Geography |
The Republic of Haiti occupies the western third of the island of Hispaniola. It is bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the east by the Dominican Republic, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the Windward Passage, which separates it from Cuba. Its area is 27 750 km2.
Two chains of rugged mountains run across the northern and southern parts of Haiti. They form two peninsulas at the western end of the island with the Gonâve Gulf and the Ile de la Gonave between.
The Chaîne du Haut Piton, which runs along the northern peninsula, reaches a height of 1183 m. The Massif de la Hotte reaches a height of 2347 m at the extreme western end of the southern peninsula. The Massif de la Selle, which begins just south-east of Port-au-Prince, reaches a height of 2 680 m at Pic la Selle, the highest point in Haiti. Other mountain ranges include the Massif des Montagnes Noires and Chaîne des Cahos and the solitary peak of Montagne Terrible.
The wide Artibonite Valley of the Artibonite River lies between the mountains in eastern Haiti. The Île de la Tortue (also called Tortuga Island) lies off the northern coast.
Haiti has a mild tropical climate greatly influenced by topography. Temperatures range from 21° C to 35° C along the coasts and from 10° C to 24° C in the mountains. Rainfall varies from a high of 3 600 mm on the western tip of the southern peninsula, to 600 mm on the south-west coast of the northern peninsula. Most of the rain in the south-west falls in early and late summer. The country is vulnerable to destructive hurricanes, usually occurring between June and October.
The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.