Continent | Americas |
---|---|
Region |
Caribbean Greater Antilles |
Coordinates | 19°00′N 72°25′W / 19.000°N 72.417°W |
Area | Ranked 147th |
• Total | 27,560 km2 (10,640 sq mi) |
Coastline | 1,771 km (1,100 mi) |
Borders |
Total land borders: 388 km |
Highest point |
Pic la Selle 2,680 m |
Lowest point |
Caribbean Sea 0 m |
Longest river | Artibonite River |
Largest lake | Étang Saumâtre |
Exclusive economic zone | 126,760 km2 (48,940 sq mi) |
The Republic of Haiti comprises the western three-eighths of the island of Hispaniola, west of the Dominican Republic. [1] [2] Haiti is positioned east of the neighboring island of Cuba, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean.
Haiti's total area is 27,560 square kilometres (10,641 sq mi), of which 27,560 square kilometres (10,641 sq mi) is land and 190 square kilometres (73 sq mi) is water. Haiti has 1,771 km (1,100 mi) of coastline and a 360 kilometres (224 mi)-border with the Dominican Republic.
The climate is tropical with some variation depending on altitude. Port-au-Prince ranges in January from an average minimum of 23 °C (73.4 °F) to an average maximum of 31 °C (87.8 °F); in July, from 25–35 °C (77–95 °F). The rainfall pattern is varied, with rain heavier in some of the lowlands and on the northern and eastern slopes of the mountains.
Port-au-Prince receives an average annual rainfall of 1,370 mm (53.9 in). There are two rainy seasons, April–June and October–November. Haiti is subject to periodic droughts and floods, made more severe by deforestation. Atlantic hurricanes are also a menace. For example, Hurricane Matthew caused large amounts of damage when it hit Haiti in 2016. [3]
Climate data for Port-au-Prince | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31 (88) |
31 (88) |
32 (90) |
32 (90) |
33 (91) |
35 (95) |
35 (95) |
35 (95) |
34 (93) |
33 (91) |
32 (90) |
31 (88) |
33 (91) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 27 (81) |
26.5 (79.7) |
27 (81) |
28 (82) |
28 (82) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
29.5 (85.1) |
28 (82) |
28 (82) |
27 (81) |
26.5 (79.7) |
28.0 (82.3) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23 (73) |
22 (72) |
22 (72) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
24 (75) |
25 (77) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
23 (73) |
22 (72) |
23 (74) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 33 (1.3) |
58 (2.3) |
86 (3.4) |
160 (6.3) |
231 (9.1) |
102 (4.0) |
74 (2.9) |
145 (5.7) |
175 (6.9) |
170 (6.7) |
86 (3.4) |
33 (1.3) |
1,353 (53.3) |
Average rainy days (≥ 1 mm) | 3 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 99 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 279.0 | 254.2 | 279.0 | 273.0 | 251.1 | 237.0 | 279.0 | 282.1 | 246.0 | 251.1 | 240.0 | 244.9 | 3,116.4 |
Source: Climate & Temperature [4] |
Haiti's terrain varies, with more than three fourths of the territory above 700 feet (210 m). Its climate is predominantly tropical, with some smaller areas of semi-arid, subtropical, and oceanic climate. Fertile valleys are interspersed between the mountain ranges forming vast areas of contrast between elevations in many areas throughout the territory. Haiti (and Hispaniola) are separated from Cuba by way of the Windward Passage, a 45 nmi (83 km; 52 mi) wide strait that passes between the two countries.
Haiti's lowest elevation is reported by one source to be sea level (the Caribbean Sea [5]), by another source to be below sea level (Gheskio clinic, Port-au-Prince [6] or in Gonaïves, <-1m [7]), while its highest point is Pic la Selle at 2,680 m (8,793 ft).
Numerous smaller islands make up a part of Haiti's total territory. The most notable islands are:
Haiti also has several lakes. The largest lake in Haiti, and the second largest lake of the island of Hispaniola and the West Indies, is Lake Azuei. It is located in the Cul-de-Sac Depression with an area of 170 km2. It is a saline lake with a higher concentration of salt than the sea water and harbors numerous fauna such as American crocodiles and American flamingos.
Lake Péligre is an artificial lake created by the construction of the Peligre Hydroelectric Dam.
Trou Caïman is a saltwater lake with a total area of 16.2 km2. Lake Miragoâne is one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in the Caribbean, with an area of 25 km2.
