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.

Geographic coordinates: 6 00 N 12 00 E

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 475,440 km²
Rank: 54
Land: 472,710 km²
Water: 2,730 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries
Total: 4,591 km
Border countries: (6) Central African Republic 797 km; Chad 1094 km; Republic of the Congo 523 km; Equatorial Guinea 189 km; Gabon 298 km; Nigeria 1690 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: 290 km² (2008)

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
Volcanism: Mt. Cameroon (elev. 4,095 m) which last erupted in 2000 is the most frequently active volcano in West Africa; lakes in Oku volcanic field have released fatal levels of gas on occasion killing some 1700 people in 1986

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: 19,711,291 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 58
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: 2.121% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 41
Below poverty line: 48% (2000 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: 40.5%
15-64 years: 56.2% (male 5,564,570/female 5,505,857)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 300,929/female 356,335) (2011 est.)

Median age
Total: 19.4 years
Male: 19.3 years
Female: 19.6 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.121% (2011 est.)
Rank: 41

Birth rate: 33.04 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 37

Death rate: 11.83 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 30

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 80

Urbanization
Urban population: 58% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 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(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 60.91 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 33
Male: 65.48 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 56.2 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 54.39 years
Rank: 200
Male: 53.52 years
Female: 55.28 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.17 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 39

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 0.19 physicians/1000 population (2004)
Rank: 151

Hospital bed density: 1.5 beds/1000 population (2006)
Rank: 120

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
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
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 (2009)

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

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

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: 10 years
Male: 11 years
Female: 9 years (2009)

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

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

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Paul BIYA
Head of government: Prime Minister Philemon YANG (since 30 June 2009)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from proposals submitted by the prime minister
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (with no term limits per 2008 constitutional amendment); election last held on 9 October 2011 (next to be held in October 2018); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: President Paul BIYA reelected; percent of vote - Paul BIYA 78.0% John FRU NDI 10.7% Garga Haman ADJI 3.2% Adamou Ndam NJOYA 1.7% Paul Abine AYAH 1.3% other 5.1%

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
Elections: last held on 22 July 2007 (next to be held in July 2012)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPDM 140 SDF 14 UDC 4 UNDP 4 MP 1 vacant 17
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: 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 FAO FZ G-77 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC MIGA MONUSCO NAM OIC OIF OPCW PCA UN UNAMID UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO UNWTO UPU 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 Robert P. JACKSON
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 office: Douala

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 anthem
Name: 'O Cameroun Berceau de nos Ancetres'
Lyricsmusic: 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 although officially adopted in 1957; the anthem has French and English versions whose lyrics differ

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. Weak prices for oil led to the significant slowdown in growth in 2010. The government is under pressure to reduce its budget deficit which by the government's own forecast will hit 2.8% of GDP but the presidential election in 2011 may make fiscal austerity difficult.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 95
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 126

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 183
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 19.7%
Industry: 31.4%
Services: 48.9% (2010 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: 4% (2010 est.)
Rank: 102

Labor force: 7.836 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 59
By occupation agriculture: 70%
By occupation industry: 13%
By occupation services: 17% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate: 30% (2001 est.)
Rank: 175

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

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

Distribution of family income gini index: 47.7 (1996)
Rank: 41

Budget
Revenues: $3.881 billion
Expenditures: $4.434 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -2.5% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 85

Taxes and other revenues: 17.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 174

Public debt: 15.1% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 119

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3% (2009 est.)
Rank: 38

Central bank discount rate: 4.25% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 89

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 14% (31 December 2010 est.)

Stock of narrow money: $3.188 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 105

Stock of broad money: $5.103 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 121

Stock of domestic credit: $1.58 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 137

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: -$1.137 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 127

Exports: $4.079 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 114
Commodities: crude oil and petroleum products lumber cocoa beans aluminum coffee cotton
Partners: Spain 15.1% Netherlands 12.8% China 9.4% Italy 9.3% France 6.5% US 6.4% (2010)

Imports: $4.405 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 114
Commodities: machinery electrical equipment transport equipment fuel food
Partners: France 19.1% China 13.3% Nigeria 12.4% Belgium 5.5% Germany 4% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $3.676 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 95

Debt external: $2.941 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 127

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 5.421 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 112
Consumption: 4.883 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 113
Exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 20 million m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 88
Consumption: 20 million m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 111
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 78
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 102
Proven reserves: 135.1 billion m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 50

Telephones
Main lines in use: 496,500 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 98
Mobile cellular: 8.156 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 81

Telephone system
General assessment: system includes cable microwave radio relay and tropospheric scatter; Camtel the monopoly provider of fixed-line service provides connections for only about 2 per 100 persons; equipment is old and outdated and connections with many parts of the country are unreliable
Domestic: mobile-cellular usage in part a reflection of the poor condition and general inadequacy of the fixed-line network has increased sharply reaching a subscribership base of 40 per 100 persons
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) (2009)

Broadcast media: government maintains tight control over broadcast media; state-owned Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) broadcasting on both a television 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: 90 (2010)
Hosts rank: 205
Users: 749,600 (2009)
Users rank: 106

Military expenditures: 1.3% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 117

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 periodically calls for volunteers (2011)

Airports: 34 (2010)
Rank: 111
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 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 23
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 14
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 6 (2010)

Pipelines: oil 886 km (2010)

Railways
Total: 987 km
Rank: 88
Narrow gauge: 987 km 1.000-m gauge (2010)

Roadways
Total: 50,000 km
Rank: 80
Paved: 5,000 km
Unpaved: 45,000 km (2004)

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)

Ports and terminals: Douala Garoua 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: 20,000-30,000 (Chad); 3,000 (Nigeria); 24,000 (Central African Republic) (2007)