The republic of Haiti is located West of the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean basin. It lies between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It is geographically part of North America, but is an independent republic. Its location is approximately 750 miles South East of Florida and lies to the East of Cuba. Haiti along with the Dominican Republic comprises the island of Hispaniola. Columbus claimed the island of Hispaniola in 1492. It later became a base for Spanish colonization. The Spanish later ceded much of the land to the French. Haiti occupies the western third of the island of Hispaniola. It consists basically of two peninsulas separated by the Gonave Gulf. The total land area of Haiti is 27,750 square kilometers. It is composed of mountainous and hilly country.

The name ‘Haiti’ is derived from the indigenous word “Ayiti” meaning “land of high mountains”. The coordinates of Haiti are 18° 32" North, 72° 19" West. Haiti is the third largest country in the Caribbean basin, the two ahead of it being the Dominican Republic and Cuba. Haiti is just 45 nautical miles from Cuba and has a coastline that runs to 1,771 kilometers. The highest point in Haiti is Pic la Selle which stands at 2680 meters. There are few rivers and lakes here. Lake Azuei and Lake of Miragoane are the two prominent lakes here. Of the few dozen rivers in the country, Artibonite is the major one. The capital city of Haiti is Port-au-Prince. The main languages spoken here are Creole and French.

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