Cameroon
Republic of Cameroon
unitary republicIndependence 1 January 1960 (from UN trusteeship under French
Cameroon as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 97 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Geography
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between | Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
18 fieldsLand useshare of 475,440 sq km
Terrain
diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north
Environment-current issues
- water-borne diseases are prevalent;
- deforestation;
- overgrazing;
- desertification;
- poaching;
- overfishing
Environment-international agreements
- party to:
- Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
- signed, but not ratified:
- Nuclear Test Ban
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1998 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 46% (male 3,468,861; female 3,436,814)
- 15-64 years:
- 51% (male 3,795,748; female 3,829,824)
- 65 years and over:
- 3% (male 224,881; female 273,305) (July 1998 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 0.99 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.82 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Government
Unitary republic; President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982); Prime Minister Peter Mafany MUSONGE (since 19 September 1996)
20 fieldsLegislature, 173 seats, elected 11 May 1997one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Cameroon
- conventional short form:
- Cameroon
- former:
- French Cameroon
Administrative divisions
10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest
Legal system
based on French civil law system, with common law influence; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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
- 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 93%;
- 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 11 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party-NA;
- seats by party-CDPM 109, SDF 43, UNDP 13, UDC 5, UPC-K 1, MDR 1, MLJC 1;
- note-7 contested seats will be filled in an election at a time to be set by the Supreme Court
note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for the legislature, to be called Senate, which the government says will be established in 1998
Political parties and leaders
Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM (government-controlled and the only party until legalization of opposition parties in 1990) [Paul BIYA, president]
- major opposition parties:
- Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou NDAM NJOYA];
- Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA, leader];
- Movement for the Youth of Cameroon or MLJC [ Marcel YANDO, leader];
- National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA, chairman];
- Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI, leader];
- Union of Cameroonian Populations or UPC [Augustin Frederick KODOG, leader];
- Union of Cameroonian Democratic Forces or UFOC [Victorin Hameni BIELEU]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Alliance for Change or FAC; Cameroon Anglophone Movement or CAM [Vishe FAI, secretary general]
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, PCA, UDEAC, 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 through 8794
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Charles H. TWINING
- embassy:
- Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde
- mailing address:
- B. P. 817, Yaounde; Pouch: American Embassy DOS, Washington, DC 20521-2520
- telephone:
- [237] 23-40-14, 23-05-12
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
Because of its oil resources and favorable | agricultural conditions, Cameroon has one of the best-endowed primary | commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa.
28 fieldsGDP-composition by sector(1995 est.)
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. The development of the oil sector led to rapid economic growth between 1970 and 1985. Growth came to an abrupt halt in 1986, precipitated by steep declines in the prices of major; exports: petroleum, coffee, and cocoa. Export earnings were cut by almost one-third, and inefficiencies in fiscal management were exposed. 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, 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 remains a problem. Inflation, which rose to 48% after the devaluation of 1994, has been brought back under control. Progress toward privatization of remaining state industry remains slow. President BIYA's new government of December 1997 has replaced old hands in the government economic control structure with promising technocrats.
Industries
petroleum production and refining, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber
Agriculture-products
- coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root starches;
- livestock;
- timber
Exports
- total value:
- $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
- commodities:
- crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton
- partners:
- EU (particularly France, Italy, and Spain) about 60%, African countries, Korea, Taiwan, and China
Imports
- total value:
- $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
- commodities:
- machines and electrical equipment, food, consumer goods, transport equipment, petroleum products
- partners:
- EU (France 40%), African countries, US 7%
Economic aid
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
Exchange rates
CFA francs (CFAF) per US$1-608.36 (January 1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994), 283.16 (1993) note: beginning 12 January 1994, the CFA franc was devalued to CFAF 100 per French franc from CFAF 50 at which it had been fixed since 1948
Telephone system
available only to business and government
- domestic:
- cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter
- international:
- satellite earth stations-2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Transportation
8 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Networkskm
Military
Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Air Force, | National Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard
7 fieldsMilitary branches
Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard
Transnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes-international
- demarcation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria;
- dispute with Nigeria over land and maritime boundaries in the vicinity of the Bakasi Peninsula has been referred to the ICJ with a ruling expected in 1998 CANADA
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Cameroon.” The World Factbook 1998. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/cameroon/1998.