Cameroon

Powerful chiefdoms ruled much of the area of present-day Cameroon before it became a German colony known as Kamerun in 1884. After World War I, the territory was divided between France and the UK as League of Nations mandates. 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 enabled the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Nonetheless, unrest and violence in the country's two western, English-speaking regions have persisted since 2016. Movement toward democratic reform is slow, and political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA.

land

472,710 sq km

total

475,440 sq km

water

2,730 sq km

slightly larger than California; about four times the size of Pennsylvania

varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north

402 km

highest point

Fako on Mont Cameroun 4,045 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

667 m

6 00 N, 12 00 E

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

290 sq km (2012)

border countries

Central African Republic 901 km; Chad 1,116 km; Republic of the Congo 494 km; Equatorial Guinea 183 km; Gabon 349 km; Nigeria 1975 km

total

5,018 km

agricultural land

20.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 13.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 3.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 4.2% (2018 est.)

forest

41.7% (2018 est.)

other

37.7% (2018 est.)

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

Lake Chad Basin

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Niger, Nigeria, and Chad) - 10,360-25,900 sq kmnote - area varies by season and year to year

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)

Africa

contiguous zone

24 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoesvolcanism: Mt. Cameroon (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

petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower

population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated as shown in this population distribution map

diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north

0-14 years

41.5% (male 6,477,438/female 6,364,987)

15-64 years

55.3% (male 8,488,522/female 8,638,519)

65 years and over

3.2% (2024 est.) (male 463,628/female 533,011)

beer

2.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

1.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

4.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

34.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

men married by age 18

2.9% (2018 est.)

women married by age 15

10.7%

women married by age 18

29.8%

11% (2018/19)

19.3% (2018)

3.8% of GDP (2020)

54.2% (2023 est.)

7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Cameroon has a large youth population, with more than 60% of the populace under the age of 25 as of 2020. Fertility is falling but remains at a high level, especially among poor, rural, and uneducated women, in part because of inadequate access to contraception. Life expectancy remains low at about 55 years due to the prevalence of HIV and AIDs and an elevated maternal mortality rate, which has remained high since 1990. Cameroon, particularly the northern region, is vulnerable to food insecurity largely because of government mismanagement, corruption, high production costs, inadequate infrastructure, and natural disasters. Despite economic growth in some regions, poverty is on the rise, and is most prevalent in rural areas, which are especially affected by a shortage of jobs, declining incomes, poor school and health care infrastructure, and a lack of clean water and sanitation. Underinvestment in social safety nets and ineffective public financial management also contribute to Cameroon’s high rate of poverty.  The activities of Boko Haram, other armed groups, and counterinsurgency operations have worsened food insecurity in the Far North region.   International migration has been driven by unemployment (including fewer government jobs), poverty, the search for educational opportunities, and corruption. The US and Europe are preferred destinations, but, with tighter immigration restrictions in these countries, young Cameroonians are increasingly turning to neighboring states, such as Gabon and Nigeria, South Africa, other parts of Africa, and the Near and Far East. Cameroon’s limited resources make it dependent on UN support to host more than 480,000 refugees and asylum seekers as of December 2022. These refugees and asylum seekers are primarily from the Central African Republic and Nigeria.  Internal and external displacement have grown dramatically in recent years.  Boko Haram's attacks and counterattacks by government forces in the Far North since 2014 have increased the number of internally displaced people.  Armed conflict between separatists and Cameroon's military in the Northwest and Southwest since 2016 have displaced hundreds of thousands of the country's Anglophone minority.

elderly dependency ratio

4.9

potential support ratio

20.3 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

82.3

youth dependency ratio

77.3

improved: rural

rural: 56.2% of population

improved: total

total: 78.6% of population

improved: urban

urban: 95.1% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 43.8% of population

unimproved: total

total: 21.4% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 4.9% of population

3.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Bamileke-Bamu 22.2%, Biu-Mandara 16.4%, Arab-Choa/Hausa/Kanuri 13.5%, Beti/Bassa, Mbam 13.1%, Grassfields 9.9%, Adamawa-Ubangi, 9.8%, Cotier/Ngoe/Oroko 4.6%, Southwestern Bantu 4.3%, Kako/Meka 2.3%, foreign/other ethnic group 3.8% (2022 est.)

