Businessman Cesar Nicolas Penson shares some statistics on the economic and social differences between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, the two countries that make up the island of Hispaniola. He points out that Haiti occupies 37% of the island and four of its nine departments border the DR. Most of the eight million people who live in Haiti are concentrated along the border. As for the DR, he explains that five of the 31 Dominican provinces share the 400 km border with Haiti, or 22% of the territory and 4% of its population of almost nine million people. Along the border, Haiti has a population density of 300 inhabitants per square kilometer, compared to the 27 inhabitants per square meter of Dominican population in the border provinces. While illiteracy nationwide is 20%, the rate rises to 32% in the border area. He describes as the border area as abandoned by Dominicans, and used as a transit area by the Haitians. Manufacturing in the region is only 4%, compared to 14.6% nationwide, and farming is 39% compared to 15% nationwide.
Life expectancy for Dominicans Is 71 for men and 75 for women, compared to Haiti where men are only expected to live to 47 and women to 51. Population estimates are that there will be 15 million Dominicans in 2050 and 13.5 million Haitians. Haiti has a much higher fertility rate and demographic growth rate than the DR. Per capita income in the DR is at around US$7,050, while in Haiti it is US$2,000. Penson comments that these figures reflect an alarming and inescapable reality.