03/02/2016
"WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT HAITI"
Haiti covers 10,714 square miles, which stand for (27,750 square kilometers) of the island known as Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. According to geographers' experts, Haiti is about three times the size of Cyprus Island but is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Maryland. It is comprised of two peninsulas split by the Gulf of la Gonâve. The mountainous, nearly barren island of la Gonâve, which belongs to Haiti, rests in the center of the gulf. Haiti's portion of Hispaniola is significantly more mountainous than the rest of the island, with successive mountain chains running east to west on both peninsulas. The northern Massif du Nord is part of the island's backbone, which Dominicans call the Cordillera Central.
The southern peninsula boasts the Massif de la Hotte and Massif de la Selle. The highest peak, Pic la Selle, is located in the Massif de la Selle and rises to 8,793 feet (2,680 meters). The mountains are punctuated by hills and valleys, where most people live and work. The four main plains include the Central, Northern, Artibonite, and Plaine du Cul-de-Sac which is very close to Haiti's, Port-au-Prince located on the west side of the island. Haiti is crossed by several large rivers, but the longest and well known one is le Fleuve de l' Artibonite. Most of the trees cover that existed prior to European colonization has been removed due to farming and production of charcoal fuel for cooking. Haiti's climate is generally warm and only mildly humid. Frost, snow, and ice do not form anywhere—even at the highest elevations; the coldest the temperture can ever be is the low 60's. The average temperature in the mountains is 66°F (19°C), while at Port-au-Prince it is 81°F (27°C). Spring and autumn are rainy, whereas December through February and June through August are dry. July is the driest summer month. The hurricane season lasts from June to October, but sometimes it last a little longer than that.