About Cameroon

CAMEROON FACTS AND FACTOIDS (from the CIA World Factbook)

Background:

French Cameroon became independent in 1960 as the Republic of Cameroon. The following year the southern portion of neighboring British Cameroon voted to merge with the new country to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. In 1972, a new constitution replaced the federation with a unitary state, the United Republic of Cameroon. The country has generally enjoyed stability, which has permitted the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Despite slow movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA.

Location:

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

Geographic coordinates:

6 00 N, 12 00 E

Area:

total: 475,440 sq km
country comparison to the world: 54
land: 472,710 sq km
water: 2,730 sq km

Area – comparative:

slightly larger than California

Land boundaries:

total: 4,591 km
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.

Coastline:

402 km.

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm

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:

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Fako 4,095 m (on Mt. Cameroon)

Natural resources:

petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower

Land use:

arable land: 12.54%
permanent crops: 2.52%
other: 84.94% (2005)

Natural hazards:

volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes.
volcanism: Mt. Cameroon (elev. 4,095 m), which last erupted in 2000, is the most frequently active volcano in West Africa; lakes in Oku volcanic field have released fatal levels of gas on occasion, killing some 1,700 people in 1986.

Environment – current issues:

waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing.

People and Society:

Nationality:

noun: Cameroonian(s)
adjective: Cameroonian

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%.

Languages:

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

Religions:

indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%.

Population:

19,711,291 (July 2011 est.).

Age Structure:

0-14 years: 40.5% (male 4,027,381/female 3,956,219)
15-64 years: 56.2% (male 5,564,570/female 5,505,857)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 300,929/female 356,335) (2011 est.)

Urbanization:

urban population: 58% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 3.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major cities – population:

Douala 2.053 million; YAOUNDE (capital) 1.739 million (2009)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 67.9%
male: 77%
female: 59.8% (2001 est.)

Government – country name:

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

Government type:

republic; multiparty presidential regime

Capital:

name: Yaounde
geographic coordinates: 3 52 N, 11 31 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

10 regions (regions, singular – region); Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, North-West (Nord-Ouest), Ouest, Sud, South-West (Sud-Ouest).

Independence:

1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship).

Legal system:

mixed legal system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law.