Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Haiti
conventional short form: Haiti
local long form: Republique d'Haiti/Repiblik d Ayiti
local short form: Haiti/Ayiti
etymology: the native Taino name means "Land of High Mountains" and was originally applied to the entire island of Hispaniola

Government type:
semi-presidential republic

Capital:
name: Port-au-Prince
geographic coordinates: 18 32 N, 72 20 W
time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

Administrative divisions:
10 departments (departements, singular - departement); Artibonite, Centre, Grand'Anse, Nippes, Nord, Nord-Est, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Est

Independence:
1 January 1804 (from France)

National holiday:
Independence Day, 1 January (1804)

Constitution:
many previous (23 total); latest adopted 10 March 1987; amended 2012 (2016)

Legal system:
civil law system strongly influenced by Napoleonic Code

International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship:
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a native-born citizen of Haiti
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
[see also: Suffrage country ranks ]

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Jovenel MOISE (since 7 February 2017)
head of government: Prime Minister Dr. Jack Guy LAFONTANT (since 21 March 2017)
cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the president; parliament must ratify the Cabinet and Prime Minister's governing policy
elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a single non-consecutive term); last election originally scheduled for 9 October 2016 but postponed to 20 November 2016 due to Hurricane Matthew
election results: Jovenel MOISE elected president in first round; percent of vote - Jovenel MOISE (PHTK) 55.6%, Jude CELESTIN (LAPEH) 19.6%, Jean-Charles MOISE (PPD) 11%, Maryse NARCISSE (FL) 9%; other 4.8%

Legislative branch:
description: bicameral legislature or le Corps Legislatif ou parlement consists of le Senat or Senate (30 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 6-year terms with one-third of the membership renewed every 2 years) and la Chambre de deputes or Chamber of Deputies (118 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 4-year terms); note - when the 2 chambers meet collectively it is known as L'Assemblee Nationale or the National Assembly and is convened for specific purposes spelled out in the constitution
elections: Senate - last held on 9 August 2015 with run-off election on 25 October 2015 (next possible election in 2017); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 9 August 2015 with run-off election on 25 October 2015 (next regular election may be held in 2017)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA

Judicial branch:
highest court(s): Supreme Court or Cour de Cassation (consists of a chief judge and other judges); note - Haiti is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice
judge selection and term of office: judges appointed by the president from candidate lists submitted by the Senate of the National Assembly; note - Article 174 of the Haiti Constitution states that judges of the Supreme Court are appointed for 10 years, whereas Article 177 states that judges of the Supreme Court are appointed for life
subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Courts of First Instance; magistrates' courts; special courts

Political parties and leaders:
Alternative League for Haitian Progress and Empowerment or LAPEH [Jude CELESTIN] Christian Movement for a New Haiti or MCNH [Luc MESADIEU] Christian National Movement for the Reconstruction of Haiti or UNCRH [Chavannes JEUNE] Convention for Democratic Unity or KID [Evans PAUL] Cooperative Action to Rebuild Haiti or KONBA [Jean William JEANTY] December 16 Platform or Platfom 16 Desanm [Dr. Gerard BLOT] Democratic Alliance Party or ALYANS [Evans PAUL] (coalition includes KID and PPRH) Democratic Centers' National Council or CONACED [Osner FEVRY] Dessalinian Patriotic and Popular Movement or MOPOD [Jean Andre VICTOR] Effort and Solidarity to Create an Alternative for the People or ESKAMP [Joseph JASME] Fanmi Lavalas or FL [Jean-Bertrand ARISTIDE] For Us All or PONT [Jean-Marie CHERESTAL] Fusion of Haitian Social Democrats or FHSD [Edmonde Supplice BEAUZILE] Grouping of Citizens for Hope or RESPE [Charles-Henri BAKER] Haitians for Haiti [Yvon NEPTUNE] Haitian Tet Kale Party or PHTK [Ann Valerie Timothee MILFORT] Haiti in Action or AAA [Youri LATORTUE] Independent Movement for National Reconstruction or MIRN [Luc FLEURINORD] Konbit Pou refe Ayiti or KONBIT Lavni Organization or LAVNI [Yves CRISTALIN] Liberal Party of Haiti or PLH [Jean Andre VICTOR] Love Haiti or Renmen Ayiti [Jean-Henry CEANT and Camille LEBLANC] Mobilization for National Development or MDN [Hubert de RONCERAY] New Christian Movement for a New Haiti or MOCHRENA [Luc MESADIEU] Organization for the Advancement of Haiti and Haitians or OLAHH Party for the Integral Advancement of the Haitian People or PAIPH Patriotic Unity or IP [Marie Denise CLAUDE] Peasant's Response or Repons Peyizan [Michel MARTELLY] Platform Alternative for Progress and Democracy or ALTENATIV [Victor BENOIT and Evans PAUL] Platform of Haitian Patriots or PLAPH [Dejean BELISAIRE and Himmler REBU] Platform Pitit Desaline or PPD [Jean-Charles MOISE] Pont Popular Party for the Renewal of Haiti or PPRH [Claude ROMAIN] PPG18 Rally of Progressive National Democrats or RDNP [Mirlande MANIGAT] Renmen Ayiti or RA [Jean-Henry CEANT] Reseau National Bouclier or BOUCLIER Respect or RESPE Strength in Unity or Ansanm Nou Fo [Leslie VOLTAIRE] Struggling People's Organization or OPL [Jacques-Edouard ALEXIS] Truth (Verite) Union [Chavannes JEUNE] Unity or Inite [Levaillant LOUIS-JEUNE] (coalition that includes Front for Hope or L'ESPWA) Vigilance or Veye Yo [Lavarice GAUDIN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
Haitian Self-Employed Workers Union or CATH [Fignole ST-CYR] Confederation of Haitian Workers or CTH Private Sector Economic Forum or PSEF [Reginald BOULOS] Federation of Workers Trade Unions or FOS General Organization of Independent Haitian Workers or OGITH [Patrick NUMAS] Grand-Anse Resistance Committee or KOREGA Haitian Association of Industries or ADIH [Georges SASSINE] National Popular Assembly or APN Papaye Peasants Movement or MPP [Chavannes JEAN-BAPTISTE] Popular Organizations Gathering Power or PROP Protestant Federation of Haiti Roman Catholic Church

International organization participation:
ACP, AOSIS, Caricom, CD, CDB, CELAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, Petrocaribe, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Paul Getty ALTIDOR (since 2 May 2012)
chancery: 2311 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-4090
FAX: [1] (202) 745-7215
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Orlando (FL), New York, San Juan (Puerto Rico)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Robin DIALLO (since August 2017)
embassy: Tabarre 41, Route de Tabarre, Port-au-Prince
mailing address: (in Haiti) P.O. Box 1634, Port-au-Prince, Haiti; (from abroad) 3400 Port-au-Prince, State Department, Washington, DC 20521-3400
telephone: [509] 2229-8000
FAX: [509] 229-8028

Flag description:
two equal horizontal bands of blue (top) and red with a centered white rectangle bearing the coat of arms, which contains a palm tree flanked by flags and two cannons above a scroll bearing the motto L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE (Union Makes Strength); the colors are taken from the French Tricolor and represent the union of blacks and mulattoes

National symbol(s):
Hispaniolan trogon (bird), hibiscus flower; national colors: blue, red

National anthem:
name: "La Dessalinienne" (The Dessalines Song)
lyrics/music: Justin LHERISSON/Nicolas GEFFRARD
note: adopted 1904; named for Jean-Jacques DESSALINES, a leader in the Haitian Revolution and first ruler of an independent Haiti