Cameroon

Internet country code

.cm

Internet hosts

512 (2007)

Internet users

370,000 (2006)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (2001)

Telephone system

general assessment: fixed-line connections stand at less than 1 per 100 persons; equipment is old and outdated, and connections with many parts of the country are unreliable; mobile-cellular usage, in part a reflection of the poor condition and general inadequacy of the fixed-line network, has been increasing steadily and currently stands at 14 per 100 persons domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter international: country code - 237; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)

Telephones - main lines in use

100,300 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

2.253 million (2005)

Television broadcast stations

1 (2001)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $3.611 billion expenditures: $2.609 billion (2006 est.)

Currency (code)

Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States

Current account balance

$-132 million (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$3.688 billion (2006 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

44.6 (2001)

Economic aid - recipient

in January 2001, the Paris Club agreed to reduce Cameroon's debt of $1.3 billion by $900 million; debt relief now totals $1.26 billion (2005)

Economy - overview

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 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. In June 2000, the government completed an IMF-sponsored, three-year structural adjustment program; however, the IMF is pressing for more reforms, including increased budget transparency, privatization, and poverty reduction programs. International oil and cocoa prices have a significant impact on the economy.

Electricity - consumption

3.435 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - production

4.09 billion kWh (2005)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002)

Exports

$3.49 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Spain 21.3%, Italy 15.4%, France 11.6%, South Korea 7.3%, Netherlands 7.2%, US 5.7%, Belgium 4.2% (2006)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP (official exchange rate)

$16.33 billion (2006 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$42.64 billion (2006 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 44.3% industry: 15.7% services: 40% (2006 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$2,500 (2006 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.9% (2006 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 35.4% (2001)

Imports

$3.127 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food

Imports - partners

France 23.6%, Nigeria 13.2%, China 7.3%, Belgium 6.1%, US 4.6% (2006)

Industrial production growth rate

4.2% (1999 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.1% (2006 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

16.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

Labor force

6.542 million (2006 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 70% industry: 13% services: 17% (2001 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2005)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

105.9 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

24,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day

Oil - production

82,300 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

90 million bbl (1 January 2006)

Population below poverty line

48% (2000 est.)

Public debt

24.4% of GDP (2006 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.735 billion (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

30% (2001 est.)

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 (on Mt. Cameroon)

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

6 00 N, 12 00 E

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

260 sq km (2003)

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

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm

Natural hazards

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

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

Administrative divisions

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

Capital

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

Constitution

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

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador R. Niels MARQUARDT embassy: Avenue Rosa Parks, Yaounde mailing address: P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520 telephone: [237] 2220 15 00; Consular: [237] 2220 16 03 FAX: [237] 2220 16 00 Ext. 4531; Consular FAX: [237] 2220 17 52 branch office(s): Douala

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Jerome MENDOUGA chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790 FAX: [1] (202) 387-3826

Executive branch

chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982) head of government: Prime Minister Ephraim INONI (since 8 December 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from proposals submitted by the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 11 October 2004 (next to be held by October 2011); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Paul BIYA reelected; percent of vote - Paul BIYA 70.9%, John FRU NDI 17.4%, Adamou Ndam NJOYA 4.5%, Garga Haman ADJI 3.7%

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

republic; multiparty presidential regime

Independence

1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

International organization participation

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, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

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)

Legal system

based on French civil law system, with common law influence; accepts 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 22 July 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RDCP 140, SDF 14, UDC 4, UNDP 4, MP 1, vacant 17; note - vacant seats will be determined in a yet to be scheduled by-election after the Supreme Court nullified results in five districts note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for the legislature, to be called a Senate, but it has yet to be established

National holiday

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

Political parties and leaders

Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA]; Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or RDPC [Paul BIYA]; Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]; Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [Marcel YONDO]; Movement for the Youth of Cameroon or MYC [Dieudonne TINA]; 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]

Political pressure groups and leaders

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

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

Background

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 a slow movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of an ethnic oligarchy headed by President Paul BIYA.

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 3,525,307 females age 18-49: 3,461,406 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 1,946,767 females age 18-49: 1,834,600 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49: 191,619 females age 18-49: 187,082 (2005 est.)

Military branches

Cameroon Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes naval infantry), Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Cameroun, AAC) (2006)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.3% (2006)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; the government makes periodic calls for volunteers (2006)

Age structure

0-14 years: 41.3% (male 3,763,332/female 3,695,053) 15-64 years: 55.5% (male 5,029,658/female 4,994,786) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 266,616/female 310,937) (2007 est.)

Birth rate

35.07 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate

12.66 deaths/1,000 population (2007 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%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

6.9% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

49,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

560,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 65.84 deaths/1,000 live births male: 70.73 deaths/1,000 live births female: 60.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 52.86 years male: 52.15 years female: 53.59 years (2007 est.)

Literacy

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

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified among birds in this country or surrounding region; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2007)

Median age

total: 18.9 years male: 18.7 years female: 19 years (2007 est.)

Nationality

noun: Cameroonian(s) adjective: Cameroonian

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Population

18,060,382 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)

Population growth rate

2.241% (2007 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.018 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.007 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.857 male(s)/female total population: 1.007 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.49 children born/woman (2007 est.)

Disputes - international

Joint Border Commission with Nigeria reviewed 2002 ICJ ruling on the entire boundary and bilaterally resolved differences, including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately cedes sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon with a phase-out of Nigerian control within two years while resolving patriation issues; implementation of the ICJ ruling on the Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea is pending due to imprecisely defined coordinates and a 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 39,303 (Chad), 9,711 (Nigeria), 13,000 (Central African Republic); note - there are an additional 10,000 Central African refugees unregistered with UNHCR as of December 2006 (2006)

Airports

45 (2007)

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 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 34 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 8 (2007)

Merchant marine

total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 38,613 GRT/68,820 DWT by type: petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: 1 (France 1) (2007)

Pipelines

gas 70 km; liquid petroleum gas 9 km; oil 1,107 km (2006)

Ports and terminals

Douala, Limboh Terminal

Railways

total: 987 km narrow gauge: 987 km 1.000-m gauge (2006)

Roadways

total: 50,000 km paved: 5,000 km unpaved: 45,000 km (2004)

Waterways

navigation mainly on Benue River; limited during rainy season (2005)