Haiti The independent republic of Haiti consists of the western third of the island of Hispaniola, the second largest island in the Caribbean. Haiti shares the island with the Dominican Republic. Covering a total area of 10,714 square miles, Haiti has a northern and southern peninsula separated by the Gulf of Gonave. The shape of Haiti has been compared to a lobster's claw, with the upper pincer pointing toward Cuba and the lower longer claw pointing toward Jamaica. Haiti is bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the east by the Dominican Republic, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the Windward Passage. The Haitian l