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    Explore the vast openness and wildlife found roaming in the western United States, including Theodore Roosevelt National Park (pictured) in North Dakota. Begin Your Journey!

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Geography, Weather, & Wildlife of Haiti

WARNING: Safety is a concern in Haiti, please read this travel warning before going!

Geography

Haiti is a nation in the northern Caribbean Sea on the island of Hispaniola, which is a part of the Greater Antilles. Haiti only has one land border, the Dominican Republic, which sits to Haiti's east. To Haiti's north is the British territory of Turks & Caicos and to the west is Cuba. To Haiti's south is the Caribbean Sea and to the north is the Atlantic Ocean.

Haiti is a fairly mountainous country with two significant mountain ranges running east and west including the Massif du Nord in the north and the Massif de la Hotte and Massif de la Selle in the south. These two mountain ranges also form part of the two peninsulas on the island's west coast, while in between these two peninsulas a number of rivers join and drain into the sea.

Weather

Haiti's weather patterns are based on winds, rain, and elevation. Along the coasts temperatures dip to 72° F (22° C) at night during the coldest months and reach highs of 95° F (35° C) during the hottest months, but tend to average at least 85° F (30° C) during days year round. Rain is heaviest in April-June and October-November, although rainfall totals vary drastically from place to place. It is also during this time of June to November that the country is prone to hurricanes.

Wildlife

Haiti has a large number of animals, however there are not many native mammals due to the island's volcanic origin. The only native mammals to the island are a small rodent called the solenodon and the hutia, another rodent. However people have introduced other mammals like dogs, horses, etc. In the seas there are a number of mammals, including whales, dolphins, and manatees. In addition to mammals, there are thousands of fish surrounding the country and these waters contain larger animals like sharks, but also include eels, angelfish, barracudas, grouper, sponges, lobsters, snapper, crabs, and thousands more including coral.

Like the sea life, there are plenty of birds that live on the island or migrate through. The most visible of these are flamingos, but there are plenty of ducks, pigeons, egrets, and more. The reptilian and amphibian life is also limited in scope, but there are plenty of lizards in addition to smaller numbers of crocodiles, turtles, snakes, iguanas, and frogs among others. There are numerous other species, including insects, most notably butterflies on the island.

This page was last updated: May, 2012