Cameroon

Atlantic Ocean drainage:

Congo (3,730,881 sq km), Niger (2,261,741 sq km)

Internal (endorheic basin) drainage:

Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)

• sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa because of its central location on the continent and its position at the west-south juncture of the Gulf of Guinea;
• 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

noun:

Cameroonian(s)

adjective:

Cameroonian

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.97 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.88 male(s)/female

total population:

0.99 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

degree of risk:

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases:

malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases:

schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases:

rabies

respiratory diseases:

meningococcal meningitis

• waterborne diseases are prevalent;
• deforestation and overgrazing result in erosion, desertification, and reduced quality of pastureland;
• poaching;
• overfishing;
• overhunting

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:

Nuclear Test Ban

particulate matter emissions:

65.26 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

8.29 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

30.71 megatons (2020 est.)

urban population:

58.1% of total population (2021)

rate of urbanization:

3.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

degree of risk:

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases:

malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases:

schistosomiasis

animal contact diseases:

rabies

respiratory diseases:

meningococcal meningitis

severe localized food insecurity:

• due to civil insecurity and population displacements - according to a March 2021 analysis, about 1.9 million people (7 percent of the total population) were projected to be severely food insecure in the June‑August 2021 period;
• this mainly results from the effects of Boko Haram incursions in the Far North Region, the socio‑political unrest in the Northwest and Southwest regions and COVID‑19 related economic shocks, which disrupted trade flows and agricultural practices, deteriorated livelihoods and displaced people (2021)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

3,270,617 tons (2013 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually:

13,082 tons (2009 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

0.4% (2009 est.)

Atlantic Ocean drainage:

Congo (3,730,881 sq km), Niger (2,261,741 sq km)

Internal (endorheic basin) drainage:

Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)

municipal:

246.8 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial:

104.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural:

737 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

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:

Kamerun, French Cameroon, British Cameroon, Federal Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon

etymology:

• in the 15th century, Portuguese explorers named the area near the mouth of the Wouri River the Rio dos Camaroes (River of Prawns) after the abundant shrimp in the water;
• over time the designation became Cameroon in English;
• this is the only instance where a country is named after a crustacean

name:

Yaounde

geographic coordinates:

3 52 N, 11 31 E

time difference:

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

founded as a German colonial settlement of Jaunde in 1888 and named after the local Yaunde (Ewondo) people

history:

several previous; latest effective 18 January 1996

amendments:

• proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament;
• amendment drafts require approval of at least one third of the membership in either house of Parliament;
• passage requires absolute majority vote of the Parliament membership;
• passage of drafts requested by the president for a second reading in Parliament requires two-thirds majority vote of its membership;
• the president can opt to submit drafts to a referendum, in which case passage requires a simple majority;
• constitutional articles on Cameroon’s unity and territorial integrity and its democratic principles cannot be amended;
• amended 2008

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Cameroon

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

chief of state:

President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)

head of government:

Prime Minister Joseph Dion NGUTE (since 4 January 2019); Deputy Prime Minister Amadou ALI (since 2014)

cabinet:

Cabinet proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (no term limits);
• election last held on 7 October 2018 (next to be held in October 2025);
• prime minister appointed by the president

election results:

Paul BIYA reelected president; percent of vote - Paul BIYA (CPDM) 71.3%, Maurice KAMTO (MRC) 14.2%, Cabral LIBII (Univers) 6.3%, other 8.2%

highest courts:

• Supreme Court of Cameroon (consists of 9 titular and 6 surrogate judges and organized into judicial, administrative, and audit chambers);
• Constitutional Council (consists of 11 members)

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court judges appointed by the president with the advice of the Higher Judicial Council of Cameroon, a body chaired by the president and includes the minister of justice, selected magistrates, and representatives of the National Assembly;
• judge term NA;
• Constitutional Council members appointed by the president for single 9-year terms

subordinate courts:

• Parliamentary Court of Justice (jurisdiction limited to cases involving the president and prime minister);
• appellate and first instance courts;
• circuit and magistrates' courts

• Alliance for Democracy and Development
• Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM [Paul BIYA]
• Cameroon People's Party or CPP [Edith Kah WALLA]
• Cameroon Renaissance Movement or MRC [Maurice KAMTO]
• Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA]
• Cameroonian Party for National Reconciliation or PCRN [Cabral LIBII]
• Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon or FSNC [Issa Tchiroma BAKARY]
• Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]
• Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [Marcel YONDO]
• National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA]
• Progressive Movement or MP [Jean-Jacques EKINDI]
• Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI]
• Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC [Provisionary Management Bureau]
• Union of Socialist Movements

chief of mission:

Ambassador Henri ETOUNDI ESSOMBA (since 27 June 2016)

chancery:

2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 265-8790

FAX:

[1] (202) 387-3826

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://www.cameroonembassyusa.org/mainFolder/index.html

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Deputy Chief of Mission (currently serving as Charge d'Affaires) Mary E. DASCHBACH

embassy:

Avenue Rosa Parks, Yaoundé

mailing address:

2520 Yaounde Place, Washington, DC 20521-2520

telephone:

[237] 22251-4000/[237] 22220-1500

FAX:

[237] 22220-1500, Ext. 4531

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://cm.usembassy.gov/

branch office(s):

Douala

• three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow, with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band;
• the vertical tricolor recalls the flag of France;
• red symbolizes unity, yellow the sun, happiness, and the savannahs in the north, and green hope and the forests in the south;
• the star is referred to as the "star of unity"

note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia

name:

"O Cameroun, Berceau de nos Ancetres" (O Cameroon, Cradle of Our Forefathers)

lyrics/music:

Rene Djam AFAME, Samuel Minkio BAMBA, Moise Nyatte NKO'O [French], Benard Nsokika FONLON [English]/Rene Djam AFAME

note: adopted 1957; Cameroon's anthem, also known as "Chant de Ralliement" (The Rallying Song), has been used unofficially since 1948 and officially adopted in 1957; the anthem has French and English versions whose lyrics differ

Fitch rating:

B (2006)

Moody's rating:

B2 (2016)

Standard & Poors rating: B- (2020)

agriculture:

70%

industry:

13%

services:

17% (2001 est.)

total:

6.3%

male:

5.8%

female:

6.8% (2014 est.)

lowest 10%:

37.5%

highest 10%:

35.4% (2001)

• government maintains tight control over broadcast media;
• state-owned Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), broadcasting on both a TV and radio network, was the only officially recognized and fully licensed broadcaster until August 2007, when the government finally issued licenses to 2 private TV broadcasters and 1 private radio broadcaster;
• about 70 privately owned, unlicensed radio stations operating but are subject to closure at any time;
• foreign news services required to partner with state-owned national station (2019)

number of registered air carriers:

1 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

265,136 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

70,000 mt-km (2018)

total:

987 km (2014)

narrow gauge:

987 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)

note: railway connections generally efficient but limited; rail lines connect major cities of Douala, Yaounde, Ngaoundere, and Garoua; passenger and freight service provided by CAMRAIL

total:

77,589 km (2016)

paved:

5,133 km (2016)

unpaved:

72,456 km (2016)

total:

94

by type:

bulk carrier 3, container ship 1,general cargo 35, oil tanker 24, other 31 (2021)

oil terminal(s):

Limboh Terminal

river port(s):

Douala (Wouri); Garoua (Benoue)

• the FAC inventory includes a mix of mostly older or second-hand Chinese, Russian, and Western equipment, with a limited quantity of more modern weapons;
• since 2010, China is the leading supplier of armaments to the FAC (2020)