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 a slow movement toward democratic reform political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA.

Geographic coordinates: 6 00 N 12 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 475,440 km²
Land: 469,440 km²
Water: 6,000 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries
Total: 4,591 km
Border countries: (6) 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

Coastline: 402 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 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
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Fako 4,095 m (on Mt. Cameroon)

Natural resources: petroleum bauxite iron ore timber hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 12.54%
Permanent crops: 2.52%
Other: 84.94% (2005)

Irrigated land: 260 km² (2003)

Total renewable water resources: 285.5 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

Population
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 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 2.218% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Cameroonian
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 40% Christian 40% Muslim 20%

Age structure
0-14 years: 41.1% (male 3,826,232/female 3,757,859)
15-64 years: 55.7% (male 5,164,338/female 5,122,817)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 274,821/female 321,625) (2008 est.)

Median age
Total: 19 years
Male: 18.9 years
Female: 19.2 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.218% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 34.59 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 12.41 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: NA (2008 est.)

Environment
Current issues: waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing
International agreements 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, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.02 male/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male/female
Total population: 1.01 male/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 64.57 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 69.39 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 59.62 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 53.3 years
Male: 52.54 years
Female: 54.08 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.41 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 6.9% (2003 est.)
People living with hivaids: 560,000 (2003 est.)
Deaths: 49,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever
Water contact disease: schistosomiasis
Respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
Animal contact disease: rabies (2008)

Education expenditures: 3.3% of GDP (2006)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 67.9%
Male: 77%
Female: 59.8% (2001 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 9 years
Male: 10 years
Female: 8 years (2006)

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: French Cameroon, British Cameroon, Federal Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon

Government type: republic; multiparty presidential regime

Capital
Name: Yaounde
Geographic coordinates: 3 52 N, 11 31 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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

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

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

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

Legal system: based on French civil law system with common law influence; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)
Head of government: Prime Minister Ephraim INONI (since 8 December 2004)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from proposals submitted by the prime minister
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 11 October 2004 (next to be held by October 2011); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: President Paul BIYA reelected; percent of vote - Paul BIYA 70.9%, John FRU NDI 17.4%, Adamou Ndam NJOYA 4.5%, Garga Haman ADJI 3.7%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 22 July 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RDCP 140, SDF 14, UDC 4, UNDP 4, MP 1, vacant 17; note - vacant seats will be determined in a yet to be scheduled by-election after the Supreme Court nullified results in five districts
Note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for the legislature, to be called a Senate, but it has yet to be established

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: Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA]; Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or RDPC [Paul BIYA]; 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: ACCT ACP AfDB AU BDEAC C CEMAC FAO FZ G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt (signatory) ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO (correspondent) ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA NAM OIC OIF OPCW PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph FOE-ATANGANA
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
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Janet E. GARVEY
From the us embassy: Avenue Rosa Parks, Yaounde
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20,521-2,520
From the us telephone: [237] 2,220 15 00; Consular: [237] 2,220 16 03
From the us fax: [237] 2,220 16 00 Ext. 4,531; Consular FAX: [237] 2,220 17 52
From the us branch offices: Douala

Flag description
Note: uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

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 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. In 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. International oil and cocoa prices have a significant impact on the economy.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $40.24 billion (2007 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 2.7% (2007 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $2,200 (2007 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 43.9%
Industry: 15.8%
Services: 40.3% (2007 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 3.5% (2007 est.)

Labor force: 6.674 million (2007 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 70%
By occupation industry: 13%
By occupation services: 17% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: 30% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.3%
Highest 10: 35.4% (2001)

Distribution of family income gini index: 44.6 (2001)

Budget
Revenues: $4.179 billion
Expenditures: $3.297 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt: 15.5% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.1% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 15% (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit: $1.3 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$325 million (2007 est.)

Exports: $3.827 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: crude oil and petroleum products lumber cocoa beans aluminum coffee cotton
Partners: Spain 19.8% Italy 15.7% France 11.7% South Korea 9.4% Netherlands 6.1% US 5.7% (2007)

Imports: $3.714 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: machinery electrical equipment transport equipment fuel food
Partners: France 23.4% Nigeria 12.8% China 9% Belgium 5.8% US 4% (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.932 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt external: $2.554 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 493.51 (2007) 522.59 (2006) 527.47 (2005) 528.29 (2004) 581.2 (2003)

Electricity
Production: 3.903 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Consumption: 3.323 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2007 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2007 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 20 million m³ (2006 est.)
Consumption: 20 million m³ (2006 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Proven reserves: 135.1 billion m³ (1 January 2008 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 130,700 (2006)
Mobile cellular: 4.536 million (2007)

Telephone system
General assessment: fixed-line connections stand at less than 1 per 100 persons; equipment is old and outdated, and connections with many parts of the country are unreliable; mobile-cellular usage, in part a reflection of the poor condition and general inadequacy of the fixed-line network, increased more than 6-fold between 2002 and 2007 reaching a subscribership base of 25 per 100 persons
Domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter
International: country code - 237; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Internet
Country code: .cm
Hosts: 69 (2008)
Users: 370,000 (2006)

Military expenditures: 1.3% of GDP (2006)

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; the government makes periodic calls for volunteers (2006)

Airports: 45 (2007)
With paved runways total: 11
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: 1 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 34
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 6
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 20
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 8 (2007)

Pipelines: gas 27 km; liquid petroleum gas 5 km; oil 1110 km (2007)

Railways
Total: 987 km
Narrow gauge: 987 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Roadways
Total: 50,000 km
Paved: 5,000 km
Unpaved: 45,000 km (2004)

Waterways: navigation mainly on Benue River; limited during rainy season (2005)

Ports and terminals: Douala Limboh Terminal

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 agree 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: 20,000-30,000 (Chad); 3,000 (Nigeria); 24,000 (Central African Republic) (2007)