The former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon merged in 1961 to form the present country. Cameroon 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.

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

6 00 N, 12 00 E

Africa

slightly larger than California

402 km

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

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

petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower

260 sq km (2003)

285.5 cu km (2003)

volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes

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

sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa; 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

19,294,149

2.157% (2010 est.)

33.58 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

12.01 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

NA

4.25 children born/woman (2010 est.)

5.1% (2007 est.)

540,000 (2007 est.)

39,000 (2007 est.)

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

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

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

3.3% of GDP (2006)

republic; multiparty presidential regime

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

1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

Republic Day (National Day), 20 May (1972)

approved by referendum 20 May 1972; adopted 2 June 1972; revised January 1996

based on French civil law system with common law influence; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

20 years of age; universal

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

Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); High Court of Justice (consists of nine judges and six substitute judges; elected by the National Assembly)

Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM [Paul BIYA]; Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA]; 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; Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI]; Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC [Augustin Frederic KODOCK]

Human Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president]; Southern Cameroon National Council [Ayamba Ette OTUN]

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, C, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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"

Because of its modest 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 stagnating per capita income, a relatively inequitable distribution of income, a top-heavy civil service, and a generally unfavorable climate for business enterprise. International oil and cocoa prices have a significant impact on the economy. 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 IMF is pressing for more reforms, including increased budget transparency, privatization, and poverty reduction programs.

$42.76 billion (2009 est.)

$43.19 billion (2008 est.)

$41.81 billion (2007 est.)

$22.08 billion (2009 est.)

-1% (2009 est.)

3.3% (2008 est.)

3.5% (2007 est.)

$2,300 (2009 est.)

$2,300 (2008 est.)

$2,300 (2007 est.)

7.313 million (2009 est.)

30% (2001 est.)

48% (2000 est.)

44.6 (2001)

47.7 (1996)

18.1% of GDP (2009 est.)

14.3% of GDP (2009 est.)

13.5% of GDP (2008 est.)

2.5% (2009 est.)

5.3% (2008 est.)

4.75% (31 December 2008)

5.25% (31 December 2007)

NA% (31 December 2008)

15% (31 December 2007)

$NA (31 December 2008)

$2.616 billion (31 December 2007)

$NA (31 December 2008)

$1.698 billion (31 December 2007)

$NA (31 December 2008)

$1.3 billion (31 December 2007)

$NA

coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root starches; livestock; timber

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

-3.5% (2009 est.)

5.601 billion kWh (2007 est.)

4.801 billion kWh (2007 est.)

0 kWh (2008 est.)

0 kWh (2008 est.)

81,720 bbl/day (2008 est.)

26,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)

107,100 bbl/day (2007 est.)

45,520 bbl/day (2007 est.)

200 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

20 million cu m (2008 est.)

20 million cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2008 est.)

135.1 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

-$673 million (2009 est.)

-$96 million (2008 est.)

$3.409 billion (2009 est.)

$4.707 billion (2008 est.)

crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton

Spain 19.4%, Italy 13.2%, US 10.4%, France 8%, Netherlands 7.9%, China 7.8% (2008)

$3.739 billion (2009 est.)

$4.303 billion (2008 est.)

machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food

France 21.2%, Nigeria 13.9%, China 9.6%, Belgium 6.1% (2008)

$2.922 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$3.091 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$2.929 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$3.066 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar - 481.35 (2009), 447.81 (2008), 493.51 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005)

198,300 (2008)

6.161 million (2008)

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (2001)

1 (2001)

.cm

70 (2009)

725,000 (2008)

36 (2009)

oil 889 km (2009)

navigation mainly on Benue River; limited during rainy season (2008)

Douala, Limboh Terminal

Cameroon Armed Forces (Forces Armees Camerounaises, FAC): Army (L'Armee de Terre), Navy (includes naval infantry), Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Cameroun, AAC), Fire Fighter Corps, Gendarmerie (2010)

18-23 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; high school graduation required; service obligation 4 years; the government makes periodic calls for volunteers (2010)

1.3% of GDP (2009)

Joint Border Commission with Nigeria reviewed 2002 ICJ ruling on the entire boundary and bilaterally resolved differences, including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately ceded sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon with a full phase-out of Nigerian control and patriation of residents in 2008; Cameroon and Nigeria agree on maritime delimitation in March 2008; sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty, which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries