Geography and Original Environments
Hispaniola is a subtropical island of about 76,482
square kilometers—smaller than Cuba but larger
than Jamaica or Puerto Rico. Sharing the same island,
both Haiti and the Dominican Republic seem to
have started with similar geographies and environments,
with some modest differences. The DR occupies
about 64% of the land area; with the remaining
36%, Haiti is about the size of the Hawaiian Islands.
Rainfall is slightly higher in the DR because the rain
typically comes from the east; Haiti is more mountainous,
and its mountains block the rain. The
rivers flow mostly eastward from these mountains,
providing water for the Dominican Republic. These
modest initial environmental differences may have
put Haiti at some disadvantage, but Haiti has done
well economically in comparison to the DR in some
periods. Both countries were once largely covered
with forests. But environmental damage was already
under way under colonial rule, with deforestation
due to extensive logging and overuse of the
soil. Adverse human influence has had a bigger impact
in Haiti.