Geography & environment — Haiti
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Haiti: The Caribbean
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Location & size
- Geographic Location
The Caribbean
- Geographic Coordinates
19 00 N, 72 25 W
- Total Area
10,714 Square Miles 27,750 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
10,641 Square Miles 27,560 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
73 Square Miles 190 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
224 Miles 360 Kilometers
- Border Countries
Dominican Republic 360 km
- Coastline
1,100 Miles 1,771 Kilometers
Physical geography
- Terrain
Mostly rough and mountainous
- Highest Point
2,680 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Chaine de la Selle 2,680 m
- Lowest Point Location
Caribbean Sea 0 m
- Natural Resources
Bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, marble, hydropower
- Irrigated Land
375 Square Miles 970 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November
Climate
- Climate
Haiti's tropical climate produces seasonal rainfall, although large areas of the country are semiarid. Temperatures year round range from 70°F to 90°F with humidity sometimes high along the coast. Average annual rainfall varies from nearly zero in some areas to 53 inches in Port-au-Prince. The two rainy seasons that Port-au-Prince experiences are from April to June and from August to mid-November. Rain and accompanying thunder/lightning storms usually occur at dusk and at night, but the days remain clear and sunny. There is a crisp dry season from December to April. Surrounding mountains generally protect Port-au-Prince from Caribbean hurricanes.
- Terrain
Mostly rough and mountainous
- Location
Caribbean, western one-third of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, west of the Dominican Republic
- Total Area
10,714 Square Miles 27,750 Square Kilometers
- Border Countries
Dominican Republic 360 km
Environment
- Environment - Current Issues
Extensive deforestation (much of the remaining forested land is being cleared for agriculture and used as fuel)
soil erosion
inadequate supplies of potable water
- Environment - International Agreements
Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection Signed, but not ratified: Hazardous Wastes