Cameroon

Broadcast media

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 finally issued licenses to 2 private TV broadcasters and 1 private radio broadcaster; about 70 privately owned, unlicensed radio stations operating but are subject to closure at any time; foreign news services required to partner with state-owned national station (2007)

Internet country code

.cm

Internet users

total: 6,090,201 | percent of population: 25.0% (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108

Telephone system

general assessment: system includes cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter; Camtel, the monopoly provider of fixed-line service, provides connections for only about 4 per 100 persons; equipment is old and outdated, and connections with many parts of the country are unreliable | domestic: mobile-cellular usage, in part a reflection of the poor condition and general inadequacy of the fixed-line network, has increased sharply, reaching a subscribership base of over 65 per 100 persons | 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) (2016)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 1,051,073 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 76

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 16,331,852 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 67 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 61

Agriculture - products

coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, cassava (manioc, tapioca); livestock; timber

Budget

revenues: $4.678 billion | expenditures: $6.615 billion (2016 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-6.6% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 181

Central bank discount rate

4.25% (31 December 2009) | country comparison to the world: 85

Commercial bank prime lending rate

12.5% (31 December 2016 est.) | 13% (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 65

Current account balance

$-1.065 billion (2016 est.) | $-1.173 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 128

Debt - external

$7.364 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $6.558 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 122

Distribution of family income - Gini index

44.6 (2001) | 46.5 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 41

Economy - overview

Cameroon’s market-based, diversified economy features oil and gas, timber, aluminum, agriculture, mining and the service sector. Oil remains Cameroon’s main export commodity, and despite falling global oil prices, still accounts for nearly 40% of exports. Cameroon’s economy suffers from factors that often impact underdeveloped countries, such as stagnant per capita income, a relatively inequitable distribution of income, a top-heavy civil service, endemic corruption, continuing inefficiencies of a large parastatal system in key sectors, 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 IMF continues to press for economic reforms, including increased budget transparency, privatization, and poverty reduction programs. The Government of Cameroon provides subsidies for electricity, food, and fuel that have strained the federal budget and diverted funds from education, healthcare, and infrastructure projects, as low oil prices have led to lower revenues. | Cameroon devotes significant resources to several large infrastructure projects currently under construction, including a deep seaport in Kribi and the Lom Pangar Hydropower Project. Cameroon’s energy sector continues to diversify, recently opening a natural gas-powered electricity generating plant. Cameroon continues to seek foreign investment to improve its inadequate infrastructure, create jobs, and improve its economic footprint, but its unfavorable business environment remains a significant deterrent to foreign investment.

Exchange rates

Cooperation Financiere en Afrique Centrale francs (XAF) per US dollar - | 593.01 (2016 est.) | 593.01 (2015 est.) | 591.45 (2014 est.) | 494.42 (2013 est.) | 510.53 (2012 est.)

Exports

$4.561 billion (2016 est.) | $5.217 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 107

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Netherlands 21%, India 11.3%, Italy 11%, China 8%, Spain 6.7%, France 5.9% (2016)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP (official exchange rate)

$29.33 billion (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$77.1 billion (2016 est.) | $72.73 billion (2015 est.) | $68.03 billion (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 94

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 71.7% | government consumption: 12.2% | investment in fixed capital: 20.2% | investment in inventories: 0.6% | exports of goods and services: 18.5% | imports of goods and services: -23% (2016 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 23% | industry: 28.2% | services: 48.8% (2016 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$3,300 (2016 est.) | $3,200 (2015 est.) | $3,100 (2014 est.) | note: data are in 2016 dollars | country comparison to the world: 189

GDP - real growth rate

4.7% (2016 est.) | 5.8% (2015 est.) | 5.9% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 49

Gross national saving

16.5% of GDP (2016 est.) | 17.2% of GDP (2015 est.) | 18.6% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 37.5% | highest 10%: 35.4% (2001)

Imports

$4.784 billion (2016 est.) | $5.589 billion (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 123

Imports - commodities

machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food

Imports - partners

China 17.8%, Nigeria 12%, France 11%, Thailand 4.6%, Togo 4.5% (2016)

Industrial production growth rate

4.2% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 57

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.9% (2016 est.) | 2.7% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 81

Labor force

9.659 million (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 53

Labor force - by occupation

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

Market value of publicly traded shares

$230 million (31 December 2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 117

Population below poverty line

30% (2001 est.)

