(Reuters) - Following are key facts about Haiti, which was struck by a major earthquake on Tuesday that knocked down buildings in the capital of Port-au-Prince.
* Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas with an annual per-capita income of $560. It ranks 146th out of 177 countries on the UNDP Human Development Index.
* The Caribbean nation of 9 million is a former French colony and the world's oldest black republic, founded by freed slaves following a revolt that led to independence in 1804.
* More than half the population lives on less than $1 a day and 78 percent on less than $2. There is a high infant mortality rate (60 for every 1,000 births) and the prevalence of HIV among those between ages 15 and 49 is 2.2 percent.
* Haiti's infrastructure is close to total collapse and severe deforestation has left only 2 percent of forest cover.
Sources: World Bank, UNDP, CIA
clipped from www.reuters.com
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