Geography of Haiti

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Map of Haiti.
Map of Haiti.
Topography of Hispaniola
Topography of Hispaniola

The nation of Haiti comprises the western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, west of the Dominican Republic and between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. Haiti's geographic coordinates are at a longitude of 72° 25′ west and a latitude of 19° 00′ north. The total area is 27,750km,² of which 27,560km² is land and 190km² is water. This makes Haiti slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Maryland. Haiti has 1,771km of coastline and a 360km-border with the Dominican Republic.

Haiti's lowest elevation is at sea level; its highest point is Pic la Selle at 2,680 m. There are no navigable rivers; the largest lake is Etang Saumâtre, a salt-water body located in the southern region.

Maritime claims
Climate
Tropical; semiarid where mountains in east cut off trade winds
Terrain
Mostly rough and mountainous
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

[edit] See also

In other languages