Dominican Republic and Haiti: Country Studies

Topography: Five mountain ranges divide country into three
regions: northern, central, and southern. Highest peak, Morne
de la Selle, located in south, reaches an altitude of 2,715
meters. No navigable rivers. Largest lake is Etang Saumatre,
brackish body in southern region.
Climate: Tropical climate influenced by northeast trade winds.
Wet season generally lasts from March through May, dry season
from December through February. Rainfall irregular because
of mountainous topography. Temperature in lowland area
15°C to 25°C in winter, 25°C to 35°C in summer.
Society
Population: Estimated at 8 million in year 2000. Estimated
growth rate 2.08 percent annually 1995-2000.
Language: 1987 constitution recognizes both French and
Creole as official languages. Languages linguistically distinct,
not mutually comprehensible. Creole spoken by vast majority,
but facility with French connotes higher social status.
Ethnic Groups: Population almost entirely black and mulatto
as result of historical origin as slaveholding agricultural colony.
Economic and political elite mainly mulatto. Only ethnic
minority "Arabs"—Syrian, Lebanese, and Palestinian
immigrants—most of whom work in export-import sector.
Education and Literacy: In academic year 1996-97, enrollment
rate 64 percent for six- to twelve-year-olds and 15 percent for
twelve- to eighteen-year-olds. Private schools attended by 75
percent of school enrollment. Ninety percent of urban
children but only 23 percent of rural children attend school.
University of Haiti major institution of higher learning.
National literacy estimates range from 20 to 53 percent.
Health: Children twelve to twenty-four months old at high risk
for malnutrition. Infant mortality high at seventy-two per 1,000
live births in 1996, a decline since mid-1980s. Principal causes
of death for children one to five years old diarrheal illnesses
(37 percent), malnutrition (32 percent), and respiratory illness
(25 percent). Common causes of adult deaths malaria,
tuberculosis, parasitic diseases, and typhoid fever. National
incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) projected
at 5.4 to 7.7 percent for 2000; rate of males to females with
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