As stated in the 2017 U.S. Strategy for Engagement in the Caribbean, the region is the “third border” of the United States, characterized by common interests and societal ties that yield daily, tangible benefits for U.S. citizens. Haiti, with a population of over 11 million, is among the largest countries in the Caribbean, with a population close in size to that of Cuba and the Dominican Republic, with which it shares the island of Hispaniola. Many Haitians have close personal ties with the U.S.; approximately 868,000 persons of Haitian descent live in the U.S., of which about 676,000 were foreign-born; tens of thousands of Haitians travel to and from the U.S. annually. A more prosperous, stable, and democratic Haiti benefits the U.S. by decreasing the root causes of irregular migration; lowering the humanitarian costs of recurring disasters and crises; reducing transnational crime; and improving a business climate that provides the U.S. with economic opportunities.