Geography of Haiti facts for kids

Geography of Haiti
Continent	Americas
Region	Caribbean
Coordinates	19°00' N 72°25' W
Area	Ranked 147 27,750 km²
Coastline	1,771 km
Borders	360 km
Highest point	Pic la Selle 2,680 m
Lowest point	Caribbean Sea 0 m
Longest river	Artibonite
Largest lake	Étang Saumâtre

Haiti (in French: Haïti; in Haitian Creole: Ayiti) is a country located in the Caribbean Sea. It shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Haiti covers the western part of the island, while the Dominican Republic covers the eastern part.

Haiti is about 27,750 square kilometers (10,714 square miles) in size. Most of this is land, with a small part being water. It has a long coastline of 1,771 kilometers (1,100 miles) and a 360-kilometer (224-mile) border with the Dominican Republic.

To the east, Haiti borders the Dominican Republic. The Atlantic Ocean is to its north, and the Caribbean Sea is to its south and west. Haiti's capital city, Port-au-Prince, is an important seaport on the west coast.

Nearby countries include Cuba to the northwest and Jamaica to the southwest. The Windward Passage separates Haiti from Cuba, and the Jamaica Channel separates it from Jamaica.

Haiti has two large peninsulas. The Northwestern Peninsula, also called the Saint-Nicolas Peninsula, is on the Atlantic Ocean side. This was the first part of Hispaniola that Christopher Columbus visited in 1492. The Southern Peninsula, historically known as the Tiburón Peninsula, is on the Caribbean Sea side.

Between these two large peninsulas is the Gulf of Gonâve. It is named after Gonâve Island, which sits in the middle of the gulf. It was also called the Gulf of Léogane, named after the old city of Léogane.

Haiti's Climate: What to Expect

Haiti has a tropical climate, meaning it's generally warm all year. However, its climate is affected by how high up a place is (its elevation) and by the Trade winds. These winds blow from the northeast, coming from the Atlantic Ocean, and carry a lot of water vapor.

In low-lying areas that have mountains to their northeast, the climate can be very dry. This is because the trade winds drop their moisture on the mountains, leaving the valleys and plains below with less rain.

Haiti usually has two rainy seasons. In the south, these are in spring and fall. In the north, they are in spring and winter. From June to November, especially from August to October, tropical storms and hurricanes are common. These powerful storms can cause a lot of damage across the country.

Islands of Haiti: Exploring the Coast

Haiti includes several smaller islands and cays (small, low islands made of sand or coral). The largest and most important islands are:

• Gonâve Island (in French: Île de la Gonâve) is located in the Gulf of Gonâve. It is part of the Ouest Department and covers an area of 743 square kilometers (287 square miles). Its original name from the Taíno people was Guanabo.
• Tortuga Island (in French: Île de la Tortue) is off the northwest coast of Hispaniola, in the Atlantic Ocean. It belongs to the Nord-Ouest Department and has an area of 180 square kilometers (69 square miles). Its Taíno name was Baynei. Tortuga is famous because many pirates used to live there. The island's name comes from its shape, which looks like a turtle (tortuga means "turtle" in Spanish).
• Île à Vache (also called Île-à-Vaches) is close to the southwestern coast of Hispaniola. It is part of the Sud Department and has an area of 52 square kilometers (20 square miles). Its Taíno name was Iabaque.
• Cayemites Islands are two islands, Petite Cayemite and Grand Cayemite, located in the Gulf of Gonâve. They are part of the Grand'Anse Department and together cover an area of 45 square kilometers (17 square miles). The Taíno name for these islands was Cahaimi.

Mountains and Valleys: Haiti's Landscape

Haiti's mountain ranges generally run from northwest to southeast. The only exception is in the Southern Peninsula, where they run from west to east. These mountains are separated by valleys that usually follow the same direction.

Here are the main mountain ranges and valleys, listed from north to south:

• The Plaine du Nord (Northern Plain) is a flat area along the north coast, stretching from Cap-Haïtien to the border with the Dominican Republic. In the Dominican Republic, this area is called the Cibao Valley.
• The Massif du Nord (Northern Massif) is a mountain range that continues into the Dominican Republic, where it is known as the Cordillera Central. The highest peak in this range in Haiti is Gros Morne, standing at 1,198 meters (3,930 feet).
• The Plateau Central (Central Plateau) is a large, high valley.
• A group of mountains includes the Bombardopolis Plateau (640 m), the Montagnes de Terre Neuve (with Morne Goreille at 1,100 m), and the Montagnes Noires (with Pic Bonhomme at 1,700 m).
• The Artibonite Plain and Valley is located between the mountain groups mentioned above and below. This valley was formed by the Artibonite River and its smaller rivers (called tributaries) in Haiti.
• The Chaîne des Matheux (with Morne Delpech at 1,600 m) and the Montagnes du Trou d'Eau (with Morne Ma Pipe at 1,510 m) form another mountain group. These mountains connect with the previous group and extend into the Dominican Republic as the Sierra de Neiba.
• The Cul-de-Sac valley in Haiti, also known as the Hoya de Enriquillo in the Dominican Republic, is a notable valley. It runs from west to east and has a low elevation, averaging about 50 meters (164 feet), with some spots even below sea level. The Étang Saumâtre lake is at its eastern end, near the Dominican Republic border. Port-au-Prince is located at the western end of this valley.
• The Massif de la Hotte (with Pic Macaya at 2,405 m or 7,890 feet) and the Massif de la Selle (with Pic or Morne La Selle at 2,680 m or 8,793 feet) are found in the Southern Peninsula. Pic La Selle is the highest mountain in Haiti. In the Dominican Republic, the Massif de la Selle is called the Sierra de Bahoruco. Geologically, Gonâve Island (with Morne La Pierre at 776 m) is considered part of the Massif de la Selle.

Rivers and Lakes: Haiti's Waterways

The Artibonite River is the longest river on the island of Hispaniola and in Haiti. It is 321 kilometers (199 miles) long, with 68 kilometers (42 miles) in the Dominican Republic and 253 kilometers (157 miles) in Haiti. It starts in the Cordillera Central mountains in the Dominican Republic and flows into the Gulf of Gonâve. The area of land that drains into the Artibonite River (its watershed) is 6,399 square kilometers (2,471 square miles) in Haiti and 2,614 square kilometers (1,009 square miles) in the Dominican Republic.

Another important river in Haiti is the Trois Rivières (Three Rivers). It is 150 kilometers (93 miles) long. It begins in the Massif du Nord mountains and flows into the Atlantic Ocean, near the city of Port-de-Paix.

Besides the Artibonite, Haiti has other important rivers like the Grand'Anse, Grande Rivière du Nord, and Grande Rivière de Jacmel.

Haiti's largest lake is Étang Saumâtre. It is a saltwater lake located in the Cul-de-Sac valley, near the border with the Dominican Republic. It covers about 170 square kilometers (66 square miles).

Other lakes include Étang de Miragoâne, a freshwater lake covering 25 square kilometers (9.7 square miles), located 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) southeast of the city of Miragoâne. There is also Trou Caïman, a smaller lake covering 16.2 square kilometers (6.3 square miles), about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from Étang Saumâtre.

See also

In Spanish: Geografía de Haití para niños