This country is located in the western part of the island of Hispaniola. It shares this island with the Dominican Republic, which bounds it to the east. It has two narrow peninsulas which form the Gulf of Gonâve.
On the coasts the climate is tropical and in the mountains, cold.
The majority of the Haitian population is descended from black African slaves and barely 38% of the inhabitants live in the cities. The Haitian economy is in a very poor state and is based on the exportation of cocoa, crafts and coffee.
Executive power is held by the President, a prime minister and a cabinet; Legislative power is in the hands of the Chamber of Deputies (83 members) and the Senate (27 senators). Justice is administrated by civil courts.
