from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Cameroon
Introduction
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 a slow movement
toward democratic reform, political power remains
firmly in the hands of an ethnic oligarchy headed by
President Paul BIYA.
Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between
Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
Geographic 6 00 N, 12 00 E
coordinates:
Map Africa
references:
Area: total: 475,440 sq km
land: 469,440 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km
Area - slightly larger than California
comparative:
Land total: 4,591 km
boundaries: 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 territorial sea: 50 nm
claims:
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 lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Fako 4,095 m (on Mt. Cameroon)
Natural petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower
resources:
Land use: arable land: 12.54%
permanent crops: 2.52%
other: 84.94% (2005)
Irrigated 260 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous
hazards: gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes
Environment - waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation;
current overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing
issues:
Environment - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate
international Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
agreements: 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 - sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa;
note: 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: 17,340,702
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 2006
est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 41.2% (male 3,614,430/female 3,531,047)
15-64 years: 55.5% (male 4,835,453/female 4,796,276)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 260,342/female 303,154)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 18.9 years
male: 18.7 years
female: 19 years (2006 est.)
Population 2.04% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 33.89 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 13.47 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
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 (2006 est.)
Infant total: 63.52 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 67.38 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 59.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 51.16 years
expectancy at male: 50.98 years
birth: female: 51.34 years (2006 est.)
Total 4.39 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 6.9% (2003 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 560,000 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - 49,000 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Major degree of risk: very high
infectious food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea,
diseases: hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high
risks in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis (2005)
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.)
Government
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 republic; multiparty presidential regime
type:
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 10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord,
divisions: Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest
Independence: 1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN
trusteeship)
National Republic Day (National Day), 20 May (1972)
holiday:
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; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November
branch: 1982)
head of government: Prime Minister Ephraim INONI (since
8 December 2004)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from
proposals submitted by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election
last held 11 October 2004 (next to be held by October
2011); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: President Paul BIYA reelected;
percent of vote - Paul BIYA 70.9%, John FRU NDI 17.4%,
Adamou Ndam NJOYA 4.5%, Garga Haman ADJI 3.7%
Legislative unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale
branch: (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 in
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 Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president);
branch: High Court of Justice (consists of nine judges and six
substitute judges, elected by the National Assembly)
Political Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam
parties and NJOYA]; Democratic Rally of the Cameroon People or RDCP
leaders: [Paul BIYA]; Movement for the Defense of the Republic
or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]; Movement for the Liberation
and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [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 Southern Cameroon National Council [Ayamba Ette OTUN];
pressure Human Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president]
groups and
leaders:
International ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, C, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77,
organization IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM,
participation: IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW,
PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Jerome MENDOUGA
representation chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC
in the US: 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790
FAX: [1] (202) 387-3826
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Niels MARQUARDT
representation embassy: Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde
from the US: mailing address: P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch:
American Embassy, US Department of State, Washington,
DC 20521-2520
telephone: [237] 220 15 00; Consular: [237] 220 16 03
FAX: [237] 220 16 20; Consular FAX: [237] 220 17 52
branch office(s): Douala
Flag three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red,
description: and yellow with a yellow five-pointed star centered in
the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of
Ethiopia
Economy
Economy - Because of its oil resources and favorable agricultural
overview: 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 $39.75 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $15.35 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 2.4% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $2,300 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 44.8%
composition by industry: 17%
sector: services: 38.2% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 6.86 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 70%
by occupation: industry: 13%
services: 17%
Unemployment 30% (2001 est.)
rate:
Population 48% (2000 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 1.9%
income or highest 10%: 36.6% (1996)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 44.6 (2001)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 2% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 17.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $3.263 billion
expenditures: $2.705 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt: 65.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed,
products: grains, root starches; livestock; timber
Industries: petroleum production and refining, aluminum production,
food processing, light consumer goods, textiles,
lumber, ship repair
Industrial 4.2% (1999 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 2.988 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 2.7%
production by hydro: 97.3%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 2.779 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 82,300 bbl/day (2005 est.)
production:
Oil - 23,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Oil - proved 85 million bbl (2005 est.)
reserves:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 0 cu m NA cu m
exports:
Natural gas - 0 cu m NA cu m
imports:
Natural gas - 110.4 billion cu m (2005)
proved
reserves:
Current $39 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $3.236 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans,
commodities: aluminum, coffee, cotton
Exports - Spain 17.2%, Italy 13.7%, France 9.4%, South Korea
partners: 8.1%, UK 8%, Netherlands 7.8%, Belgium 4.8%, US 4.3%
(2005)
Imports: $2.514 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment,
commodities: fuel, food
Imports - France 25%, Nigeria 12.5%, Belgium 6.6%, China 5.8%, US
partners: 5.3%, Thailand 4.7%, Germany 4.4% (2005)
Reserves of $964.8 million (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $9.168 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - in January 2001, the Paris Club agreed to reduce
recipient: Cameroon's debt of $1.3 billion by $900 million; debt
relief now totals $1.26 billion
Currency Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note -
(code): responsible authority is the Bank of the Central
African States
Currency code: XAF
Exchange Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US
rates: dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003),
696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Communications
Telephones - 99,400 (2004)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 2.259 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: available only to business and
system: 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 AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (2002)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 2.27 million (1997)
Television 1 (2002)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 450,000 (1997)
Internet .cm
country code:
Internet 39 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 1 (2002)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 167,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 47 (2006)
Airports - total: 11
with paved over 3,047 m: 2
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - total: 36
with unpaved 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
runways: 914 to 1,523 m: 20
under 914 m: 9 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 70 km; liquid petroleum gas 9 km; oil 1,107 km
(2006)
Railways: total: 987 km
narrow gauge: 987 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)
Roadways: total: 80,932 km
paved: 5,398 km
unpaved: 75,534 km (2002)
Waterways: navigation mainly on Benue River; limited during rainy
season (2005)
Merchant total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 38,613 GRT/68,820 DWT
marine: by type: petroleum tanker 1
foreign-owned: 1 (France 1) (2006)
Ports and Douala, Limboh Terminal
terminals:
Military
Military Cameroon Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes naval
branches: infantry), Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Cameroun, AAC)
(2006)
Military 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no
service age conscription (1999)
and
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 3,525,307
available for females age 18-49: 3,461,406 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 1,946,767
for military females age 18-49: 1,834,600 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 191,619
reaching females age 18-49: 187,082 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $230.2 million (2005 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 1.5% (2005 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - ICJ ruled in 2002 on the entire Cameroon-Nigeria land
international: and maritime boundary but the parties formed a Joint
Border Commission, which continues to meet regularly to
resolve differences bilaterally and have commenced with
demarcation in less-contested sections of the boundary,
starting in Lake Chad in the north; implementation of
the ICJ ruling on the Cameroon-Equatorial
Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea
is impeded by imprecisely defined coordinates 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 Bakassi
Peninsula, then agreed, but much of the indigenous
population opposes cession; 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 refugees (country of origin): 39,290 (Chad) 16,686
internally (Nigeria) 9,634 (Cote d'Ivoire) (2005)
displaced
persons: