Haiti's Geography | Haiti Geography

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: 360 km border countries: Dominican Republic 360 km

Coastline: 1,771 km

Maritime claims: Territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: to depth of exploitation

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: 28.3% permanent crops: 11.61% other: 60.09% (2001)

Irrigated land: 750 sq km (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, 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)

---