Geography of Haiti
The Republic of Haiti comprises the western three-eighths of the island of Hispaniola, west of the Dominican Republic. Haiti is positioned east of the neighboring island of Cuba, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. Haiti's geographic coordinates are at a longitude of 72° 25′ west and a latitude of 19° 00′ north. Haiti's total area is , of which is land and is water. Haiti has of coastline and a -border with the Dominican Republic. Climate. The climate is tropical with some variation depending on altitude. Port-au-Prince ranges  in January from an average minimum of to an average maximum of ; in July, from . The rainfall pattern is varied, with rain heavier in some of the lowlands and on the northern and eastern slopes of the mountains. Port-au-Prince receives an average annual rainfall of . There are two rainy seasons, April–June and October–November. Haiti is subject to periodic droughts and floods, made more severe by deforestation. Hurricanes are also a menace. Physical geography. Haiti's terrain varies, with more than three fourths of the territory above . Its climate is predominantly tropical, with some smaller areas of  semi-arid, subtropical, and oceanic climate. Fertile valleys are interspersed between the mountain ranges forming vast areas of contrast between elevations in many areas throughout the territory. Haiti (and Hispaniola) are separated from Cuba by way of the Windward Passage, a wide strait that passes between the two countries. Haiti's lowest elevation is reported by one source to be sea level (the Caribbean Sea), by another source to be below sea level (Gheskio clinic, Port-au-Prince or in Gonaïves, <-1m), while its highest point is Pic la Selle at . Islands. Numerous smaller islands make up a  part of Haiti's total territory. The most notable islands are: Haiti also has several lakes. The largest lake in Haiti, and the second largest lake of the island of Hispaniola and the West Indies, is Lake Azuei. It is located in the Cul-de-Sac Depression with an area of 170 km. It is a saline lake with a higher concentration of salt than the sea water and harbors numerous fauna such as American crocodiles and American flamingos. Lake Péligre is an artificial lake created by the construction of the Peligre Hydroelectric Dam. Trou Caïman is a saltwater lake  with a total area of 16.2 km. Lake Miragoâne is one of the largest natural freshwater lakes in the Caribbean, with an area of 25 km.