World Countries Info 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.
Geography of Cameroon
|
Location:
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Western Africa, bordering
the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria |
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Geographic coordinates:
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6 00 N, 12 00 E |
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Area:
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total: 475,440 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km
land: 469,440 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly larger than
California |
|
Land boundaries:
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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:
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402 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 50
NM |
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Climate:
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varies with terrain, from
tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north |
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Terrain:
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diverse, with coastal plain
in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in
north |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Fako (on Cameroon Mountain) 4,095 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, bauxite, iron
ore, timber, hydropower |
|
Land use:
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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:
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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
|
Population of Cameroon
|
Population:
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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:
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35.08 births/1,000 |
|
Death rate:
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15.34 deaths/1,000 |
|
Net migration rate:
|
0 migrant(s)/1,000 |
|
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:
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4.55 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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11.8% (2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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920,000 (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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53,000 (2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
|
noun: Cameroonian(s)
adjective: Cameroonian |
|
Ethnic groups:
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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:
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indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%,
Muslim 20% |
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Languages:
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24 major African language groups, English
(official), French (official) |
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Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 79%
male: 84.7%
female: 73.4% (2003 est.)
|
Government
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Country name:
|
conventional long form: Republic of
Cameroon
conventional short form: Cameroon
former: French Cameroon |
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Government type:
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unitary republic; multiparty presidential
regime (opposition parties legalized in 1990)
note: preponderance of power remains with the president |
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Capital:
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Yaounde |
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Administrative divisions:
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10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est,
Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest |
|
Independence:
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1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN
trusteeship) |
|
National holiday:
|
Republic Day (National Day), 20 May (1972) |
|
Constitution:
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20 May 1972 approved by referendum; 2 June
1972 formally adopted; revised January 1996 |
|
Legal system:
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based on French civil law system, with
common law influence; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
|
Suffrage:
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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] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Southern Cameroon National Council [Ayamba
Ette OTUN]; Human Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president] |
Economy
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.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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3.6% (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2003
est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 46%
industry: 21%
services: 33% (2001 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
48% (2000 est.) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 1.9%
highest 10%: 36.6% (1996) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
47.7 (1996) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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4.5% (2002 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
NA (2000) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture 70%, industry and commerce 13%,
other 17% |
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Unemployment rate:
|
30% (2001 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $2.2 billion
expenditures: $2.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
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Industries:
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petroleum production and refining, food
processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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4.2% (1999 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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3.613 billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel: 2.7%
hydro: 97.3%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
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Electricity - consumption:
|
3.36 billion kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2001) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2001) |
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Oil - production:
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76,650 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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22,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - proved reserves:
|
200 million bbl (1 January 2002) |
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption:
|
0 cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves:
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55.22 billion cu m (1 January 2002) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas,
oilseed, grains, root starches; livestock; timber |
|
Exports:
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$1.873 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
crude oil and petroleum products, lumber,
cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton |
|
Exports - partners:
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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:
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$1.959 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
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machinery, electrical equipment, transport
equipment, fuel, food |
|
Imports - partners:
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France 28%, Nigeria 12.7%, US 7.9%, Belgium
5.7%, Germany 4.8%, Italy 4.3% (2002) |
|
Debt - external:
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$8.6 billion (2002 est.) |
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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 |
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Currency:
|
Communaute Financiere Africaine franc
(XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States |
|
Currency code:
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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) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
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