Public debt

30.5% of GDP (2016 est.) | 28.3% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.26 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $3.568 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 114

Stock of broad money

$6.33 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $6.218 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 119

Stock of domestic credit

$5.714 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $4.232 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 122

Stock of narrow money

$3.86 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $3.786 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 110

Taxes and other revenues

15.9% of GDP (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 179

Unemployment rate

4.3% (2014 est.) | 30% (2001 est.) | country comparison to the world: 56

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

6.5 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 119

Crude oil - exports

64,290 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 40

Crude oil - imports

39,120 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 57

Crude oil - production

93,200 bbl/day (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 45

Crude oil - proved reserves

200 million bbl (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 58

Electricity - consumption

5.702 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 117

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 121

Electricity - from fossil fuels

52.9% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 144

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

46.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 45

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 68

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.6% of total installed capacity (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 148

Electricity - imports

1.414 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 62

Electricity - installed generating capacity

1.545 million kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 121

Electricity - production

6.61 billion kWh (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 114

Electricity access

population without electricity: 10,100,000 | electrification - total population: 55% | electrification - urban areas: 88% | electrification - rural areas: 17% (2013)

Natural gas - consumption

1.08 billion cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 98

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108

Natural gas - production

680 million cu m (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 70

Natural gas - proved reserves

135.1 billion cu m (1 January 2017 es) | country comparison to the world: 50

Refined petroleum products - consumption

42,000 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 114

Refined petroleum products - exports

17,560 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 72

Refined petroleum products - imports

3,320 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 176

Refined petroleum products - production

54,740 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 82

Area

total: 475,440 sq km | land: 472,710 sq km | water: 2,730 sq km | country comparison to the world: 55

Area - comparative

slightly larger than California

Climate

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

Coastline

402 km

Elevation

mean elevation: 667 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m | highest point: Fako on Mont Cameroun 4,045 m

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 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

Irrigated land

290 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 5,018 km | border countries (6): Central African Republic 901 km, Chad 1,116 km, Republic of the Congo 494 km, Equatorial Guinea 183 km, Gabon 349 km, Nigeria 1,975 km

Land use

agricultural land: 20.6% | arable land 13.1%; permanent crops 3.3%; permanent pasture 4.2% | forest: 41.7% | other: 37.7% (2011 est.)

Location

Central 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 | volcanism: 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

Natural resources

petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower

Population - distribution

population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated

Terrain

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

Administrative divisions

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)

Capital

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

Citizenship

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

Constitution

history: several previous; latest effective 18 January 1996 | 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 (2017)

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 | 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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Matthew SMITH (since 7 September 2017) | 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] 22220 1500; Consular: [237] 22220 1603 | FAX: [237] 22220 1500 Ext. 4531; Consular FAX: [237] 22220 1752 | branch office(s): Douala

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Essomba ETOUNDI (since 27 June 2016) | chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; current temporary address - 3400 International Drive 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 Philemon YANG (since 30 June 2009) | cabinet: Cabinet proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president | elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (no term limits); election last held on 9 October 2011 (next to be held in October 2018); prime minister appointed by the president | election results: 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%

Flag description

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: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

International law organization participation

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

International organization participation

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), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

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 single 9-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 magistrate's courts

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

description: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (100 seats; 70 members indirectly elected by regional councils and 30 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); note - the 100-member Senate was formed at the time of the April 2013 election | elections: Senate last held on 14 April 2013 (next to be held in 2018); National Assembly last held on 30 September 2013 (next to be held in 2018) | election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPDM 56, SDF 14; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPDM 148, SDF 18, UNDP 5, UDC 4, UPC 3, other 2

National anthem

name: "O Cameroun, Berceau de nos Ancetres" (O Cameroon, Cradle of Our Forefathers) | lyrics/music: Rene Djam AFAME, Samuel Minkio BAMBA, Moise Nyatte NKO'O [French], Benard Nsokika FONLON [English]/Rene Djam AFAME | 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

National holiday

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

National symbol(s)

lion; national colors: green, red, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Democracy and Development | Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM [Paul BIYA] | Cameroon People's Party or CPP [Edith Kah WALLA] | Cameroon Renaissance Movement or MRC [Maurice KAMTO] | 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 [Jean-Jacques EKINDI] | Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI] | Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC [Provisionary Management Bureau]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Network of Human Rights Defenders in Central Africa or REDHAC [Maximilliene Ngo MBE] | Tribunal 53 Articles [Patrice NGANANG]

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

Background

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. Despite slow movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA.

