Cameroon

unitary republic

Cameroon as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 70 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalYaounde

Area475,440 km2

Populationas each edition published it

11.39 million July 1991 · 11.09m in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.9% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 56.66 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

5.6 children per woman 1991 · 5.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

118 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 120 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $1,040 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 3% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Total area

475,440km2

land area: 469,440 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries

4,591km total

Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km, Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 km

Disputes

demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria;
Nigerian proposals to reopen maritime boundary negotiations and redemarcate the entire land boundary have been rejected by Cameroon

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

Natural resources

crude oil, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower potential

Land use

arable land 13%;
permanent crops 2%;
meadows and pastures 18%;
forest and woodland 54%;
other 13%;
includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment

recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous gases;
deforestation;
overgrazing;
desertification

Note

sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa

People

14 fields

Population

11,390,374

(July 1991), growth rate 2.7% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

41Death

15Net migration

Religion

indigenous beliefs 51%Christian 33%Muslim 16%

Literacy

54%

(male 66%, female 43%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality

noun--Cameroonian(s); adjective--Cameroonian

Ethnic divisions

over 200 tribes of widely differing background;
Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%, non-African less than 1%

Language

English and French (official), 24 major African language groups

Labor force

NA;
agriculture 74.4%, industry and transport 11.4%, other services 14.2% (1983);
50% of population of working age (15-64 years) (1985)

Government

Unitary republic

18 fields

National Assembly, 180 seats, elected 24 April 1988one dot, one seat

RDPC 180

Type

unitary republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized 1990)

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; formerly French Cameroon)

Legal system

based on French civil law system, with common law influence; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court Chief of State President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982); Head of Government interim Prime Minister Sadou HAYATOU (since 25 April 1991)

Political parties and leaders

Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (RDPC), Paul BIYA, president, is government-controlled and was formerly the only party; 17 parties formed by 1 May 1991

Suffrage

universal at age 21 President--last held 24 April 1988 (next to be held April 1993);
results--President Paul BIYA reelected without opposition;
National Assembly--last held 24 April 1988 (next to be held by the end of 1992);
results--RDPC was the only party;
seats--(180 total) RDPC 180

Communists

no Communist party or significant number of sympathizers

Other political or pressure groups

ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-19, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Paul PONDI;
Chancery at 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 265-8790 through 8794;
US--Ambassador Frances D. COOK;
Embassy at Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde (mailing address is B. P. 817, Yaounde);
telephone [237] 234014;
there is a US Consulate General in Douala

Flag

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

Over the past decade the economy has registered a remarkable performance because of the development of an offshore oil industry.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$11.5billion

per capita $1,040; real growth rate 0.7% (1990 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

8.6%

(FY88)

Unemployment rate

25%

(1990 est.)

External debt

$4.9billion

(December 1989 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$1.7 billionExpenditures

$2.2 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA million (FY89)

Overview

Over the past decade the economy has registered a remarkable performance because of the development of an offshore oil industry. Real GDP growth annually averaged 10% from 1978 to 1985. In 1986 Cameroon had one of the highest levels of income per capita in tropical Africa, with oil revenues picking up the slack as growth in other sectors softened.

Because of the sharp drop in oil prices, however, the economy experienced serious budgetary difficulties and balance-of-payments disequilibrium. Despite the recent upsurge in oil prices, Cameroon's economic outlook is troubled. Oil reserves currently being exploited will be depleted in the early 1990s, so ways must be found to boost agricultural and industrial exports in the medium term.

The Sixth Cameroon Development Plan (1986-91) stresses balanced development and designates agriculture as the basis of the country's economic future.

Exports

$2.1 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
commodities--petroleum products 56%, coffee, cocoa, timber, manufactures;
partners--EC (particularly the French) about 50%, US 10%

Imports

$2.1 billion (c.i.f., 1990 est.);
commodities--machines and electrical equipment, transport equipment, chemical products, consumer goods;
partners--France 41%, Germany 9%, US 4%

Industrial production

growth rate - 6.4% (FY87); accounts for 30% of GDP

Electricity

752,000 kW capacity; 2,940 million kWh produced, 270 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

crude oil products, food processing, light consumer goods industries textiles, sawmills

Agriculture

the agriculture and forestry sectors provide employment for the majority of the population, contributing nearly 25% to GDP and providing a high degree of self-sufficiency in staple foods;
commercial and food crops include coffee, cocoa, timber, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, livestock, root starches

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $440 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $4.2 billion;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $29 million;
Communist countries (1970-89), $125 million

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)