Haiti is a small country, which shares an island with the Dominican Republic, and has a surface area of just 27,750 square kilometers (10,714 square miles). Haiti is second only to Barbados as the most densely populated country (399 per square kilometer or 1,032 people per square mile) in the Americas. Currently, there are 11.5 million people living in Haiti.
Haiti has a long history of under development and political instability. The struggling country is beset by widespread poverty, economic decline, violence, food scarcity, poor education, unemployment, poor governance, and lack of resources. Natural disasters, such as the earthquakes of 2010 and 2021 along with Hurricane Matthew of 2016, has left the unstable country even more vulnerable. The 2021 assassination of the Haitian President has resulted in political turmoil, gang activity and increased kidnappings. Haiti is in desperate need of economic improvement.