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 Bight of Biafra between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

Geographic coordinates: 6 00 N 12 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Comparative: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries

Coastline: 402 km

Maritime claims

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

Land use

Irrigated land: 210 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous gases

Geography
Note: sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa


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Population: 15,421,937
Growth rate: 2.47% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: 40% (1984 est.)

Nationality

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 40% Christian 40% Muslim 20%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.47% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 36.6 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 11.89 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1000 population

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: water-borne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 70.87 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 4.88 children born/woman (2000 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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: unitary republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized in 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) 1 October 1961 (for areas ruled by Britain under UN trusteeship)

National holiday: National Day 20 May (1972)

Constitution: 20 May 1972 approved by referendum; 2 June 1972 formally adopted

Legal system: based on French civil law system with common law influence; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: 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)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court judges are appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders: Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou NDAM NJOYA]; Cameroon Liberation and Development Movement or MLDC [Marcel YONDO]; Democratic Rally of the Cameroon People or RDPC (the RDPC or its predecessor parties have ruled since independence) [Paul BIYA president]; Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]; Movement for the Liberation of Cameroonian Youths or MLJC [leader NA]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA chairman]; Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI]; Union of Cameroonian Populations or UPC-K [Augustin Frederick KODOG]

International organization participation: ACCT ACP AfDB BDEAC C CCC CEEAC ECA FAO FZ G-19 G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICFTU ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Inmarsat Intelsat Interpol IOC ITU NAM OAU OIC OPCW PCA UDEAC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNITAR UPU WCL WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation

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 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. The government however has failed to press forward vigorously with these programs. The latest enhanced structural adjustment agreement was signed in October 1997; the parties hope this will prove more successful yet government mismanagement and corruption remain problems. Inflation has been brought back under control. Progress toward privatization of remaining state industry should support continued economic growth in 2000.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5.2% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $2000 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: coffee cocoa cotton rubber bananas oilseed grains root starches; livestock; timber

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: NA
By occupation agriculture: 70%
By occupation industry and commerce: 13%
By occupation other: 17%

Unemployment rate: 30% (1998 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 40% (1984 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.1% (1999 est.)

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: $2 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: crude oil and petroleum products lumber cocoa beans aluminum coffee cotton
Partners: Italy 25% Spain 20% France 16% Netherlands 7% (1997 est.)

Imports: $1.5 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: machines and electrical equipment transport equipment fuel food
Partners: France 25% Nigeria 8% US 8% Germany 6% (1997 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $11.5 billion (1999 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 647.25 (January 2000) 615.70 (1999) 589.95 (1998) 583.67 (1997) 511.55 (1996) 499.15 (1995)


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Electricity
Production: 3.285 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 3.055 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 60,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: 2,800 (1995)

Telephone system: available only to business and government

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: NA

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $155 million (FY98/99)
Percent of gdp: 1.4% (FY98/99)

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: 50 (1999 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 2,090 km; of decreasing importance

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: delimitation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad the lack of which led to border incidents in the past is complete and awaits ratification by Cameroon Chad Niger and Nigeria; dispute with Nigeria over land and maritime boundaries around the Bakasi Peninsula and Lake Chad is currently before the ICJ as is a dispute with Equatorial Guinea over the exclusive maritime economic zone

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs