Map of Cameroon | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: 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: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total area total: 475,440 km²
Land: 469,440 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries: total 4,591 km, Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km, Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 km

Coastline: 402 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea:50 nm

Climate: varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north

Terrain: diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north

Elevation

Natural resources: petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower potential

Land use
Arable land: 13%
Permanent crops: 2%
Meadows and pastures: 18%
Forest and woodland: 54%
Other: 13%

Irrigated land: 280 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa


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Population: 13.521 million (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 2.92% (1995 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Cameroonian(s)
Adjective: Cameroonian

Ethnic groups: Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%, non-African less than 1%

Languages: 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)

Religions: indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 33%, Muslim 16%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 44% (female 2,978,216; male 3,001,487)
15-64 years: 52% (female 3,562,247; male 3,523,100)
65 years and over: 4% (female 248,314; male 207,636) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.92% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 40.42 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 11.19 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water-borne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing
Current issues natural hazards: recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous gases
Current issues international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Nuclear Test Ban, Tropical Timber 94

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 75.4 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 57.48 years
Male: 55.41 years
Female: 59.6 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1987)
Total population: 55%
Male: 66%
Female: 45%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon
Conventional short form: Cameroon
Former: French Cameroon

Government type: unitary republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized 1990)

Capital: Yaounde

Administrative divisions: 10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 January 1960 (from UN trusteeship under French administration)

National holiday: National Day, 20 May (1972)

Constitution: 20 May 1972

Legal system: based on French civil law system, with common law influence; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982); election last held 11 October 1992; results - President Paul BIYA reelected with about 40% of the vote amid widespread allegations of fraud; SDF candidate John FRU NDI got 36% of the vote; UNDP candidate Bello Bouba MAIGARI got 19% of the vote
Head of government: Prime Minister Simon ACHIDI ACHU (since 9 April 1992)
Cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president

Legislative branch: unicameral
National Assembly Assemblee Nationale: elections last held 1 March 1992 (next scheduled for March 1997); results - (180 seats) CPDM 88, UNDP 68, UPC 18, MDR 6

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-19, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jerome MENDOUGA
In the us chancery: 2,349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 265-8,790 through 8,794
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Harriet W. ISOM
From the us embassy: Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde
From the us mailing address: B. P. 817, Yaounde
From the us telephone: [237] 23-40-14
From the us FAX: [237] 23-07-53
From the us consulates: none (Douala closed September 1993)

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Because of its offshore oil resources and favorable agricultural conditions, Cameroon has one of the best-endowed, most diversified primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious problems facing other underdeveloped countries, such as political instability, a top-heavy civil service, and a generally unfavorable climate for business enterprise. The development of the oil sector led rapid economic growth between 1970 and 1985. Growth came to an abrupt halt in 1986, precipitated by steep declines in the prices of major exports:coffee, cocoa, and petroleum. Export earnings were cut by almost one-third, and inefficiencies in fiscal management were exposed. In 1990-93, with support from the IMF and World Bank, the government began to introduce reforms designed to spur business investment, increase efficiency in agriculture, and recapitalize the nation's banks. Political instability, following suspect elections in 1992, brought IMF/WB structural adjustment to a halt. Although the 50% devaluation of the currency in January 1994 improved the potential for export growth, mismanagement remains and is the main barrier to economic improvement.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -2.9% (1994 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $1,200 (1994 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: the agriculture and forestry sectors provide employment for the majority of the population, contributing about 25% to GDP and providing a high degree of self-sufficiency in staple foods; commercial and food crops include coffee, cocoa, timber, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, livestock, root starches

Industries: petroleum production and refining, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber

Industrial production growth rate: -2.1% (FY90/91; accounts for about 20% of GDP

Labor force: NA
By occupation agriculture: 74.4%
By occupation industry andtransport: 11.4%
By occupation other services: 14.2% (1983)

Unemployment rate: 25% (1990 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1.6 billion
Expenditures: $2.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $226 million (FY92/93 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
Commodoties: petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton
Partners: EC (particularly France) about 40%, African countries, US

Imports: $1.96 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
Commodoties: machines and electrical equipment, food, consumer goods, transport equipment
Partners: EC about 60% (France 38%, Germany 9%), African countries, Japan, US 5%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $6 billion (1991)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 529.43 (January 1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990)
Note: beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948


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Electricity
Capacity: 630,000 kW
Production: 2.7 billion kWh
Production consumption per capita: 196 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: 26,000 telephones; telephone density - 2 telephones/1000 persons; available only to business and government
Local: NA
Intercity: cable, microwave radio relay, and troposcatter
International: 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $102 million, NA% of GDP (1994)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 60
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 20
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2438 m: 9
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 21

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 2,090 km; of decreasing importance

Merchant marine: total:2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 24,122 GRT/33,509 DWT

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; dispute with Nigeria over land and maritime boundaries in the vicinity of the Bakasi Peninsula has been referred to the International Court of Justice

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs