to the UN has consular jurisdiction in the US
consulate(s) general: New York |
Disputes - international | despite efforts to control illegal migration, Haitians fleeing economic privation and civil unrest continue to cross into Dominican Republic and to sail to neighboring countries; Haiti claims US-administered Navassa Island | refugee issue over the presence in Nepal of approximately 98,700 Bhutanese refugees, 90% of whom are in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps |
Economic aid - recipient | $120 million (FY02) | $73.8 million (1995) |
Economy - overview | In this poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, 80% of the population lives in abject poverty. Two-thirds of all Haitians depend on the agriculture sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming. Following legislative elections in May 2000, fraught with irregularities, international donors - including the US and EU - suspended almost all aid to Haiti. The economy shrank an estimated 1.2% in 2001 and an estimated 0.9% in 2002. Suspended aid and loan disbursements totaled more than $500 million at the start of 2003. Haiti also suffers from rampant inflation, a lack of investment, and a severe trade deficit. The resumption of aid flows from all donors will alleviate but not end the nation's bitter economic problems. Extensive civil strife in early 2004, marked by the flight of President ARISTIDE, further impoverished Haiti. | The economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main livelihood for more than 90% of the population. Agriculture consists largely of subsistence farming and animal husbandry. Rugged mountains dominate the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. The economy is closely aligned with India's through strong trade and monetary links. The industrial sector is technologically backward, with most production of the cottage industry type. Most development projects, such as road construction, rely on Indian migrant labor. Bhutan's hydropower potential and its attraction for tourists are key resources. The Bhutanese Government has made some progress in expanding the nation's productive base and improving social welfare. Model education, social, and environment programs in Bhutan are underway with support from multilateral development organizations. Each economic program takes into account the government's desire to protect the country's environment and cultural traditions. Detailed controls and uncertain policies in areas like industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment. |
Electricity - consumption | 539.4 million kWh (2001) | 191.1 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 1.55 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 15 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 580 million kWh (2001) | 1.856 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
0.05% hydro: 99.95% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m |
lowest point:
Drangme Chhu 97 m highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m |
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 | soil erosion; limited access to 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 |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Ethnic groups | black 95%, mulatto and white 5% | Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35%, indigenous or migrant tribes 15% |
Exchange rates | gourdes per US dollar - 40.5 (2003), 29.2505 (2002), 24.4291 (2001), 21.1707 (2000), 16.9379 (1999) | ngultrum per US dollar - 46.540 (January 2001), 44.942 (2000), 43.055 (1999), 41.259 (1998), 36.313 (1997), 35.433 (1996); note - the Bhutanese ngultrum is at par with the Indian rupee which is also legal tender |
Executive branch | chief of state: Interim President Boniface ALEXANDRE (since 29 February 2004)
note: Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE resigned as president on 29 February 2004; ALEXANDRE, as Chief of the Supreme Court, constitutionally succeeded Aristide head of government: Interim Prime Minister Gerald LATORTUE (since 12 March 2004), chosen by extraconstitutional Council of Eminent Persons representing cross-section of political and civic interests cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 26 November 2000 (next to be held in November 2005); prime minister appointed by the president, ratified by the National Assembly election results: Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE elected president; percent of vote - Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE 92% |
chief of state:
King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972) head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Sangay NGEDUP (since NA 1999) cabinet: Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog) nominated by the monarch, approved by the National Assembly; members serve fixed, five-year terms; note - there is also a Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde), members nominated by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary, but democratic reforms in July 1998 give the National Assembly authority to remove the monarch with two-thirds vote |
Exports | NA (2001) | $154 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | manufactures, coffee, oils, cocoa | cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, electricity (to India), precious stones, spices |
Exports - partners | US 83.8%, Dominican Republic 6.5%, Canada 3.2% (2003) | India 94%, Bangladesh |
Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which contains a palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength) | divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper triangle is yellow and the lower triangle is orange; centered along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from the hoist side |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $12.3 billion (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $2.3 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 30%
industry: 20% services: 50% (2001 est.) |
agriculture:
38% industry: 37% services: 25% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 0% (2003 est.) | 6% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 19 00 N, 72 25 W | 27 30 N, 90 30 E |
Geography - note | shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican Republic (western one-third is Haiti, eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic) | landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes |
Highways | total: 4,160 km
paved: 1,011 km unpaved: 3,149 km (1999 est.) |
total:
3,285 km paved: 1,994 km unpaved: 1,291 km (1996) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | major Caribbean transshipment point for cocaine en route to the US and Europe; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor Haiti for illicit financial transactions; pervasive corruption | - |
Imports | NA (2001) | $269 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | food, manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, fuels, raw materials | fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice |
Imports - partners | US 53.5%, Dominican Republic 5.9%, Colombia 2.9% (2003) | India 77%, Japan, UK, Germany, US |
Independence | 1 January 1804 (from France) | 8 August 1949 (from India) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA | 9.3% (1996 est.) |
Industries | sugar refining, flour milling, textiles, cement, light assembly industries based on imported parts | cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide |
Infant mortality rate | total: 74.38 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 79.83 deaths/1,000 live births female: 68.65 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
108.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 37.8% (2003 est.) | 7% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, Caricom, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, MIGA, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, Intelsat, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | NA |
Irrigated land | 750 sq km (1998 est.) | 340 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation | Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch) |
Labor force | 3.6 million
note: shortage of skilled labor, unskilled labor abundant (1995) |
NA
note: massive lack of skilled labor |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 66%, industry 9%, services 25% | agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and commerce 2% |
Land boundaries | total: 360 km
border countries: Dominican Republic 360 km |
total:
1,075 km border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km |
Land use | arable land: 28.3%
permanent crops: 11.61% other: 60.09% (2001) |
arable land:
2% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 6% forests and woodland: 66% other: 26% (1993 est.) |
Languages | French (official), Creole (official) | Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects |
Legal system | based on Roman civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | bicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale consists of the Senate (27 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms; one-third elected every two years) and the Chamber of Deputies (83 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms); note - the National Assembly stopped functioning in January 2004 when the terms of all Deputies and two-thirds of sitting Senators expired; no replacements have been elected; the Prime Minister is currently ruling by decree
elections: Senate - last held for two-thirds of seats 21 May 2000 with runoffs on 9 July boycotted by the opposition; seven seats still disputed; election for remaining one-third held on 26 November 2000 (next to be held in 2004); Chamber of Deputies - last held 21 May 2000 with runoffs on 30 July boycotted by the opposition; one vacant seat rerun 26 November 2000 (next to be held in November 2005) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FL 26, independent 1; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FL 73, MOCHRENA 3, PLB 2, OPL 1, vacant 1, other minor parties and independents 3 |
unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150 seats; 105 elected from village constituencies, 10 represent religious bodies, and 35 are designated by the monarch to represent government and other secular interests; members serve three-year terms)
elections: last held NA (next to be held NA) election results: NA |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 51.78 years
male: 50.52 years female: 53.12 years (2004 est.) |
total population:
52.79 years male: 53.16 years female: 52.41 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 52.9% male: 54.8% female: 51.2% (2003 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 42.2% male: 56.2% female: 28.1% (1995 est.) |
Location | Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic | Southern Asia, between China and India |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: to depth of exploitation |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | none | - |
