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

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Background: Much of the area of present-day Cameroon was ruled by powerful chiefdoms before becoming a German colony in 1884 known as Kamerun. After World War I, the territory was divided between France and the UK as League of Nations mandates. 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 enabled 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: Africa

Area
Total: 475,440 km²
Land: 472,710 km²
Water: 2,730 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than California; about four times the size of Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
Total: 5,018 km
Border countries: (6) Central African Republic 901 km; , Chad 1116 km; , Republic of the Congo 494 km; , Equatorial Guinea 183 km; , Gabon 349 km; , Nigeria 1975 km

Coastline: 402 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguouszone: 24 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
Highest point: Fako on Mont Cameroun 4,045 m
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation: 667 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 20.6% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 13.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 3.3% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 4.2% (2018 est.)
Forest: 41.7% (2018 est.)
Other: 37.7% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 290 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²: Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 km²), Niger (2,261,741 km²)
Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Lake Chad (2,497,738 km²)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 246.8 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Industrial: 104.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 737 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 283.15 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

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 because of its central location on the continent and its position at the west-south juncture of the Gulf of Guinea; 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
Distribution: population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated: 28,524,175 (July 2021 est.)
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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
Growth rate: 2.77% (2021 est.)
Below poverty line: 37.5% (2014 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Cameroonian(s)
Adjective: Cameroonian

Ethnic groups: Bamileke-Bamu 24.3%, Beti/Bassa, Mbam 21.6%, Biu-Mandara 14.6%, Arab-Choa/Hausa/Kanuri 11%, Adamawa-Ubangi, 9.8%, Grassfields 7.7%, Kako, Meka/Pygmy 3.3%, Cotier/Ngoe/Oroko 2.7%, Southwestern Bantu 0.7%, foreign/other ethnic group 4.5% (2018 est.)

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

Religions: Roman Catholic 38.3%, Protestant 25.5%, other Christian 6.9%, Muslim 24.4%, animist 2.2%, other 0.5%, none 2.2% (2018 est.)

Demographic profile: Cameroon has a large youth population, with more than 60% of the populace under the age of 25. Fertility is falling but remains at a high level, especially among poor, rural, and uneducated women, in part because of inadequate access to contraception. Life expectancy remains low at about 55 years due to the prevalence of HIV and AIDs and an elevated maternal mortality rate, which has remained high since 1990. Cameroon, particularly the northern region, is vulnerable to food insecurity largely because of government mismanagement, corruption, high production costs, inadequate infrastructure, and natural disasters. Despite economic growth in some regions, poverty is on the rise, and is most prevalent in rural areas, which are especially affected by a shortage of jobs, declining incomes, poor school and health care infrastructure, and a lack of clean water and sanitation. Underinvestment in social safety nets and ineffective public financial management also contribute to Cameroon’s high rate of poverty.  The activities of Boko Haram, other armed groups, and counterinsurgency operations have worsened food insecurity in the Far North region.  

Age structure
0-14 years: 42.34% (male 5,927,640/female 5,820,226)
15-24 years: 20.04% (male 2,782,376/female 2,776,873)
25-54 years: 30.64% (male 4,191,151/female 4,309,483)
55-64 years: 3.87% (male 520,771/female 552,801)
65 years and over: 3.11% (male 403,420/female 460,248) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 81.1
Youth dependency ratio: 76.2
Elderly dependency ratio: 4.9
Potential support ratio: 20.3 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 18.5 years
Male: 18.2 years
Female: 18.8 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.77% (2021 est.)

Birth rate: 35.91 births/1000 population (2021 est.)

Death rate: 7.93 deaths/1000 population (2021 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.32 migrant(s)/1000 population (2021 est.)

Population distribution: population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated

Urbanization
Urban population: 58.1% of total population (2021)
Rate of urbanization: 3.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 4.164 million YAOUNDE (capital), 3.793 million Douala (2021)

Environment
Current issues: waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation and overgrazing result in erosion, desertification, and reduced quality of pastureland; poaching; overfishing; overhunting
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 65.26 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 8.29 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 30.71 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 20.1 years (2018 est.)
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-49

Maternal mortality ratio: 529 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 50.09 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 55.01 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 45.02 deaths/1000 live births (2021 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 62.79 years
Male: 61.07 years
Female: 64.57 years (2021 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.61 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 19.3% (2018)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 94% of population
Improved rural: 54.6% of population
Improved total: 76.5% of population
Unimproved urban: 6% of population
Unimproved rural: 45.3% of population
Unimproved total: 23.5% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 3.5% (2018)

Physicians density: 0.09 physicians/1000 population (2011)

Hospital bed density: 1.3 beds/1000 population

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: 83.3% of population
Improved rural: 25.6% of population
Improved total: 57.7% of population
Unimproved urban: 16.7% of population
Unimproved rural: 74.4% of population
Unimproved total: 42.3% of population (2017 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 3% (2020 est.)
People living with hivaids: 500,000 (2020 est.)
Deaths: 14,000 (2020 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2020)
Food or water borne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vector borne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Watercontactdiseases: schistosomiasis
Animalcontactdiseases: rabies
Respiratorydiseases: meningococcal meningitis

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 11.4% (2016)

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 11% (2018/19)

Education expenditures: 3.1% of GDP (2019)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 77.1%
Male: 82.6%
Female: 71.6% (2018)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 12 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 11 years (2016)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 6.3%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 5.8%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 6.8% (2014 est.)