Continent | Americas |
---|---|
Region |
Caribbean Greater Antilles |
Coordinates | 19°00′N 72°25′W / 19.000°N 72.417°W |
Area | Ranked 147th |
• Total | 27,560 km2 (10,640 sq mi) |
Coastline | 1,771 km (1,100 mi) |
Borders |
Total land borders: 388 km |
Highest point |
Pic la Selle 2,680 m |
Lowest point |
Caribbean Sea 0 m |
Longest river | Artibonite River |
Largest lake | Étang Saumâtre |
Exclusive economic zone | 126,760 km2 (48,940 sq mi) |
The Republic of Haiti comprises the western three-eighths of the island of Hispaniola, west of the Dominican Republic. [1] [2] Haiti is positioned east of the neighboring island of Cuba, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean.
Haiti's total area is 27,560 square kilometres (10,641 sq mi), of which 27,560 square kilometres (10,641 sq mi) is land and 190 square kilometres (73 sq mi) is water. Haiti has 1,771 km (1,100 mi) of coastline and a 360 kilometres (224 mi)-border with the Dominican Republic.
The climate is tropical with some variation depending on altitude. Port-au-Prince ranges in January from an average minimum of 23 °C (73.4 °F) to an average maximum of 31 °C (87.8 °F); in July, from 25–35 °C (77–95 °F). The rainfall pattern is varied, with rain heavier in some of the lowlands and on the northern and eastern slopes of the mountains.
Port-au-Prince receives an average annual rainfall of 1,370 mm (53.9 in). There are two rainy seasons, April–June and October–November. Haiti is subject to periodic droughts and floods, made more severe by deforestation. Atlantic hurricanes are also a menace. For example, Hurricane Matthew caused large amounts of damage when it hit Haiti in 2016. [3]
Climate data for Port-au-Prince | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 31 (88) |
31 (88) |
32 (90) |
32 (90) |
33 (91) |
35 (95) |
35 (95) |
35 (95) |
34 (93) |
33 (91) |
32 (90) |
31 (88) |
33 (91) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 27 (81) |
26.5 (79.7) |
27 (81) |
28 (82) |
28 (82) |
30 (86) |
30 (86) |
29.5 (85.1) |
28 (82) |
28 (82) |
27 (81) |
26.5 (79.7) |
28.0 (82.3) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23 (73) |
22 (72) |
22 (72) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
24 (75) |
25 (77) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
24 (75) |
23 (73) |
22 (72) |
23 (74) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 33 (1.3) |
58 (2.3) |
86 (3.4) |
160 (6.3) |
231 (9.1) |
102 (4.0) |
74 (2.9) |
145 (5.7) |
175 (6.9) |
170 (6.7) |
86 (3.4) |
33 (1.3) |
1,353 (53.3) |
Average rainy days (≥ 1 mm) | 3 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 99 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 279.0 | 254.2 | 279.0 | 273.0 | 251.1 | 237.0 | 279.0 | 282.1 | 246.0 | 251.1 | 240.0 | 244.9 | 3,116.4 |
Source: Climate & Temperature [4] |
Haiti's terrain varies, with more than three fourths of the territory above 700 feet (210 m). Its climate is predominantly tropical, with some smaller areas of semi-arid, subtropical, and oceanic climate. Fertile valleys are interspersed between the mountain ranges forming vast areas of contrast between elevations in many areas throughout the territory. Haiti (and Hispaniola) are separated from Cuba by way of the Windward Passage, a 45 nmi (83 km; 52 mi) wide strait that passes between the two countries.
Haiti's lowest elevation is reported by one source to be sea level (the Caribbean Sea [5]), by another source to be below sea level (Gheskio clinic, Port-au-Prince [6] or in Gonaïves, <-1m [7]), while its highest point is Pic la Selle at 2,680 m (8,793 ft).
Numerous smaller islands make up a part of Haiti's total territory. The most notable islands are:
Haiti also has several lakes. The largest lake in Haiti, and the second largest lake of the island of Hispaniola and the West Indies, is Lake Azuei. It is located in the Cul-de-Sac Depression with an area of 170 km2. It is a saline lake with a higher concentration of salt than the sea water and harbors numerous fauna such as American crocodiles and American flamingos.
Lake Péligre is an artificial lake created by the construction of the Peligre Hydroelectric Dam.
Trou Caïman is a saltwater lake with a total area of 16.2 km2. Lake Miragoâne is one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in the Caribbean, with an area of 25 km2.