The Republic of Haiti is an extremely backward country in the West Indies and one of the poorest countries in the world. 60% of the population are unemployed, 50% are illiterate, 80% of the population live below the poverty line. AIDS infected 6% of the population - 5% of the rural, 12% of the urban. Almost 70% are employed in agriculture, while most of them work on small household farms, which employ almost two-thirds of the active labor force. The main problems of the Haitian economy are high inflation , a foreign trade deficit , corruption and a lack of investors. In addition, the 2010 earthquake negatively impacts the Haitian economy.
| Haiti Economy | |
|---|---|
| Currency | Gourde |
| International the organization | WTO, CARICOM |
| Statistics | |
| GDP | $ 14.76 billion |
| GDP per capita | $ 900 |
| Inflation ( CPI ) | 13.1% |
| Economically active population | 3.6 million |
| Unemployment rate | 85% |
| Major industries | Agriculture |
| International trade | |
| Export partners | USA , Dominican Republic , Canada |
| Import partners | USA, NAO |
| Public finance | |
| Government revenue | $ 658 million |
| Government spending | $ 726.9 million |
Content
Economic History
In the colonial period, Haiti exported plantation crops - cotton, coffee, cocoa. Specialization in the export of agricultural products continues to this day.
Until the 1970s, Haiti's industry was represented by small enterprises in the light and food industries that produced textiles, cement, paints, soap, shoes, and agricultural products.
In the 1970s, export-oriented enterprises for the production of electronics, toys and shoes were built on the island. Tourism began to play an important role in the country's economy, but in the 1980s the flow of tourists decreased due to the spread of AIDS and due to the unstable political situation.
| Year | GDP, $ | GDP per capita, $ | Inflation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| one. | 1980 | 8037 | 1482 | 18 |
| 2. | 1981 | 8526 | 1544 | 8.1 |
| 3. | 1982 | 8709 | 1550 | 8.5 |
| four. | 1983 | 9074 | 1586 | 8.8 |
| five. | 1984 | 9475 | 1627 | 8.1 |
| 6. | 1985 | 9850 | 1661 | 8.5 |
| 7. | 1986 | 10049 | 1665 | 8.5 |
| eight. | 1987 | 10246 | 1667 | -5.0 |
| 9. | 1988 | 10657 | 1714 | 2.9 |
| ten. | 1989 | 10738 | 1693 | 10.9 |
| eleven. | 1990 | 11268 | 1740 | 20,4 |
| 12. | 1991 | 11882 | 1802 | 19.0 |
| 13. | 1992 | 11510 | 1712 | 21.3 |
| 14. | 1993 | 11136 | 1623 | 18.8 |
| 15. | 1994 | 10014 | 1428 | 37,4 |
| sixteen. | 1995 | 11230 | 1566 | 30,2 |
| 17. | 1996 | 11,917 | 1624 | 21.9 |
| 18. | 1997 | 12,443 | 1747 | 16,2 |
| nineteen. | 1998 | 12,856 | 1766 | 13.5 |
| 20. | 1999 | 13,395 | 1801 | 8.0 |
| 21. | 2000 | 13,806 | 1817 | 11.0 |
| 22. | 2001 | 13,900 | 1802 | 16.7 |
| 23. | 2002 | 14,156 | 1785 | 9.6 |
| 24. | 2003 | 14,513 | 1798 | 26.7 |
| 25. | 2004 | 14,333 | 1744 | 28.3 |
| 26. | 2005 | 14,917 | 1783 | 16.8 |
| 27. | 2006 | 15,604 | 1832 | 13.1 |
Agriculture
Two thirds of the population is employed in agriculture. Cultivated land makes up one third of the country's territory. Landless peasants make up almost half of the rural population. Land cultivation is carried out by primitive means. The development of agriculture is difficult due to landscape conditions - well-irrigated lands are located in mountainous areas, which does not allow the development of large farms, and the plains are too arid. Coffee , cotton and cocoa beans are Haiti's main exports. Potatoes , rice , millet , bananas , and corn are also grown for domestic consumption.
Industry
Deposits of gold , bauxite , molybdenum and copper have been found in Haiti, but the deposits are poorly developed and minerals are mined in small quantities. The extractive industry does not play a significant role in the country's industry. The main industries are food, cement and others.
Transport
The length of the roads is approximately 4 thousand kilometers, but most of them are not paved, and therefore they are unsuitable in the rainy season. There are paved roads between the main cities of the country, and there are railways.
Airports
- total - 14, including:
- with a hard coating - 4
- without hard coating - 10
Car roads
- total - 4160 km, including:
- paved - 1011 km
- without pavement - 3149 km
The largest ports
- Jacquel , Jeremy , Cap-Haitien , Le Quay , Miragoan , Port de Peix , Port-au-Prince , Saint-Marc .
Communications
- Telephone lines - 145.3 thousand.
- Mobile cell phones - 140 thousand. Intercom (coaxial cable and microwave radio relay trunking) is unsatisfactory. International call services are only slightly better. Code - 509. There is 1 terrestrial satellite station Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean).
- Broadcasting stations:
- AM - 41
- FM - 26
- Television broadcasting stations - 2 (and cable television service) (1997).
- Country Internet Code - .ht
- The number of Internet users is 650 thousand (2006).
Finance
The monetary unit of Haiti is Gourde (HTG). The issue is carried out by the Bank of the Republic of Haiti . Haiti's foreign exchange reserves are approximately $ 80.64 million, external debt is $ 1.2 billion, and economic assistance is $ 150 million.
Trade
- Export: $ 493 million
- Export items: textiles, coffee, cocoa.
- Export partners: USA 80%, Dominican Republic 7.6%, Canada 3%.
- Import: $ 1.548 billion
- Imports - commodities: food, machinery and equipment, fuel.
- Import partners: USA 46.5%, Netherlands Antilles 11.9%, Brazil 3.8%.