Republic of Haiti
Caribbean
Resilient · Spirited · Vibrant
Haiti (officially Republic of Haiti) is a country located in Caribbean. Its capital city is Port-au-Prince, with other major cities including Cap-Haïtien and Gonaïves. With a population of approximately 11.5M, the main languages spoken are Haitian Creole, French. The country covers an area of 27,750 km². The official currency is the Haitian gourde (G). Traffic drives on the right side.
Haiti was the first Black republic in the world and the first Caribbean nation to gain independence (1804), following the only successful slave revolt in history that led to founding a nation.
Port-au-Prince serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Haiti, positioned in Caribbean. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Cap-Haïtien, Gonaïves, Les Cayes — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Port-au-Prince was largely destroyed by the 2010 earthquake that killed approximately 230,000 people and left 1.5 million homeless — a disaster so comprehensive that it revealed not just seismic vulnerability but the accumulated structural vulnerability of a capital where colonial-era city planning, US occupation infrastructure, and post-dictatorship improvised urbanism had created a city designed to fail under stress.
With a population of approximately 11.5M, Haiti is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The principal languages spoken are Haitian Creole, French, which reflect the country's cultural heritage and open doors to a wide international community. Internationally, Haiti is reached via the dialling code +509. Haitians established the only successful slave revolt in history — the 1791-1804 Haitian Revolution that created the world's first Black republic — and were made to pay for that achievement, with France extracting 150 million francs in reparations (acknowledged as a legitimate debt by Haiti until 1947) that international economists calculate cost Haiti approximately $21 billion in 2004 values.
Haiti spans 27,750 km², in the Caribbean subregion of Americas. Geographically centred around 19.0°N, 72.4°W, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Americas convention.
The official currency is the Haitian gourde (G), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Haiti's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC-05:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.
Football holds a special place in the heart of Haiti's national identity. Football is Haiti's primary sport, with the national team's 1974 World Cup qualification (Haiti's only appearance) producing the moment when Emanuel Sanon scored against Italy's legendary goalkeeper Dino Zoff — the first goal conceded by Italy in World Cup history — a moment celebrated across 50 years as proof of Haitian sporting capability in the face of every structural disadvantage.
The highest point in Haiti is Pic la Selle, rising to 2,680 metres above sea level. Pic la Selle at 2,680 metres is Haiti's highest peak, part of the Massif de la Selle mountain range where the country's remaining primary forest survives in a nation that has lost 98% of its forest cover to charcoal production and agricultural clearing — making Haiti's mountain conservation areas among the most ecologically critical small territories in the Caribbean.