What Are the Natural Resources of Haiti?
The natural resources of Haiti include bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate, gold, silver, marble and hydro power. According to some government sources, Haiti is poised to make over $20 billion mining minerals such as gold, copper and silver.
Haiti has almost decimated what was once one of its largest natural resources, trees. Wood and coal are the main sources of energy in Haiti, and this has had a devastating impact on its forests. In 1492, Haiti was 75 percent forested; by 2011, it was down to only 3.64 percent. The United Nations is working to prepare Haiti to develop enough hydro power to serve the energy needs of 40 percent of Haiti’s population.
In addition to wood, its agricultural products include coffee, mango, sugarcane, rice, corn and sorghum. Despite its natural resources, Haiti is one of the poorest nations in the world and is ranked as the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, with a huge disparity of wealth among Haitians. Half of the nation’s wealth is in the hands of 1 percent of the population, and 80 percent of the population lives in poverty. Haiti is still recovering from the effects of a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck in 2010.