Military branches | Haitian National Police (HNP)
note: the regular Haitian Army, Navy, and Air Force have been demobilized but still exist on paper until or unless they are constitutionally abolished |
Royal Bhutan Army, National Militia, Royal Bhutan Police, Royal Body Guards, Forest Guards (paramilitary) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $25.8 million (2003) | $NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.9% (2003) | NA% |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 1,792,112 (2004 est.) | males age 15-49:
504,342 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 975,341 (2004 est.) | males age 15-49:
269,251 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 97,429 (2004 est.) | males:
21,167 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 1 January (1804) | National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907) |
Nationality | noun: Haitian(s)
adjective: Haitian |
noun:
Bhutanese (singular and plural) adjective: Bhutanese |
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 | violent storms coming down from the Himalayas are the source of the country's name which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy season |
Natural resources | bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower | timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide |
Net migration rate | -3.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Alliance for the Liberation and Advancement of Haiti or ALAH [Reynold GEORGES]; Assembly of Progressive National Democrats or RDNP [Leslie MANIGAT]; Convention for Democratic Unity or KID [leader Evans PAUL]; Democratic Convergence (opposition coalition composed of KID, KONAKOM, OPL, PANPRA, RNDP, MIDH, and MOCHRENA) [Evans PAUL, Victor BENOIT, Edgard LEBLANC, Serge GILLES, Leslie MANIGAT, Marc BAZIN, Luc MESADIEU]; Democratic Movement for the Liberation of Haiti or MODELH [Francois LATORTUE]; Grand Center Right Front coalition (composed of MDN, MRN, and PDCH) [Hubert de RONCERAY, Jean BUTEAU, Osner FEVRY and Marie-Denise CLAUDE]; Haitian Christian Democratic Party or PDCH [Osner FEVRY and Marie-Denise CLAUDE]; Haitian Democratic Party or PADEMH [Clark PARENT]; Haitian Democratic and Reform Movement or MODEREH [Dany TOUSSAINT and Pierre Soncon PRINCE]; Heads Together [Dr. Gerard BLOT]; Lavalas Family or FL [Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE]; Liberal Party of Haiti or PLH [Michael MADSEN]; Mobilization for National Development or MDN [Hubert DE RONCERAY]; Movement for National Reconstruction or MRN [Jean BUTEAU]; Movement for the Installation of Democracy in Haiti or MIDH [Marc BAZIN]; National Front for the Reconstruction of Haiti or FRON [Guy PHILIPPE and Winter ETIENNE]; National Progressive Democratic Party or PNDPH [Turneb DELPE]; New Christian Movement for a New Haiti or MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU]; Popular Party for the Renewal of Haiti, or Generation 2000 [Claude ROMAIN and Daniel SUPPLICE]; Struggling People's Organization or OPL [Edgard LEBLANC] | no legal parties |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Autonomous Organizations of Haitian Workers or CATH [Fignole ST-CYR]; Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH; Federation of Workers Trade Unions or FOS; Group of 184 Civil Society Organization, or G-184 [Andy APAID]; National Popular Assembly or APN; Papaye Peasants Movement or MPP [Chavannes JEAN-BAPTISTE]; Popular Organizations Gathering Power or PROP; Roman Catholic Church | Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled) |
Population | 7,656,166
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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.) |
2,049,412 (July 2001 est.)
note: other estimates range as low as 800,000 |
Population below poverty line | 80% (2003 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 1.71% (2004 est.) | 2.17% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Cap-Haitien, Gonaives, Jacmel, Jeremie, Les Cayes, Miragoane, Port-au-Prince, Port-de-Paix, Saint-Marc | none |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 41, FM 26, shortwave 0 (1999) | AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Radios | - | 37,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | Roman Catholic 80%, Protestant 16% (Baptist 10%, Pentecostal 4%, Adventist 1%, other 1%), none 1%, other 3% (1982)
note: roughly half of the population practices Voodoo |
Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | each family has one vote in village-level elections |
Telephone system | general assessment: domestic facilities barely adequate; international facilities slightly better
domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunk service international: country code - 509; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment:
NA domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with few telephones in use international: international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 130,000 (2002) | 6,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 140,000 (2002) | NA |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (plus a cable TV service) (1997) | 0 (1997) |
Terrain | mostly rough and mountainous | mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna |
Total fertility rate | 4.76 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 5.07 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | widespread unemployment and underemployment; more than two-thirds of the labor force do not have formal jobs (2002 est.) | NA% |
Waterways | - | none |