1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 475,440 sq km land: 469,440 sq km water: 6,000 sq km
Area--comparative
slightly larger than California
Climate
varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north
Coastline
402 km
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Fako 4,095 m
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
Geographic coordinates
6 00 N, 12 00 E
Geography--note
sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa
Irrigated land
210 sq km (1993 est.)
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
Land use
arable land: 13% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 4% forests and woodland: 78% other: 3% (1993 est.)
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
Map references
Africa
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 50 nm
Natural hazards
recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous gases
Natural resources
petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower
Terrain
diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 46% (male 3,562,553; female 3,528,778) 15-64 years: 51% (male 3,907,946; female 3,943,035) 65 years and over: 3% (male 231,521; female 282,259) (1999 est.)
Birth rate
41.84 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
13.95 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
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%
Infant mortality rate
75.69 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 51.32 years male: 49.75 years female: 52.94 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 63.4% male: 75% female: 52.1% (1995 est.)
Nationality
noun: Cameroonian(s) adjective: Cameroonian
Net migration rate
NA migrant(s)/1,000 population; note--there may be some migration but figures are not available
Population
15,456,092 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
2.79% (1999 est.)
Religions
indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 33%, Muslim 16%
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate
5.8 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest
Capital
Yaounde
Constitution
20 May 1972
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon conventional short form: Cameroon former: French Cameroon
Data code
CM
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 93%; note--supporters of the opposition candidates boycotted the elections, making a comparison of vote shares relatively meaningless
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
Government type
unitary republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized in 1990)
Independence
1 January 1960 (from UN trusteeship under French administration)
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 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
Judicial branch
Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president Political parties and leaders: Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM (government-controlled and the only party until major opposition parties: Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC Frederick KODOG]; Union of Cameroonian Democratic Forces or UFOC Political pressure groups and leaders: Alliance for Change or general]
Legal system
based on French civil law system, with common law influence; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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--CDPM 109, SDF 43, UNDP 13, UDC 5, UPC-K 1, MDR 1, MLJC 1; note--7 contested seats will be filled in an election at a time to be set by the Supreme Court note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for the legislature, to be called Senate, which the government proposed to establish in 1998
National holiday
National Day, 20 May (1972)
Suffrage
21 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root starches; livestock; timber
Budget
revenues: $2.23 billion expenditures: $2.23 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY96/97 est.)
Currency
1 Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Debt--external
$8.7 billion (1998 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
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 may support economic growth in 1999-2000.
Electricity--consumption
2.73 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
2.73 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 2.93% hydro: 97.07% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1--575 (January 1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996), 499.15 (1995), 555.20 (1994)
Exports
$1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities
crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton
Exports--partners
Italy 25%, Spain 20%, France 16%, Netherlands 7% (1997 est.)
Fiscal year
1 July--30 June
GDP
purchasing power parity--$29.6 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 42% industry: 22% services: 36% (1997 est.)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$2,000 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
5% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities
machines and electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food
Imports--partners
France 25%, Nigeria 8%, US 8%, Germany 6% (1997 est.)
Industrial production growth rate
NA%
Industries
petroleum production and refining, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.5% (1998 est.)
Labor force
NA
Population below poverty line
40% (1984 est.)
Unemployment rate
30% (1998 est.)
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 11, FM 8, shortwave 3 (1998)
Radios
6 million (1998 est.)
Telephone system
available only to business and government domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter international: satellite earth stations--2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones
36,737 (1991 est.)
Television broadcast stations
1 (1998)
Televisions
15,000 (1998)
Transportation
Airports
52 (1998 est.) Airports--with paved runways: total: 11 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (1998 est.) Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 41 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 21 under 914 m: 12 (1998 est.)
Highways
total: 34,300 km paved: 4,288 km unpaved: 30,012 km (1995 est.)
Railways
total: 1,104 km narrow gauge: 1,104 km 1.000-m gauge (1995 est.)
Waterways
2,090 km; of decreasing importance Ports and harbors: Bonaberi, Douala, Garoua, Kribi, Tiko
Military and Security
Military branches
Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$155 million (FY98/99)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
1.4% (FY98/99)
Military manpower--availability
males age 15-49: 3,388,643 (1999 est.) Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 1,716,285 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--military age
18 years of age
Military manpower--reaching military age annually
males: 165,670 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international
delimitation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; dispute with Nigeria over land and maritime boundaries around the Bakasi Peninsula and Lake Chad is currently before the International Court of Justice