Map of Cameroon | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: French Cameroon became independent in 1960 as the Republic of Cameroon. The following year the southern portion of neighboring British Cameroon voted to merge with the new country to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. In 1972 a new constitution replaced the federation with a unitary state the United Republic of Cameroon. The country has generally enjoyed stability which has permitted the development of agriculture roads and railways as well as a petroleum industry. Despite slow movement toward democratic reform political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA.


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Location: Central Africa bordering the Bight of Biafra between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

Geographic coordinates: 6 00 N 12 00 E

Map reference

Area
Rank: 54
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: 290 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 273 km³ (2003)

Natural hazards: volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes

Geography
Note: 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: 20,129,878 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 58
Growth rate: 2.082% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 47
Below poverty line: 48% (2000 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: 2.082% (2012 est.)
Rank: 47

Birth rate: 32.49 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 36

Death rate: 11.66 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 32

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 80

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 29

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 201

Total fertility rate: 4.09 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 42

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.19 physicians/1000 population (2004)

Hospital bed density: 1.5 beds/1000 population (2006)

Sanitation facility access:
Unimproved:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 5.3% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 13
People living with hivaids: 610,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 14
Deaths: 37,000 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 11

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 16.6% (2006)
Rank: 48

Education expenditures: 3.7% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 113

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: republic; multiparty presidential regime

Capital

Administrative divisions: 10 regions (regions singular - region); Adamaoua Centre Est Extreme-Nord Littoral Nord North-West (Nord-Ouest) Ouest Sud South-West (Sud-Ouest)

Dependent areas

Independence: 1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday: Republic Day (National Day) 20 May (1972)

Constitution: approved by referendum 20 May 1972; adopted 2 June 1972; revised January 1996; amended April 2008

Legal system: mixed legal system of English common law French civil law and customary law

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: 20 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); High Court of Justice (consists of nine judges and six substitute judges; elected by the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders: Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM [Paul BIYA]; Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA]; Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]; Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [Marcel YONDO]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA]; Progressive Movement or MP; Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI]; Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC [Augustin Frederic KODOCK]

International organization participation: ACP AfDB AU BDEAC C CEMAC EITI (candidate country) FAO FZ G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) MIGA MONUSCO NAM OIC OIF OPCW PCA UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO

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; the vertical tricolor recalls the flag of France; red symbolizes unity yellow the sun happiness and the savannahs in the north and green hope and the forests in the south; the star is referred to as the 'star of unity'

National symbols: lion

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Because of its modest 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 confronting other underdeveloped countries such as stagnant per capita income a relatively inequitable distribution of income a top-heavy civil service endemic corruption 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 IMF is pressing for more reforms including increased budget transparency privatization and poverty reduction programs. Subsidies for electricity food and fuel have strained the budget. New mining projects - in diamonds for example - have attracted foreign investment but large ventures will take time to develop. Cameroon's business environment - one of the world's worst - is a deterrent to foreign investment.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 96

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 67

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 185

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: coffee cocoa cotton rubber bananas oilseed grains cassava (manioc); livestock; timber

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: 4% (2010 est.)
Rank: 81

Labor force: 8.264 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 58

Unemployment rate: 30% (2001 est.)
Rank: 177

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 48% (2000 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index: 47.7 (1996)
Rank: 43

Budget
Surplus or deficit: -1.5% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 64

Taxes and other revenues: 21.4% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 150

Public debt: 13.9% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 136

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.9% (2011 est.)
Rank: 72

Central bank discount rate: 4.25% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 82

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 14% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 58

Stock of narrow money: $3.514 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 109

Stock of broad money: $5.66 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 122

Stock of domestic credit: $2.523 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 130

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance: -$1.365 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 110

Exports: $5.544 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 104
Commodities: crude oil and petroleum products lumber cocoa beans aluminum coffee cotton
Partners: Spain 13.4% China 11.4% Netherlands 9.8% Italy 8.9% France 6.4% US 5.9% India 5.7% Germany 4.8% Belgium 4.1% (2011)

Imports: $6.108 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 114
Commodities: machinery electrical equipment transport equipment fuel food
Partners: China 16.8% France 16.6% Nigeria 12.3% Belgium 5.3% Italy 4.3% US 4.2% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $3.245 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 99

Debt external: $3.147 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 132

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 5.589 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 114
Consumption: 5.049 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 113
Exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 179
Imports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 171
Installed generating capacity: 1.115 million kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 122
Generation sources fossil fuels: 27.8% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 182
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 67
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 72.2% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 22
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 122

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 61,580 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 56
Crude oil exports: 64,740 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 42
Crude oil imports: 32,490 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 65
Crude oil proven reserves: 200 million bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 61

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 42,520 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 86
Products consumption: 29,410 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 116
Products exports: 17,470 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 77
Products imports: 5,715 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 151

Natural gas
Production: 20 million m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 89
Consumption: 20 million m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 114
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 178
Imports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 177
Proven reserves: 135.1 billion m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 50

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 7.361 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 111

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 669,000 (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 90
Mobile cellular: 10.486 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 72

Telephone system

Broadcast media: government maintains tight control over broadcast media; state-owned Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) broadcasting on both a TV and radio network was the only officially recognized and fully licensed broadcaster until August 2007 when the government finally issued licenses to 2 private TV broadcasters and 1 private radio broadcaster; about 70 privately-owned unlicensed radio stations operating but are subject to closure at any time; foreign news services required to partner with state-owned national station (2007)

Internet
Country code: .cm
Hosts: 10,207 (2012)
Hosts rank: 134
Users: 749,600 (2009)
Users rank: 106

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 1.3% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 110

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18-23 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; high school graduation required; service obligation 4 years; the government makes periodic calls for volunteers (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 34 (2012)
Rank: 112

Heliports

Pipelines: oil 886 km (2010)

Railways
Rank: 82

Roadways
Rank: 79

Waterways: (major rivers in the south such as the Wouri and the Sanaga are largely non-navigable; in the north the Benue which connects through Nigeria to the Niger River is navigable in the rainy season only to the port of Garoua) (2010)

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Douala Garoua Limboh Terminal


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Disputes international: Joint Border Commission with Nigeria reviewed 2002 ICJ ruling on the entire boundary and bilaterally resolved differences including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately ceded sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon with a full phase-out of Nigerian control and patriation of residents in 2008; Cameroon and Nigeria agreed on maritime delimitation in March 2008; sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs