In the late 18th century, Haiti's nearly half-million slaves revolted and became the first black republic to declare its independence from France on January 1, 1804. Haiti has been plagued by political violence for most of its history. Haiti is only 700 miles off the coast of Florida, an island with a land mass smaller than the state of Maryland, with a population of 8,924,553. Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. With an average daily wage equivalent to one U.S. dollar, 80% of the population lives under the poverty line with 54% living in abject poverty. Two-thirds of all Haitians depend on the agricultural sector, mainly small-scale subsistence farming. Haiti remains vulnerable to damage from frequent hurricanes, tropical storms, and subsequent flooding, which is exacerbated by the country's widespread deforestation. The literacy rate of those over 15 years of age in this Creole speaking country is only 52.9%. HIV/AIDS, food and waterborne diseases are high risk factors for Haitians, with 5.6% of the population infected with HIV/AIDS. With the lack of basic sanitation and only one-third of the population having access to clean water, Haiti is in a health crisis.
Adapted from the CIA World Fact Book/Haiti
For more information https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ha.html
