Cameroon

While Cameroon is not the largest country in Africa, in some ways it's as large as Africa itself. Known as "Africa in miniature" it feautres French and English speaking portions, Muslim and Christian dominated regions, the tallest mountain in West Africa and terrain that includes rain forest, desert plains, mountains and high plateau.

Regions

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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.

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

Geographic coordinates

6 00 N, 12 00 E

Map references

Africa

Area

total: 475,440 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km
land: 469,440 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than California

Land boundaries

total: 4,591 km
border countries: 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: 50 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
highest point: Fako (on Cameroon Mountain) 4,095 m

Natural resources

petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower

Land use

arable land: 12.81%
permanent crops: 2.58%
other: 84.61% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land

330 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards

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

Environment - current issues

water-borne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban

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

People

Population

16,184,748
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 and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 42.1% (male 3,443,505; female 3,367,571)
15-64 years: 54.5% (male 4,431,524; female 4,392,155)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 253,242; female 296,751) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate

2.36% (2002 est.)

Birth rate

35.66 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate

12.08 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate

NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/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 (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate

68.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 54.36 years
female: 55.23 years (2002 est.)
male: 53.51 years

Total fertility rate

4.72 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

7.73% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

540,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

52,000 (1999 est.)

Nationality

noun: Cameroonian(s)
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%

Religions

indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%

Languages

24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 63.4%
male: 75%
female: 52.1% (1995 est.)

Government

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon
conventional short form: Cameroon
former: French Cameroon

Government type

unitary republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized in 1990)
note: preponderance of power remains with the president

Capital

Yaounde

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; 2 June 1972 formally adopted; revised January 1996

Legal system

based on French civil law system, with common law influence; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 12 October 1997 (next to be held NA October 2004); prime minister appointed by the president
head of government: Prime Minister Chief Ephraim Inoni (since 8 December 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from proposals submitted by the prime minister
election results: President Paul BIYA reelected; percent of vote - Paul BIYA 92.6%; note - supporters of the opposition candidates boycotted the elections, making a comparison of vote shares relatively meaningless

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 23 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RDCP 133, SDF 21, UDC 5, other 21
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 6 substitute judges, elected by the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders

Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou NDAM NJOYA]; Democratic Rally of the Cameroon People or RDCP [Paul BIYA]; Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]; Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [leader Marcel YONDO]; Movement for the Youth of Cameroon or MYC [Dieudonne TINA]; 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 [Augustin Frederic KODOCK]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Southern Cameroon National Council [Frederick Ebong ALOBWEDE]; Human Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president]

International organization participation

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, C, CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Raymond EPOTE
chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
FAX: [1] (202) 387-3826
telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador George McDade STAPLES
embassy: Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde
mailing address: P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520
telephone: [237] 223-05-12, 222-25-89, 222-17-94, 223-40-14
FAX: [237] 223-07-53
branch office(s): 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; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy

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. 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 and privatization. International oil and cocoa prices have considerable impact on the economy.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $26.4 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.9% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 44%
industry: 20%
services: 36% (2000 est.)

Population below poverty line

48% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (2000 est.)

Labor force

NA

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 70%, industry and commerce 13%, other 17%

Unemployment rate

30% (2001 est.)

Budget

revenues: $2.2 billion
expenditures: $2.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.)

Industries

petroleum production and refining, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber

Industrial production growth rate

4.2% (1999 est.)

Electricity - production

3.623 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 3%
hydro: 97%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption

3.369 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products

coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root starches; livestock; timber

Exports

$2.1 billion f.o.b. (2000 est.)

Exports - commodities

crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton

Exports - partners

Italy 24%, France 18%, Netherlands 10% (2000 est.)

Imports

$1.5 billion f.o.b. (2000 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food

Imports - partners

France 29%, Germany 7%, US 6%, Japan 6% (2000 est.)

Debt - external

$10.9 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

on 23 January 2001, the Paris Club agreed to reduce Cameroon's debt of $1.3 billion by $900 million; total debt relief now amounts to $1.26 billion

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Currency code

XAF

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use

95,000 (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular

300,000 (2002)

Telephone system

general assessment: available only to business and government
domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (2002)

Radios

2.27 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations

1 (2002)

Televisions

450,000 (1997)

Internet country code

.cm

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2002)

Internet users

45,000
note: Cameroon also had more than 100 cyber-cafes in 2001 (December 2001)

Transportation

Railways

1,008 km
narrow gauge: 1,008 km 1.000-m gauge (2002)

Highways

total: 34,300 km
paved: 4,288 km
unpaved: 30,012 km (2000)

Waterways

2,090 km (of decreasing importance) (2002)

Ports and harbors

Bonaberi, Douala, Garoua, Kribi, Tiko

Airports

49 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 11
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 38
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 20
under 914 m: 11 (2002)

Military

Military branches

Army, Navy (includes naval infantry), Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 3,872,965 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,959,357 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 174,308 (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$118.6 million (FY00/01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.4% (FY98/99)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

oral arguments on the land and maritime boundary disputes between Cameroon and Nigeria were presented to the ICJ; disputes center around Bakasi Peninsula, where armed clashes continue, Bouram Island on Lake Chad, and the maritime boundary and economic zone dispute in the Gulf of Guinea, which also involves Equatorial Guinea; Lake Chad Basin Commission urges signatories Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria to ratify delimitation treaty over lake region, the site of continuing armed clashes

Transparency International has consistently rated Cameroon among the most corrupt countries in the world. The Cameroon Police was ranked as the most corrupt Police Force worldwide (2005).

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