2.19 (2024 est.)

1.3 beds/1,000 population

female

41.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male

50.8 deaths/1,000 live births

total

46.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

Languages

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

major-language sample(s)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. (English)The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)

female

66.1 years

male

62.3 years

total population

64.2 years (2024 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

71.6% (2018)

male

82.6%

total population

77.1%

4.509 million YAOUNDE (capital), 4.063 million Douala (2023)

438 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

female

19.2 years

male

18.6 years

total

18.9 years (2024 est.)

20.1 years (2018 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

adjective

Cameroonian

noun

Cameroonian(s)

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

11.4% (2016)

0.13 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

female

15,536,517 (2024 est.)

male

15,429,588

total

30,966,105

population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated as shown in this population distribution map

2.71% (2024 est.)

Roman Catholic 33.1%, Muslim 30.6%, Protestant 27.1% other Christian 6.1%, animist 1.3%, other 0.7%, none 1.2% (2022 est.)

improved: rural

rural: 27.7% of population

improved: total

total: 59.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: 83.2% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 72.3% of population

unimproved: total

total: 40.3% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 16.8% of population

female

11 years (2016)

male

13 years

total

12 years

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.87 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

female

1.4% (2020 est.)

male

13.2% (2020 est.)

total

7.3% (2020 est.)

4.44 children born/woman (2024 est.)

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

59.3% of total population (2023)

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

etymology

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

geographic coordinates

3 52 N, 11 31 E

name

Yaounde

time difference

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

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

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

history

several previous; latest effective 18 January 1996

conventional long form

Republic of Cameroon

conventional short form

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

former

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

local long form

République du Cameroun (French)/Republic of Cameroon (English)

local short form

Cameroun/Cameroon

branch office(s)

Douala

chief of mission

Ambassador Christopher J. LAMORA (since 21 March 2022)

email address and website

YaoundeACS@state.govhttps://cm.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Avenue Rosa Parks, Yaoundé

FAX

[237] 22251-4000, Ext. 4531

mailing address

2520 Yaounde Place, Washington, DC  20521-2520

telephone

[237] 22251-4000

chancery

2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Henri ETOUNDI ESSOMBA (since 27 June 2016)

email address and website

mail@cameroonembassyusaCameroon Embassy in Washington DC, USA (cameroonembassyusa.org)

FAX

[1] (202) 387-3826

telephone

[1] (202) 265-8790

cabinet

Cabinet proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president

chief of state

President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)

election results

2018: 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%2011: Paul BIYA reelected president; percent of vote - Paul BIYA (CPDM) 78.0%, John FRU NDI (SDF) 10.7%, Garga Haman ADJI 3.2%, other 8.1% (2018)

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

head of government

Prime Minister Joseph NGUTE (since 4 January 2019)

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

note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia

presidential republic

1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt

ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, C, CEMAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LCBC, MIGA, MNJTF, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

highest court(s)

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 renewable 6-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

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

description

bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of:Senate or Senat (100 seats; 70 members indirectly elected by regional councils and 30 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms)National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members directly elected in 49 single and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

election results

Senate - percent of vote by party - CDPM 100%; seats by party - CDPM 100; composition - men 69, women 31, percentage women 31%National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPDM 152, UNDP 7, SDF 5, PCRN 5, UDC 4, FSNC 3, MDR 2, UMS 2; composition - men 119, women 61, percentage women 33.9%; total Parliament percentage women 51.1%; note - 13 National Assembly seats were vacant after the 9 February 2020 election due to violence in northwest and southwest regions; CDPM won those seats in a 22 March 2020 election

elections

Senate - last held on 12 March 2023 (next to be held in 2028)National Assembly - last held on 9 February 2020 (next to be held 28 February 2025)

lyrics/music

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

name

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

note

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

selected World Heritage Site locales

Dja Faunal Reserve; Sangha Trinational Forest

total World Heritage Sites

2 (both natural)

State Unification Day (National Day), 20 May (1972)

lion; national colors: green, red, yellow

Alliance for Democracy and Development Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM Cameroon People's Party or CPP Cameroon Renaissance Movement or MRC Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC Cameroonian Party for National Reconciliation or PCRN Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon or FSNC Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP Progressive Movement or MP Social Democratic Front or SDF Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC Union of Socialist Movements 

20 years of age; universal

cassava, plantains, oil palm fruit, maize, taro, tomatoes, sorghum, sugarcane, bananas, vegetables (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

on alcohol and tobacco

2% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

45.2% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

expenditures

$5.592 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$6.385 billion (2021 est.)

Fitch rating

B (2006)

Moody's rating

B2 (2016)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

B- (2020)

Current account balance 2020

-$1.512 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$1.794 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$1.505 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external 2022

$9.612 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

largest CEMAC economy with many natural resources; recent political instability and terrorism reducing economic output; systemic corruption; poor property rights enforcement; increasing poverty in northern regions

Currency

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

585.911 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

575.586 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

554.531 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

623.76 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

606.57 (2023 est.)

Exports 2020

$6.124 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$7.447 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$8.641 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

crude petroleum, natural gas, wood, cocoa beans, gold (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Netherlands 19%, France 15%, India 14%, Spain 10%, China 8% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

exports of goods and services

18.3% (2023 est.)

government consumption

11.3% (2023 est.)

household consumption

73.3% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-20.3% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

17.5% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

-0.1% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture

16.7% (2023 est.)

industry

25.2% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

51.6% (2023 est.)

$47.946 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021

42.2 (2021 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

highest 10%

31.1% (2021 est.)

lowest 10%

2.1% (2021 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports 2020

$7.212 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$9.025 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$9.759 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, wheat, garments, rice, plastic products (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 39%, France 8%, India 6%, Belgium 4%, UAE 4% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

3.8% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.27% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

6.25% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

7.38% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

11.965 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

37.5% (2014 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt 2017

36.9% of GDP (2017 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$128.969 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$133.59 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$138.925 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

3.34% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

3.58% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

3.99% (2023 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$4,700 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$4,800 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$4,800 (2023 est.)

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

0.96% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

1.29% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.78% of GDP (2023 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2020

$3.962 billion (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$4.3 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$5.133 billion (2022 est.)

11.35% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

3.95% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

3.69% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

3.65% (2023 est.)

female

7% (2023 est.)

male

6% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

6.4% (2023 est.)

from consumed natural gas

1.721 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

5.518 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

7.239 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

imports

90.9 metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption

6.311 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

58.1 million kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

1.763 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.811 billion kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - rural areas

25%

electrification - total population

71% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

94%

biomass and waste

0.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

37.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

61.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

0.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

4.656 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

consumption

877.058 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports

1.768 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

2.595 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

135.071 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

200 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

40,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

54,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3 (2020 est.)

total

722,579 (2020 est.)

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 issued licenses to 2 private TV broadcasters and 1 private radio broadcaster; about 70 privately owned, unlicensed radio stations operate under “administrative tolerance,” meaning the stations could be subject to closure at any time (2019)

.cm

percent of population

46% (2021 est.)

total

12.42 million (2021 est.)

domestic

only a little above 3 per 100 persons for fixed-line subscriptions; mobile-cellular usage has increased sharply, reaching a subscribership base of roughly 83 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

Cameroon was for many years one of the few countries in Africa with only two competing mobile operators; the investment programs among operators over the next few years aims to considerably boost mobile broadband services in rural areas of the country, many of which are under served by fixed-line infrastructure; the government has also been supportive, having launched its ‘Cameroon Digital 2020’ program, aimed at improving connectivity nationally; improved submarine and terrestrial cable connectivity has substantially increased international bandwidth, in turn leading to reductions in access prices for consumers; other projects such as Acceleration of the Digital Transformation of Cameroon are aimed at developing the digital economy (2022)

international

country code - 237; landing points for the SAT-3/WASC, SAIL, ACE, NCSCS, Ceiba-2, and WACS fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe, South America, and West Africa; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2019)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

3 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

929,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

83 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

23.107 million (2022 est.)

