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Cameroon
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:
Area - comparative: slightly larger than California Land boundaries:
Coastline: 402 km Maritime 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 extremes:
Natural resources: petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower Land use:
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:
Geography - note: sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa
Population:
15,421,937
Age structure:
Population growth rate: 2.47% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 36.6 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 11.89 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population Sex ratio:
Infant mortality rate: 70.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate: 4.88 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality:
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:
Country name:
Data code: CM Government type:
unitary republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized in 1990)
Capital: Yaounde Administrative divisions: 10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest Independence: 1 January 1960 (from UN trusteeship under French administration), 1 October 1961 (for areas ruled by Britain under UN trusteeship) National holiday: National Day, 20 May (1972) Constitution: 20 May 1972 approved by referendum; 2 June 1972 formally adopted Legal system: based on French civil law system, with common law influence; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal Executive branch:
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)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president Political parties and leaders: Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou NDAM NJOYA]; Cameroon Liberation and Development Movement or MLDC [Marcel YONDO]; Democratic Rally of the Cameroon People or RDPC (the RDPC or its predecessor parties have ruled since independence) [Paul BIYA, president]; Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]; Movement for the Liberation of Cameroonian Youths or MLJC [leader NA]; 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-K [Augustin Frederick KODOG] Political pressure groups and leaders: Alliance for Change or FAC [leader NA]; Cameroon Anglophone Movement or CAM [Vishe FAI, secretary general]; Southern Cameroon National Council [Henry FOSSUNG] International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, C, CCC, CEEAC, 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, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO Diplomatic representation in the US:
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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. The government, however, has failed to press forward vigorously with these programs. The latest enhanced structural adjustment agreement was signed in October 1997; the parties hope this will prove more successful, yet government mismanagement and corruption remain problems. Inflation has been brought back under control. Progress toward privatization of remaining state industry should support continued economic growth in 2000. GDP: purchasing power parity - $31.5 billion (1999 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 5.2% (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,000 (1999 est.) GDP - composition by sector:
Population below poverty line: 40% (1984 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.1% (1999 est.) Labor force: NA Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 70%, industry and commerce 13%, other 17% Unemployment rate: 30% (1998 est.) Budget:
Industries: petroleum production and refining, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity - production: 3.285 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source:
Electricity - consumption: 3.055 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998) Agriculture - products: coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root starches; livestock; timber Exports: $2 billion (f.o.b., 1999) Exports - commodities: crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton Exports - partners: Italy 25%, Spain 20%, France 16%, Netherlands 7% (1997 est.) Imports: $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999) Imports - commodities: machines and electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food Imports - partners: France 25%, Nigeria 8%, US 8%, Germany 6% (1997 est.) Debt - external: $11.5 billion (1999 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $606.1 million (1995); note - France signed two loan agreements totaling $55 million in September 1997, and the Paris Club agreed in October 1997 to reduce the official debt by 50% and to reschedule it on favorable terms with a consolidation of payments due through 2000 Currency: 1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes Exchange rates:
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 647.25 (January 2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
Telephones - main lines in use: 60,000 (1995) Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,800 (1995) Telephone system:
available only to business and government
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 Service Providers (ISPs): NA
Railways:
Highways:
Waterways: 2,090 km; of decreasing importance Ports and harbors: Bonaberi, Douala, Garoua, Kribi, Tiko Airports: 50 (1999 est.) Airports - with paved runways:
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Military branches: Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age Military manpower - availability:
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $155 million (FY98/99) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.4% (FY98/99)
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; dispute with Nigeria over land and maritime boundaries around the Bakasi Peninsula and Lake Chad is currently before the ICJ, as is a dispute with Equatorial Guinea over the exclusive maritime economic zone Please click here for a guide to the country profiles Click here for all other countries
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