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon
Conventional short form: Cameroon
Local long form: Republique du Cameroun/Republic of Cameroon
Local short form: Cameroun/Cameroon
Former: Kamerun, French Cameroon, British Cameroon, Federal Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon
Etymology: in the 15th century, Portuguese explorers named the area near the mouth of the Wouri River the Rio dos Camaroes (River of Prawns) after the abundant shrimp in the water; over time the designation became Cameroon in English; this is the only instance where a country is named after a crustacean

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Yaounde
Geographic coordinates: 3 52 N, 11 31 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: founded as a German colonial settlement of Jaunde in 1888 and named after the local Yaunde (Ewondo) people

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

Dependent areas

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

National holiday: State Unification Day (National Day), 20 May (1972)

Constitution
History: several previous; latest effective 18 January 1996
Amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament; amendment drafts require approval of at least one third of the membership in either house of Parliament; passage requires absolute majority vote of the Parliament membership; passage of drafts requested by the president for a second reading in Parliament requires two-thirds majority vote of its membership; the president can opt to submit drafts to a referendum, in which case passage requires a simple majority; constitutional articles on Cameroon’s unity and territorial integrity and its democratic principles cannot be amended; amended 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
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descentonly: at least one parent must be a citizen of Cameroon
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)
Head of government: Prime Minister Joseph Dion NGUTE (since 4 January 2019); Deputy Prime Minister Amadou ALI (since 2014)
Cabinet: Cabinet proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president
Elections and appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (no term limits); election last held on 7 October 2018 (next to be held in October 2025); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: Paul BIYA reelected president; percent of vote - Paul BIYA (CPDM) 71.3%, Maurice KAMTO (MRC) 14.2%, Cabral LIBII (Univers) 6.3%, other 8.2%

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of:
Senate or Senat (100 seats; 70 members indirectly elected by regional councils and 30 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms)
National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)
Elections: Senate - last held on 25 March 2018 (next to be held in 2023)
National Assembly - last held on 9 February 2020 (current term extended by President); note - the constitutional court has ordered a partial rerun of elections in the English speaking areas; date to be determined
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - CDPM 81.1%, SDF 8.6%, UNDP 5.8%, UDC 1.16%, other 2.8%; seats by party - CPDM 63, SDF 7
National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPDM 139, UNDP 7, SDF 5, PCRN 5, UDC 4, FSNC 3, MDR 2, Union of Socialist Movements 2; 13 vacant; composition - NA

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of Cameroon (consists of 9 titular and 6 surrogate judges and organized into judicial, administrative, and audit chambers); Constitutional Council (consists of 11 members)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president with the advice of the Higher Judicial Council of Cameroon, a body chaired by the president and includes the minister of justice, selected magistrates, and representatives of the National Assembly; judge term NA; Constitutional Council members appointed by the president for single 9-year terms
Subordinate courts: Parliamentary Court of Justice (jurisdiction limited to cases involving the president and prime minister); appellate and first instance courts; circuit and magistrates' courts

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Democracy and Development
Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM [Paul BIYA]
Cameroon People's Party or CPP [Edith Kah WALLA]
Cameroon Renaissance Movement or MRC [Maurice KAMTO]
Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA]
Cameroonian Party for National Reconciliation or PCRN [Cabral LIBII]
Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon or FSNC [Issa Tchiroma BAKARY]
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 [Jean-Jacques EKINDI]
Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI]
Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC [Provisionary Management Bureau]
Union of Socialist Movements

International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, C, CEMAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, 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, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Henri ETOUNDI ESSOMBA (since 27 June 2016)
In the us chancery: 2,349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 265-8,790
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 387-3,826
In the us email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant);  Deputy Chief of Mission (currently serving as Charge d'Affaires) Mary E. DASCHBACH
From the us embassy: Avenue Rosa Parks, Yaoundé
From the us mailing address: 2,520 Yaounde Place, Washington, DC  20,521-2,520
From the us telephone: [237] 22,251-4,000/[237] 22,220-1500
From the us FAX: [237] 22,220-1500, Ext. 4,531
From the us email address and website:

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'
Note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia

National symbols: lion; national colors: green, red, yellow

National anthem
Name: 'O Cameroun, Berceau de nos Ancetres' (O Cameroon, Cradle of Our Forefathers)
Lyrics and music: Rene Djam AFAME, Samuel Minkio BAMBA, Moise Nyatte NKO'O [French], Benard Nsokika FONLON [English]/Rene Djam AFAME
Note: adopted 1957; Cameroon's anthem, also known as 'Chant de Ralliement' (The Rallying Song), has been used unofficially since 1948 and officially adopted in 1957; the anthem has French and English versions whose lyrics differ

National heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate: 3.5% (2017 est.)

4.6% (2016 est.)

5.7% (2015 est.)

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 66.3% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 11.8% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 21.6% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: -0.3% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 21.6% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -20.9% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 16.7% (2017 est.)
Industry: 26.5% (2017 est.)
Services: 56.8% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: cassava, plantains, maize, oil palm fruit, taro, sugar cane, sorghum, tomatoes, bananas, vegetables

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

Industrial production growth rate: 3.3% (2017 est.)

Labor force: 9.912 million (2017 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 70%
By occupation industry: 13%
By occupation services: 17% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: 4.3% (2014 est.)

30% (2001 est.)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15-24 total: 6.3%
Rate ages 15-24 male: 5.8%
Rate ages 15-24 female: 6.8% (2014 est.)

Population below poverty line: 37.5% (2014 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 46.5 (2014 est.)

46.6 (2014 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 37.5%
Highest 10: 35.4% (2001)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $5.363 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: $6.556 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: $-3.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 15.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt: 36.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

32.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

Revenue
From forest resources forest revenues: 2.5% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal coal revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.4% (2019 est.)

1% (2018 est.)

0.6% (2017 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: -$932 million (2017 est.)

-$1.034 billion (2016 est.)

Exports: $7.73 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

$7.3 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Partners: China 17%, Netherlands 14%, Italy 9%, United Arab Emirates 8%, India 7%, United States 6%, Belgium 6%, Spain 5%, France 5% (2019)
Commodities: crude petroleum, cocoa beans, lumber, gold, natural gas, bananas (2019)

Imports: $9.09 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

$8.42 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)
Partners: China 28%, Nigeria 15%, France 9%, Belgium 6% (2019)
Commodities: crude petroleum, scrap vessels, rice, special purpose ships, packaged medicines (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $3.235 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$2.26 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt external: $9.375 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

$7.364 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 70% (2019)
Access electrification urban areas: 98% (2019)
Access electrification rural areas: 32% (2019)
Production: 8.108 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption: 6.411 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports: 55 million kWh (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 1.558 million kW (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 52% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 47% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources: 1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 69,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil exports: 96,370 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports: 36,480 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves: 200 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 39,080 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products consumption: 45,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products exports: 8,545 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 14,090 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 910.4 million m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption: 906.1 million m³ (2017 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Proven reserves: 135.1 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 883,015 (2020)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3.33 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 25,245,134 (2020)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 95.1 (2020 est.)

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 (2019)

Internet
Country code: .cm
Users total: 9.15 million (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 23.2% (2019 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 713,845 (2020)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2.69 (2020 est.)


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Military expenditures: 1% of GDP (2020 est.)

1.1% of GDP (2019)

1.1% of GDP (2018)

1.3% of GDP (2017)

1.3% of GDP (2016)

Military and security forces: Cameroon Armed Forces (Forces Armees Camerounaises, FAC): Army (L'Armee de Terre), Navy (Marine Nationale Republique, MNR, includes naval infantry), Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Cameroun, AAC), Rapid Intervention Battalion (Bataillons d’Intervention Rapide, BIR), Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard (2021)

note(s) - the National Police (under the General Delegation of National Security) and the Gendarmerie are responsible for internal security; the Rapid Intervention Battalion (RIB) is a large brigade-sized force comprised of approximately 9 battalions, detachments, or groups (5 infantry, 1 airborne, 1 amphibious, 1 armored reconnaissance, and 1 counter-terrorism); the RIB maintains its own command and control structure and reports directly to the president, rather than the defense minister

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; periodic government calls for volunteers (2019)

Space program

Terrorist groups: Boko Haram; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – West Africa
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix T


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 265,136 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 70,000 mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: TJ

Airports
Total: 33 (2013)
With paved runways total: 11
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 5
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 22
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 10
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 8 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines: 53 km gas, 5 km liquid petroleum gas, 1107 km oil, 35 km water (2013)

Railways
Total: 987 km (2014)
Narrowgauge: 987 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
Note: railway connections generally efficient but limited; rail lines connect major cities of Douala, Yaounde, Ngaoundere, and Garoua; passenger and freight service provided by CAMRAIL

Roadways
Total: 77,589 km (2016)
Paved: 5,133 km (2016)
Unpaved: 72,456 km (2016)

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
Total: 94
By type: bulk carrier 3, container ship 1,general cargo 35, oil tanker 24, other 31 (2021)

Ports and terminals
Oil terminals: Limboh Terminal
River ports: Douala (Wouri)


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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
Refugees country of origin: 345,471 (Central African Republic), 119,552 (Nigeria) (2021)
IDPs: 1,052,591 (2021) (includes far north, northwest, and southwest)

Illicit drugs