Legend:
Definition
Field
Listing
Rank
Order
|
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 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 - as described
in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and
Definitions): |

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
Mount Cameroon) 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, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Tropical Timber 83,
Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements |
|
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: |

16,063,678
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 2004
est.) |
|
Age structure: |

0-14 years: 42% (male
3,416,086; female 3,334,904)
15-64 years: 54.8% (male
4,425,246; female 4,370,329)
65 years and over: 3.2%
(male 233,506; female 283,607)
(2004 est.) |
|
Median age: |

total: 18.5 years
male: 18.3 years
female: 18.6 years (2004
est.) |
|
Population growth rate: |

1.97% (2004 est.) |
|
Birth rate: |

35.08 births/1,000 population
(2004 est.) |
|
Death rate: |

15.34 deaths/1,000 population
(2004 est.) |
|
Net migration rate: |

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2004 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: 0.82
male(s)/female
total population: 1.01
male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate: |

total: 69.18 deaths/1,000
live births
female: 65.09
deaths/1,000 live births (2004
est.)
male: 73.16 deaths/1,000
live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |

total population: 47.95
years
male: 47.1 years
female: 48.83 years (2004
est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |

4.55 children born/woman (2004
est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence
rate: |

11.8% (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with
HIV/AIDS: |

920,000 (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |

53,000 (2001 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: 79%
male: 84.7%
female: 73.4% (2003 est.) |
|
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 Peter Mafany MUSONGE
(since 19 September 1996)
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 9 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];
Social Democratic Front or SDF
[John FRU NDI]; Union of
Cameroonian Populations or UPC [Augustin
Frederic KODOCK] |
|
International organization
participation: |

ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU,
BDEAC, C, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt
(signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, MONUC,
NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, WCL,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO |
|
Diplomatic representation in the
US: |

chief of mission:
Ambassador Jerome MENDOUGA
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 - 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, privatization, and
poverty reduction programs.
International oil and cocoa
prices have considerable impact
on the economy. |
|
GDP: |

purchasing power parity - $27.59
billion (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate: |

3.6% (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita: |

purchasing power parity - $1,800
(2003 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |

agriculture: 46%
industry: 21%
services: 33% (2001 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line: |

48% (2000 est.) |
|
Household income or consumption
by percentage share: |

lowest 10%: 1.9%
highest 10%: 36.6% (1996) |
|
Distribution of family income -
Gini index: |

47.7 (1996) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer
prices): |

4.5% (2002 est.) |
|
Labor force: |

NA (2000) |
|
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: |

3.613 billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - production by
source: |

fossil fuel: 2.7%
hydro: 97.3%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption: |

3.36 billion kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - exports: |

0 kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - imports: |

0 kWh (2001) |
|
Oil - production: |

76,650 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption: |

22,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports: |

NA |
|
Oil - imports: |

NA |
|
Oil - proved reserves: |

200 million bbl (1 January 2002) |
|
Natural gas - production: |

0 cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption: |

0 cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports: |

0 cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports: |

0 cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves: |

55.22 billion cu m (1 January
2002) |
|
Agriculture - products: |

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

$1.873 billion f.o.b. (2003
est.) |
|
Exports - commodities: |

crude oil and petroleum
products, lumber, cocoa beans,
aluminum, coffee, cotton |
|
Exports - partners: |

Italy 17.4%, Spain 16.8%, France
13.4%, US 8.7%, Netherlands
8.6%, China 5.4%, UK 4.7%,
Germany 4.1% (2002) |
|
Imports: |

$1.959 billion f.o.b. (2003
est.) |
|
Imports - commodities: |

machinery, electrical equipment,
transport equipment, fuel, food |
|
Imports - partners: |

France 28%, Nigeria 12.7%, US
7.9%, Belgium 5.7%, Germany
4.8%, Italy 4.3% (2002) |
|
Debt - external: |

$8.6 billion (2002 est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |

on 23 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 |
|
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 -
581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002),
733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000),
615.7 (1999) |
|
Fiscal year: |

1 July - 30 June |
|
Telephones - main lines in use: |

110,900 (2002) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular: |

675,700 (2002) |
|
Telephone system: |

general assessment:
available only to business and
government
domestic: cable,
microwave radio relay, and
tropospheric scatter
international: country
code - 237; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean); fiber optic submarine
cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides
connectivity to Europe and Asia |
|
Radio broadcast stations: |

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (2002) |
|
Television broadcast stations: |

1 (2002) |
|
Internet country code: |

.cm |
|
Internet hosts: |

439 (2002) |
|
Internet users: |

60,000 (2002)
note: Cameroon also had
more than 100 cyber-cafes in
2001 |
|
Railways: |

total: 1,008 km
narrow gauge: 1,008 km
1.000-m gauge (2003) |
|
Highways: |

total: 34,300 km
paved: 4,288 km
unpaved: 30,012 km (1999
est.) |
|
Waterways: |

2,090 km (of decreasing
importance) (2002) |
|
Pipelines: |

gas 90 km; liquid petroleum gas
9 km; oil 1,124 km (2003) |
|
Ports and harbors: |

Bonaberi, Douala, Garoua, Kribi,
Tiko |
|
Merchant marine: |

total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT
or over) 169,593 GRT/357,023 DWT
by type: petroleum tanker
1 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports: |

47 (2003 est.) |
|
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 (2003
est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways: |

total: 36
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 20
under 914 m: 9 (2003
est.) |
|
Military branches: |

Army, Navy (includes Naval
Infantry), Air Force |
|
Military manpower - military
age: |

18 years of age (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower -
availability: |

males age 15-49:
3,898,944 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - fit for
military service: |

males age 15-49:
1,979,151 (2004 est.) |
|
Military manpower - reaching
military age annually: |

males: 184,054 (2004
est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar
figure: |

$189.2 million (2003) |
|
Military expenditures - percent
of GDP: |

1.4% (2003) |
|
Disputes - international: |

ICJ ruled
in 2002 on the entire
Cameroon-Nigeria land and
maritime boundary but the
parties formed a Joint Border
Commission to resolve
differences bilaterally and have
commenced with demarcation in
less-contested sections of the
boundary, starting in Lake Chad
in the north; the ICF ruled on
an equidistance settlement of
Cameroon-Equatorial
Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary
in the Gulf of Guinea, however,
implementation of the decision
is delayed due to imprecisely
defined coordinates, the
unresolved Bakasi allocation,
and a sovereignty dispute
between Equatorial Guinea and
Cameroon over an island at the
mouth of the Ntem River; Nigeria
initially rejected cession of
the Bakasi Peninsula; Lake Chad
Commission continues to urge
signatories Cameroon, Chad,
Niger, and Nigeria to ratify
delimitation treaty over the
lake region, which remains the
site of armed clashes among
local populations and militias |
This page was last updated on 11 May,
2004 |