Distribution of Population on Hispaniola

Abstract

F _ FOR the first time in history detailed, reliable data on the distribution of population on the island of Hispaniola are available. Detailed censuses of population in the Dominican Republic had been made in 1920 and 1935, but the cooperation of Haiti in the 1950 Census of the American Nations resulted in the first detailed enumeration of its population.' The 1950 censuses for both countries contain data for major territorial divisions, for subdivisions of major territorial divisions, and for the national capital and the capitals or principal cities of major territorial divisions. The population of Haiti for 1950 was 3,111,973, that of the Dominican Republic was 2,121,083, making the total population of the island of Hispaniola 5,233,056.2 This total is as large as the estimated population of Cuba and places the island in the highest category of populations in the Caribbean area (Fig. 1). Within the island of Hispaniola Haiti occupies approximately the western one-third, about 10,700 square miles, and the Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two-thirds, about 19,300 square miles. Thus, comparing areas, one might expect to find one-third of the population in Haiti and two-thirds in the Dominican Republic, but such is not the case. In fact, the ratios are almost reversed, Haiti having about three-fifths and the Dominican Republic about two-fifths, resulting in densities of approximately 290 per square mile in Haiti and 110 per square mile in the Dominican Republic. One should note, however, that comparisons of arithmetical density have little value unless physical conditions such as landforms, climate, vegetation, soils, and mineral resources, are nearly uniform throughout. Such is certainly not the case in Hispaniola.