Haiti is short of natural resources and minerals. Only limestone, sand and gravel for construction are of economic importance today.
Marble has previously been mined on a small scale as well as bauxite. In 2012, some Canadian and American companies did test drilling in the mountains in the Northeast for gold, copper and silver, among others, but most foreign investors consider the risks to be too great with a commitment. After the 2010 earthquake, however, large quantities of sand and stone have been broken for the construction of housing, mainly in the metropolitan area.
COUNTRYAAH: Major exports by Haiti with a full list of the top products exported by the country. Includes trade value in U.S. dollars and the percentage for each product category.
Haiti consumes very little energy and more than two-thirds of the population have no access to electricity. Even those connected to the electricity grid can count on daily interruptions, so those who can afford to use their own generators. The shortcomings of the system and widespread poverty also mean that many Haitians fail to pay their electricity and water bills.
About half of the electricity comes from hydropower, the rest from oil or coal-fired power plants. The state energy monopoly EDH has small resources, which means that maintenance and expansion are lagging behind, while a large part of the damage to the infrastructure caused by the 2010 earthquake is still not repaired. Energy for heating comes largely from wood and charcoal, but also from oil. Photogen lamps are responsible for lighting in most households.
In the early 1900s, Haiti was still rich in forests, including mangrove forests on the coasts, but an extensive harvest in the search for fuel, building materials and arable land has left only 3–4 percent of the original forest.
Abbreviationfinder: A popular acronym site in the world covering abbreviation for each country. For example, HT stands for Haiti. Visit itypeusa for more information about Haiti.
FACTS – ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
Energy use per person
393 kilos of oil equivalent (2014)
Electricity consumption per person
39 kWh, kWh (2014)
Carbon dioxide emissions in total
2 860,000 tonnes (2014)
Carbon dioxide emissions per inhabitant
0.3 ton (2014)
The share of energy from renewable sources
76.1 percent (2015)
2017
November
Tens of thousands of Haitians are losing the right to be in the United States
20th of November
The United States decides to abandon the temporary protection status (TPS) that Haitians received after the 2010 earthquake disaster. TPS grants temporary residence permits for citizens from severely crisis-hit countries. The decision is expected to affect 59,000 Haitians who must now leave the United States in 18 months.
October
Minor UN action replaces Minustah
October 5
The UN effort Minustah formally completes its mission after 13 years. Its mission has been to restore stability in Haiti, which has not been fully achieved. According to a previous decision, Minustah is being replaced by a new, smaller UN operation, Minujusth, which will strengthen human rights and train Haiti’s own police force. Minujusth consists of 1,275 police officers and 350 civilians.
September
Government-critical protests are growing
September 21
The popular protests that have been going on in Port-au-Prince since July 2017 against the government’s budget for 2017/2018 are escalating. Thousands of people now demand the departure of President Jovenel Moïse. The protesters believe that the budget is a betrayal of the country’s poor which the president has promised improvements. It is primarily a series of tax increases that arouse residents’ anger.
Violent protests against tax increases
September 12
Violent street protests erupt in several parts of the capital Port-au-Prince when the government announces, in its new budget, tax increases on, for example, cigarettes, alcohol and the issuing of new passports. The riots are the worst since President Jovenel Moïse took office in February 2017.
June
The UN appeals for cholera aid
June 14
The UN again appeals for aid to help Haiti with the severe cholera epidemic. So far, only $ 2.7 million has come in from a total of $ 400 million that was expected. More than 800,000 Haitians have fallen ill since the cholera epidemic broke out in 2010 and around 9,500 have died.
March
New government approved
21 March
Jack Guy Lafontant becomes prime minister and gets his government approved with the 95-6 votes in the lower house. The Senate has already voted for the government. Lafontant has pledged to fund new roads, schools and hospitals by combating corruption, widening the tax base and cutting unnecessary spending in the state budget.
Ex-President Préval dead
March 3rd
René Préval, president of two rounds, most recently until 2011, dies in a heart attack 74 years old.
February
The President appoints the Prime Minister
February 22
President Jovenel Moïse assigns Jack Guy Lafontant to form government. Lafontant is a doctor and has not previously held any political post. He is reported to be close friends with Moïse.
President Moïse takes office
February 7
New President Jovenel Moïse swears the oath in a ceremony in the National Assembly, while opposition supporters demonstrate outside the building.
January
Low turnout in municipal elections
January 29th
Participation becomes low when local elections are held, and in several places reports on voter turnout and voting lengths are reported. A seat in the Chamber of Deputies and eight in the Senate shall also be added.
Moïse is asked in court
January 25
A judge interrogates incumbent President Jovenel Moïse on allegations of money laundering and undue loans that the former banana exporter should have received before entering politics. The investigation began formally in 2013, but the judge did not do anything until four opposition senators now requested information in the case. Moïse’s main opponent in the election has still not acknowledged his victory.
Former dome conductor seized
January 5
Former coup leader and police chief Guy Philippe, who was recently elected senator arrested in Port-au-Prince, is arrested outside a radio studio where he just participated in a program (see also May 2016). The former rebel leader led the rebellion against Aristide in 2004 (see Modern History). Since he has not been able to take up the post of senator, he does not have prosecution immunity. Philippe is wanted in the US, suspected of drug offenses and money laundering. He is extradited there and sentenced in June to nine years in prison for bribery. He then acknowledges that, while holding a high-ranking position in the police, he has received bribes to protect drug supplies to the United States.
Moïse is declared victorious in the presidential election
January 3rd
The electoral court determines the preliminary results after the presidential election in November 2016. According to the court, Jovenel Moïse received close to 56 percent of the vote and thus won the first round of elections. According to the court, Celestin received 19.5 percent of the votes. Moïse opponents are still questioning the result.
