Best Bitcoin Card for Haiti
The Republic of Haiti comprises the western third of the Antilles island of Hispaniola. Haiti borders the Dominican Republic to the east, the Caribbean Sea to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the north. In the west, the 95 km wide Windwardpassage separates Haiti from the island of Cuba. With an area of 27,750 km², the country is about as large as Albania. The national territory also includes the islands of Vache, Grande Cayemite, Gonâve and Ile de la Tortue (Tortuga).
Haiti is the most mountainous country in the Caribbean. Between the mountain ranges there are only a few larger plains, such as the Plaine du Nord and the approximately 300 m high Plateau Central in the south. Two peninsulas encompass the 120 km wide Gulf of Gonâve. The northern peninsula is crossed by the Massif du Nord, the southern by the Massif du Sud and the Massif de la Selle. Here lies the highest elevation of the country, the Pic de la Selle with 2 680 m.
The longest river in the country is the Artibonite, which rises in the Dominican Republic and flows into the Gulf of Gonâve after about 170 km. The Etang Soumâtre, a lake with a high salt content, lies in the Cul-de-Sac plain on the south-eastern border of Haiti. The capital Port-au-Prince is located at the southeast end of the Gulf of Gonâve.
Political System
Haiti is a presidential republic according to the current constitution of 1987 (repealed 1988-89, fully re-entered into force 1994). The head of state is the president elected by the people for five years (since May 2011 Michel Martelly). A second term of office immediately following is not possible. The president appoints the prime minister as head of government, who is normally the leader of the majority party in parliament (Evans Paul since December 2014).
The legislative power lies with the Parliament, which consists of two chambers: the House of Deputies, with 99 members elected by the people for a four-year term, and the Senate, with 30 members. Every two years, one third of the senators are re-elected and the term of office is six years. The legal system is based on the French model. Haiti is divided into ten départements.
Economy
Decades of dictatorship, corruption, civil wars and natural disasters such as the severe 2010 earthquake have brought Haiti to the brink of economic ruin. Almost 60% of the population live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate is estimated at 65%. This makes the republic the poorest country in the western world.
Almost two thirds of the working population are employed in agriculture. This sector accounts for almost 30 % of the gross domestic product. Subsistence farming predominates, with mangos, bananas, cassava, sweet potatoes, rice and millet being cultivated. Coffee and sugar cane are cultivated for export. Food must be imported on a large scale.
The industry is only weakly developed and concentrates on the processing of agricultural products (sugar refinery). Other sectors are textile, building materials and light industry (assembly of prefabricated parts). Tourism plays no role due to the tense political situation.
The USA is the most important trading partner for imports (food, fuels, industrial goods, machinery, vehicles) and exports (textiles, oils, cocoa, mangos, coffee). The road network covers a total of around 4,100 km, of which about a quarter is asphalted. The most important port is Port-au-Prince, where there is also an international airport.bCurrency is the Gourde (= 100 Centimes).