Geography of Haiti
Map of Haiti
This article describes 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 km²
- Land: 27,560 km²
- Water: 190 km²
- Area--comparative:
- Slightly smaller than Maryland
- Land boundaries:
- Total: 360 km
- Border countries: Dominican Republic 360 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: 20.32%
- Permanent crops: 12.7%
- Other: 66.98% (1998 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
- 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)
See also: Haiti
Categories: Geography by country