1994 Edition

Administrative divisions

10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest

Agriculture

the agriculture and forestry sectors provide employment for the majority of the population, contributing nearly 25% to GDP and providing a high degree of self-sufficiency in staple foods; commercial and food crops include coffee, cocoa, timber, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, livestock, root starches

Airports

total: 61 usable: 49 with permanent-surface runways: 11 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 6 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 21

Area

total area: 475,440 sq km land area: 469,440 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than California

Birth rate

40.53 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Branches

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

Budget

revenues: $1.7 billion expenditures: $2.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $422 million (FY90 est.)

Capital

Yaounde

Climate

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

Coastline

402 km

Constitution

20 May 1972

Currency

1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes

Death rate

11.41 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $219 million, less than 2% of GDP (1990 est.)

Digraph

CM

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador Jerome MENDOUGA chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 265-8790 through 8794

Economic aid

recipient: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $479 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-90), $4.75 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $29 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $125 million

Electricity

capacity: 755,000 kW production: 2.19 billion kWh consumption per capita: 190 kWh (1991)

Environment

current issues: water-borne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching natural hazards: recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous gases international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban

Ethnic divisions

Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%, non-African less than 1%

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 592.05 (January 1994), 283.16 (1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989) 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

Executive branch

chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982); election last held 11 October 1992; results - President Paul BIYA reelected with about 40% of the vote amid widespread allegations of fraud; SDF candidate John FRU NDI got 36% of the vote; UNDP candidate Bello Bouba MAIGARI got 19% of the vote head of government: Prime Minister Simon ACHIDI ACHU (since 9 April 1992) cabinet: Cabinet; appointed by the president

Exports

$1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: petroleum products 51%, coffee, beans, cocoa, aluminum products, timber partners: EC (particularly France) about 50%, US, African countries

External debt

$6 billion (1991)

FAX

[237] 23-07-53 consulate(s): none (Douala closed July 1993)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

Flag

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

Highways

total: 65,000 km paved: 2,682 km unpaved: gravel, improved earth 32,318 km; unimproved earth 30,000 km

Imports

$1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: machines and electrical equipment, food, consumer goods, transport equipment partners: EC about 60% (France 41%, Germany 9%), African countries, Japan, US 4%

Independence

1 January 1960 (from UN trusteeship under French administration)

Industrial production

growth rate 6.4% (FY87); accounts for 30% of GDP

Industries

petroleum production and refining, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, sawmills

Infant mortality rate

77.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3% (1990 est.)

Inland waterways

2,090 km; of decreasing importance

International disputes

demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; boundary commission, created with Nigeria to discuss unresolved land and maritime boundaries in the vicinity of the Bakasi Peninsula, has not yet convened, but a commission was formed in January 1994 to study a flare-up of the dispute

Irrigated land

280 sq km (1989 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Labor force

NA by occupation: agriculture 74.4%, industry and transport 11.4%, other services 14.2% (1983) note: 50% of population of working age (15-64 years) (1985)

Land boundaries

total 4,591 km, Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km, Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 km

Land use

arable land: 13% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 18% forest and woodland: 54% other: 13%

Languages

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

Legal system

based on French civil law system, with common law influence; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 57.07 years male: 55.03 years female: 59.17 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 55% male: 66% female: 45%

Location

Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 2,939,761; fit for military service 1,481,750; reach military age (18) annually 137,020 (1994 est.)

Map references

Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 50 nm

Member of

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-19, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Merchant marine

2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 24,122 GRT/33,509 DWT

Names

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

National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)

elections last held 1 March 1992 (next scheduled for March 1997); results - (180 seats) CPDM 88, UNDP 68, UPC 18, MDR 6

National holiday

National Day, 20 May (1972)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $19.1 billion (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$1,500 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

NA

Nationality

noun: Cameroonian(s) adjective: Cameroonian

Natural resources

petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower potential

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Note

sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa

Other political or pressure groups

NA

Overview

Because of its offshore oil resources and favorable agricultural conditions, Cameroon has one of the best-endowed, most diversified primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious problems facing other underdeveloped countries, such as political instability, a top-heavy civil service, and a generally unfavorable climate for business enterprise. The development of the oil sector led 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

coffee, cocoa, and petroleum. Export earnings were cut by almost one-third, and inefficiencies in fiscal management were exposed. In 1990-93, with support from the IMF and World Bank, the government began to introduce reforms designed to spur business investment, increase efficiency in agriculture, and recapitalize the nation's banks. Political instability following suspect elections in 1992 brought IMF/WB structural adjustment to a halt. Although the 50% devaluation of the currency in January 1994 improves the potential for export growth, mismanagement remains and is the main barrier to economic improvement.

Political parties and leaders

Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM), Paul BIYA, president, is government-controlled and was formerly the only party, but opposition parties were legalized in 1990 major opposition parties: National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP); Social Democratic Front (SDF); Cameroonian Democratic Union (UDC); Union of Cameroonian Populations (UPC)

Population

13,132,191 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

2.91% (1994 est.)

Ports

Douala

Railroads

1,003 km total; 858 km 1.000-meter gauge, 145 km 0.600-meter gauge

Religions

indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 33%, Muslim 16%

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

Telecommunications

good system of open wire, cable, troposcatter, and microwave radio relay; 26,000 telephones, 2 telephones per 1,000 persons, available only to business and government; broadcast stations - 11 AM, 11 FM, 1 TV; 2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

Terrain

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

Total fertility rate

5.84 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Type

unitary republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized 1990)

Unemployment rate

25% (1990 est.)

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission: Ambassador Harriet ISOM embassy: Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde mailing address: B. P. 817, Yaounde telephone: [237] 23-40-14 and 23-05-12