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Background:
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 The
former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon merged in
1961 to form the present country. Cameroon has generally
enjoyed stability, which has permitted the development of
agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum
industry. Despite movement toward democratic reform, political
power remains firmly in the hands of an ethnic oligarchy. |
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Location:
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Western Africa,
bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and
Nigeria |
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Map references:
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Africa |
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Area:
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total:
475,440 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km
land: 469,440 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger
than California |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
4,591 km
border countries: Central African Republic 797 km, Chad
1,094 km, Republic of the Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189
km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 km |
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Coastline:
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402 km |
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Climate:
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varies with
terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in
north |
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Terrain:
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diverse, with
coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center,
mountains in west, plains in north |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Fako (on Mount Cameroon) 4,095 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum,
bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land:
12.81%
permanent crops: 2.58%
other: 84.61% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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330 sq km (1998
est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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volcanic activity
with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and
Lake Monoun volcanoes |
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Environment - current issues:
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water-borne
diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing;
desertification; poaching; overfishing |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of
the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical
Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements |
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Geography - note:
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sometimes
referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughout the country
there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current
or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest
mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano |
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Population:
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16,063,678
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into
account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can
result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and
death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in
the distribution of population by age and sex than would
otherwise be expected (July 2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
42% (male 3,416,086; female 3,334,904)
15-64 years: 54.8% (male 4,425,246; female 4,370,329)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 233,506; female 283,607)
(2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
18.5 years
male: 18.3 years
female: 18.6 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.97% (2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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35.08
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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15.34
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
69.18 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 65.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 73.16 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 47.95 years
male: 47.1 years
female: 48.83 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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11.8% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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920,000 (2001
est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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53,000 (2001
est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Cameroonian(s)
adjective: Cameroonian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Cameroon
Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%,
Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%,
non-African less than 1% |
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Religions:
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indigenous
beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20% |
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Languages:
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24 major African
language groups, English (official), French (official) |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79%
male: 84.7%
female: 73.4% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: Republic of Cameroon
conventional short form: Cameroon
former: French Cameroon |
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Government type:
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unitary republic;
multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized
in 1990)
note: preponderance of power remains with the president |
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Capital:
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Yaounde |
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Administrative divisions:
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10 provinces;
Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord,
Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest |
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Independence:
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1 January 1960
(from French-administered UN trusteeship) |
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National holiday:
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Republic Day
(National Day), 20 May (1972) |
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Constitution:
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20 May 1972
approved by referendum; 2 June 1972 formally adopted; revised
January 1996 |
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Legal system:
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based on French
civil law system, with common law influence; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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20 years of age;
universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
seven-year term; election last held 12 October 1997 (next to
be held NA October 2004); prime minister appointed by the
president
head of government: Prime Minister Peter Mafany MUSONGE
(since 19 September 1996)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from
proposals submitted by the prime minister
election results: President Paul BIYA reelected;
percent of vote - Paul BIYA 92.6%; note - supporters of the
opposition candidates boycotted the elections, making a
comparison of vote shares relatively meaningless |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral
National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members
are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms;
note - the president can either lengthen or shorten the term
of the legislature)
elections: last held 23 June 2002 (next to be held NA
2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats
by party - RDCP 133, SDF 21, UDC 5, other 21
note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for
the legislature, to be called a Senate, but it has yet to be
established |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court
(judges are appointed by the president); High Court of Justice
(consists of 9 judges and 6 substitute judges, elected by the
National Assembly) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Cameroonian
Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou NDAM NJOYA]; Democratic Rally
of the Cameroon People or RDCP [Paul BIYA]; Movement for the
Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]; Movement for
the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [leader
Marcel YONDO]; Movement for the Youth of Cameroon or MYC [Dieudonne
TINA]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari
BELLO BOUBA]; Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI];
Union of Cameroonian Populations or UPC [Augustin Frederic
KODOCK] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Southern Cameroon
National Council [Ayamba Ette OTUN]; Human Rights Defense
Group [Albert MUKONG, president] |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Jerome MENDOUGA
chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
20008
FAX: [1] (202) 387-3826
telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador George McDade STAPLES
embassy: Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde
mailing address: P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch:
American Embassy, Department of State, Washington, DC
20521-2520
telephone: [237] 223-05-12, 222-25-89, 222-17-94,
223-40-14
FAX: [237] 223-07-53
branch office(s): Douala |
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Economy - overview:
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Because of its
oil resources and favorable agricultural conditions, Cameroon
has one of the best-endowed primary commodity economies in
sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious
problems facing other underdeveloped countries, such as a
top-heavy civil service and a generally unfavorable climate
for business enterprise. Since 1990, the government has
embarked on various IMF and World Bank programs designed to
spur business investment, increase efficiency in agriculture,
improve trade, and recapitalize the nation's banks. In June
2000, the government completed an IMF-sponsored, three-year
structural adjustment program; however, the IMF is pressing
for more reforms, including increased budget transparency,
privatization, and poverty reduction programs. International
oil and cocoa prices have considerable impact on the economy. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $27.59 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.6% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $1,800 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
46%
industry: 21%
services: 33% (2001 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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48% (2000 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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4.5% (2002 est.) |
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Labor force:
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NA (2000) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 70%,
industry and commerce 13%, other 17% |
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Unemployment rate:
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30% (2001 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$2.2 billion
expenditures: $2.1 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
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Industries:
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petroleum
production and refining, food processing, light consumer
goods, textiles, lumber |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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4.2% (1999 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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3.613 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
2.7%
hydro: 97.3%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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3.36 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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76,650 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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22,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m (2001
est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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0 cu m (2001
est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coffee, cocoa,
cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root starches;
livestock; timber |
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Exports:
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$1.873 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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crude oil and
petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee,
cotton |
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Exports - partners:
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Italy 17.4%,
Spain 16.8%, France 13.4%, US 8.7%, Netherlands 8.6%, China
5.4%, UK 4.7%, Germany 4.1% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$1.959 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery,
electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food |
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Imports - partners:
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France 28%,
Nigeria 12.7%, US 7.9%, Belgium 5.7%, Germany 4.8%, Italy 4.3%
(2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$8.6 billion
(2002 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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on 23 January
2001, the Paris Club agreed to reduce Cameroon's debt of $1.3
billion by $900 million; debt relief now totals $1.26 billion |
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Currency:
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Communaute
Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority
is the Bank of the Central African States |
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Currency code:
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XAF |
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Exchange rates:
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Communaute
Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 581.2
(2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.7
(1999) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 July - 30 June |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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110,900 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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675,700 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: available only to business and government
domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and
tropospheric scatter
international: country code - 237; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine
cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 2, FM 9,
shortwave 3 (2002) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (2002) |
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Internet country code:
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.cm |
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Internet hosts:
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439 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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60,000 (2002)
note: Cameroon also had more than 100 cyber-cafes in
2001 |
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Railways:
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total:
1,008 km
narrow gauge: 1,008 km 1.000-m gauge (2003) |
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Highways:
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total:
34,300 km
paved: 4,288 km
unpaved: 30,012 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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2,090 km (of
decreasing importance) (2002) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 90 km; liquid
petroleum gas 9 km; oil 1,124 km (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Bonaberi, Douala,
Garoua, Kribi, Tiko |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 1
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 169,593 GRT/357,023 DWT
by type: petroleum tanker 1 (2003 est.) |
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Airports:
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47 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 11
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 36
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 20
under 914 m: 9 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Army, Navy
(includes Naval Infantry), Air Force |
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Military manpower - military age:
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18 years of age
(2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 3,898,944 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 1,979,151 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males:
184,054 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$189.2 million
(203) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.4% (2003) |
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Disputes - international:
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ICJ ruled in 2002
on the entire Cameroon-Nigeria land and maritime boundary but
the parties formed a Joint Border Commission to resolve
differences bilaterally and have commenced with demarcation in
less-contested sections of the boundary, starting in Lake Chad
in the north; the ICF ruled on an equidistance settlement of
Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the
Gulf of Guinea, however, implementation of the decision is
delayed due to imprecisely defined coordinates, the unresolved
Bakasi allocation, and a sovereignty dispute between
Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of
the Ntem River; Nigeria initially rejected cession of the
Bakasi Peninsula; Lake Chad Commission continues to urge
signatories Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria to ratify
delimitation treaty over the lake region, which remains the
site of armed clashes among local populations and militias |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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