| Cameroon |
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Cameroon | Introduction | Top of Page

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.

Cameroon | Geography | Top of Page

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 land: 469,440 sq km water: 6,000 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 4,095 m

Natural resources: | petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower

Land use: | arable land: 13% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 4% forests and woodland: 78% other: 3% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: | 210 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: | recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous gases

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

Cameroon | People | Top of Page

Population: | 15,803,220 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 2001 est.)

Age structure: | 0-14 years: 42.37% (male 3,385,898; female 3,310,504) 15-64 years: 54.28% (male 4,305,354; female 4,271,958) 65 years and over: 3.35% (male 244,419; female 285,087) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: | 2.41% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: | 36.12 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: | 11.99 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) NA migrant(s)/1,000 population

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: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: | 69.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 54.59 years male: 53.76 years female: 55.44 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: | 4.8 children born/woman (2001 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.)

Cameroon | Government | Top of Page

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, 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) 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 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 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 17 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RDCP 109, SDF 43, UNDP 13, UDC 5, UPC-K 1, MDR 1, MLJC 1; note - results from 7 contested seats were cancelled by the Supreme Court, further elections on 3 August 1997 gave these seats to the RDPC 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 NA]; Movement for the Youth of Cameroon or MLJC [Marcel YONDO]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA, chairman]; Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI]; Union of Cameroonian Populations has two sections UPC-N [Ndeh NTUMAZAH] and UPC-K [Augustin Frederic KODOCK]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | Cameroon Anglophone Movement or CAM [Vishe FAI, secretary general]; Southern Cameroon National Council [Nfor Ngala NFOR, acting]

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, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WCL, 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 telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790 FAX: [1] (202) 387-3826

Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador John M. YATES embassy: Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde mailing address: P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520 telephone: [237] 23-40-14, 22-25-89, 23-05-12, 22-17-94 FAX: [237] 23-07-53 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

Cameroon | Economy | Top of Page

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. Higher oil prices in 2000 helped to offset the country's lower cocoa export revenues. A rebound in the cocoa market should increase growth to over 5% in 2001.

GDP: | purchasing power parity - $26 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: | 4.4% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: | purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 43.4% industry: 20.1% services: 36.5% (1999 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% (1998 est.)

Budget: | revenues: $2.1 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: | 3.47 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 2.59% hydro: 97.41% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption: | 3.227 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (1999)

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: | $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)

Imports - commodities: | machines and 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 - 699.21 (January 2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996); 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

Cameroon | Communications | Top of Page

Telephones - main lines in use: | 75,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: | 4,200 (1997)

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 11, FM 8, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios: | 2.27 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations: | 1 (1998)

Televisions: | 450,000 (1997)

Internet country code: | .cm

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 1 (2000)

Internet users: | 20,000 (2000)

Cameroon | Transportation | Top of Page

Railways: | total: 1,104 km narrow gauge: 1,104 km 1.000-m gauge (1995 est.)

Highways: | total: 34,300 km paved: 4,288 km unpaved: 30,012 km (1995)

Waterways: | 2,090 km (of decreasing importance)

Ports and harbors: | Bonaberi, Douala, Garoua, Kribi, Tiko

Airports: | 49 (2000 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 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 38 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 21 under 914 m: 10 (2000 est.)

Cameroon | Military | Top of Page

Military branches: | Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard

Military manpower - military age: | 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 3,762,369 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 1,903,149 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 174,308 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $118.6 million (FY00/01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 1.4% (FY98/99)

Cameroon | Transnational Issues | Top of Page

Disputes - international: | delimitation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in the past, is complete and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; tripartite maritime boundary and economic zone dispute with Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria is currently before the ICJ