37 (2024)

TJ

1 (2024)

by type

bulk carrier 2, general cargo 91, oil tanker 42, other 63

total

198 (2023)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

70,000 (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

265,136 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

3

number of registered air carriers

1 (2020)

53 km gas, 5 km liquid petroleum gas, 1,107 km oil, 35 km water (2013)

key ports

Douala, Ebome Marine Terminal, Kole Oil Terminal, Kome Kribi 1 Marine Terminal, Kribi Deep Sea Port, Limboh Terminal, Moudi Marine Terminal

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

5

size unknown

1

total ports

7 (2024)

very small

5

narrow gauge

987 km (2014) 1.000-m gauge

note

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

987 km (2014)

paved

5,133 km

total

77,589 km

unpaved

72,456 km (2019)

(2010) (major rivers in the south, such as the Wouri and the Sanaga, are largely non-navigable; in the north, the Benue, which connects through Nigeria to the Niger River, is navigable in the rainy season only to the port of Garoua)

the FAC ground forces (Army and the Rapid Intervention Battalion) are largely focused on internal security, particularly the threat from the terrorist groups Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa along its frontiers with Nigeria and Chad (Far North region) and, since 2016, an insurgency from armed Anglophone separatist groups in the North-West and South-West regions; in addition, the FAC often deploys ground units to the border region with the Central African Republic to counter intrusions from armed militias and bandits; the Navy’s missions include protecting Cameroon’s oil installations, combatting crime and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, and patrolling the country’s lakes and rivers; the FAC's small Air Force supports both the ground and naval forces (2024)

Cameroon Armed Forces (Forces Armees Camerounaises, FAC): Army (L'Armee de Terre), Navy (Marine Nationale Republique, MNR, includes naval infantry or fusiliers marin), Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Cameroun, AAC), National Gendarmerie (Gendamerie Nationale, GN), National Firefighting Corps (Corps National de Sapeurs-Pompiers, CNSP), Presidential Guard (Garde Présidentielle du Cameroun, GP)General Delegation for National Security (Délégation Générale à la Sûreté Nationale or DGSN): Cameroon Police (2024)

note

note 1: the Police and the National Gendarmerie are responsible for internal security; the Gendarmerie conducts administrative, criminal, and military investigative functions; other missions include customs, air and maritime surveillance, and road traffic control; in times of conflict, it participates in internal defensenote 2: the Army includes the Rapid Intervention Brigade (Brigade d’Intervention Rapide or BIR), which maintains its own command and control structure and reports directly to the Chief of Defense staff and the Presidency; the BIR includes airborne/airmobile, amphibious, armored reconnaissance, artillery, and counterterrorism forces, as well as support elements, such as intelligence

information varies; approximately 40-45,000 active-duty FAC troops, including about 10-12,000 BIR; approximately 10,000 Gendarmerie (2023)

750 (plus about 350 police) Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2024)

note

note: Cameroon has committed approximately 2,000-2,500 troops to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against Boko Haram and other terrorist groups operating in the general area of the Lake Chad Basin and along Nigeria's northeast border; national MNJTF troop contingents are deployed within their own country territories, although cross‐border operations occur occasionally

the FAC inventory is comprised of weapons and equipment from a variety of countries, including China, Israel, Russia/former Soviet Union, South Africa, the US, and some Western European countries, particularly France (2024)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

1% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

1% of GDP (2023 est.)

18-24 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; no conscription; high school graduation required; service obligation 4 years (2024)

IDPs

1.066 million (2023) (includes far north, northwest, and southwest)

refugees (country of origin)

354,725 (Central African Republic), 121,172 (Nigeria) (2024)

Boko Haram; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – West Africa

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

carbon dioxide emissions

8.29 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

30.71 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

56.37 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north

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

severe localized food insecurity

due to civil insecurity and high food prices - according to a March 2023 analysis, about 3 million people were estimated to be acutely food insecure between March and August 2023, as a result of conflict, sociopolitical unrest and high food prices, as well as floods that caused population displacements and damaged standing crops (2023)

agricultural land

20.6% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 13.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 3.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 4.2% (2018 est.)

forest

41.7% (2018 est.)

other

37.7% (2018 est.)

Lake Chad Basin

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Niger, Nigeria, and Chad) - 10,360-25,900 sq kmnote - area varies by season and year to year

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)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

2.5% of GDP (2018 est.)

283.15 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural

740 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

100 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

250 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

59.3% of total population (2023)

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.)