Cameroon

Republic of Cameroon

unitary republic

Cameroon as the 2000 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 107 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

Position6 00 N, 12 00 E

Area475,440 sq km

LocationWestern Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

Populationas each edition published it

15.42 million July 2000 est. · 11.09m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.47% 2000 est. · 2.9% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

54.82 years 2000 est. · 56.66 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.88 children per woman 2000 est. · 5.7 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

70.87 deaths per 1,000 live births 2000 est. · 120 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$2,000 1999 est. · $1,040 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

5.2% 1999 est. · 3% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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.

Geography

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

18 fields

Land useshare of 475,440 sq km

arable land 13%permanent crops 2%permanent pastures 4%forests and woodland 78%other 3% (1993 est.)irrigated 210 sq km (1993 est.)

Area

475,440sq km

land: 469,440 sq kmwater: 6,000 sq kmslightly larger than California

Coastline

402km

territorial sea: 50 nm

Highest point

4,095m

Fakolowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Land boundaries

4,591km

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

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

Geographic coordinates

6 00 N, 12 00 E

Map references

Africa

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

petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower

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, 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

People

15 fields

Population

15,421,937

growth rate: 2.47% (2000 est.)

Note

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 2000 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2000 est.)

Birth

36.6Death

11.89

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2000 est.)54.82

54.01 · 55.64

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)63.4%

75% · 52.1%

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

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%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 43% (male 3,326,334; female 3,251,402)
15-64 years:: 54% (male 4,181,038; female 4,153,680)
65 years and over:: 3% (male 235,741; female 273,742) (2000 est.)

Net migration rate

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 (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate

70.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.88 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Cameroonian(s)
adjective:: Cameroonian

Languages

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

Government

Unitary republic; President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982); Prime Minister Peter Mafany MUSONGE (since 19 September 1996)

19 fields

National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale, 173 seats, elected 11 May 1997one dot, one seat

RDCP 109SDF 43UNDP 13UDC 5UPC-K 1MDR 1MLJC 1

Country name

conventional long form:: Republic of Cameroon
conventional short form:: Cameroon
former:: French Cameroon

Data code

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 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

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 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 11 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 and have yet to be filled

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

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

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:: B. P. 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520
telephone:: [237] 23-45-52
FAX:: [237] 23-07-53

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.

31 fields

Real growth rate

5.2%

(1999 est.)industrial production growth: NA%

Inflation, consumer prices

2.1%

(1999 est.)

Unemployment rate

30%

(1998 est.)

Population below poverty line

40%

(1984 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(1997 est.)

agriculture 42%industry 22%services 36% (1997 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

25%

Italy

16%

France

25%

20%

Spain

Nigeria

Netherlands

Germany

Exports $2 billion (f.o.b., 1999)Imports $1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999)(1997 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$2.23 billionExpenditures

$2.23 billion

expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA (FY96/97 est.)

Electricity

fossil fuel 2.59%hydro 97.41%nuclear 0% · other 0%

Electricity production

3.285 billion (1998)Electricity consumption

3.055 billion (1998)

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 - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,000 (1999 est.)

Labor force

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 70%, industry and commerce 13%, other 17%

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

$2 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities

crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton

Imports

$1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1999)

Imports - commodities

machines and electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food

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) note: since 1 January 1999, the CFAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 CFA francs per euro

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Communications

8 fields

Mobile cellular

2,800

(1995)

Fixed lines

60,000

(1995)

Telephone system

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 Service Providers (ISPs)

Transportation

7 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

under 914 m

Paved 11Unpaved 39

Networkskm

Highways

34,300Railways

1,104Waterways

2,090

Highways: paved: 4,288 km · unpaved: 30,012 km (1995 est.) · Railways: narrow gauge: 1,104 km 1.000-m gauge (1995 est.) · Waterways: ; of decreasing importance

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 est.)

Military

Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard

7 fields

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.4%

(FY98/99)

Transnational Issues