Military branches

Cameroon Armed Forces (Forces Armees Camerounaises, FAC): Army (L'Armee de Terre), Navy (Marine Nationale Republique, MNR, includes naval infantry), Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Cameroun, AAC), Rapid Intervention Brigade, Fire Fighter Corps, Gendarmerie (2015)

Military expenditures

1.6% of GDP (2016) | 1.25% of GDP (2015) | 1.25% of GDP (2014) | 1.33% of GDP (2013) | 1.34% of GDP (2012) | country comparison to the world: 70

Military service age and obligation

18-23 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; high school graduation required; service obligation 4 years; periodic government calls for volunteers (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 42.39% (male 5,337,879/female 5,257,026) | 15-24 years: 19.56% (male 2,456,061/female 2,432,500) | 25-54 years: 30.87% (male 3,880,906/female 3,835,107) | 55-64 years: 3.98% (male 485,059/female 509,649) | 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 372,415/female 428,283) (2017 est.)

Birth rate

35.4 births/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 19

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

14.8% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 47

Contraceptive prevalence rate

34.4% (2014)

Death rate

9.6 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 48

Demographic profile

Cameroon has a large youth population, with more than 60% of the populace under the age of 25. 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. | 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 320,000 refugees and asylum seekers as of September 2017. These refugees and asylum seekers are primarily from the Central African Republic and more recently Nigeria.

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 85.9 | youth dependency ratio: 80 | elderly dependency ratio: 5.9 | potential support ratio: 17 (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 94.8% of population | rural: 52.7% of population | total: 75.6% of population | urban: 5.2% of population | rural: 47.3% of population | total: 24.4% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

3% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 133

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

3.8% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 15

HIV/AIDS - deaths

29,000 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 9

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

560,000 (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 14

Health expenditures

4.1% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 164

Hospital bed density

1.3 beds/1,000 population (2010)

Infant mortality rate

total: 51 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 54.6 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 47.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 28

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 59 years | male: 57.6 years | female: 60.4 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 208

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 75% | male: 81.2% | female: 68.9% (2015 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever | vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever | water contact disease: schistosomiasis | respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis | animal contact disease: rabies (2016)

Major urban areas - population

YAOUNDE (capital) 3.066 million; Douala 2.943 million (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

596 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 15

Median age

total: 18.5 years | male: 18.4 years | female: 18.7 years (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 209

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.7 years | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2011 est.)

Nationality

noun: Cameroonian(s) | adjective: Cameroonian

Net migration rate

-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 104

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

11.4% (2016) | country comparison to the world: 135

Physicians density

0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2010)

Population

24,994,885 | 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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 53

Population distribution

population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated

Population growth rate

2.56% (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 18

Religions

Roman Catholic 38.4%, Protestant 26.3%, other Christian 4.5%, Muslim 20.9%, animist 5.6%, other 1%, non-believer 3.2% (2005 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 61.8% of population | rural: 26.8% of population | total: 45.8% of population | urban: 38.2% of population | rural: 73.2% of population | total: 54.2% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 12 years | male: 13 years | female: 11 years (2015)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female | total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.64 children born/woman (2017 est.) | country comparison to the world: 21

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 6.4% | male: 5.3% | female: 7.5% (2010 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 55.5% of total population (2017) | rate of urbanization: 3.4% annual rate of change (2015-20 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 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 agreed 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 241,354 (Central African Republic); 90,428 (Nigeria) (2017) | IDPs: 328,785 (2017)

Airports

33 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 112

Airports - with paved runways

total: 11 | over 3,047 m: 2 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 22 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 | 914 to 1,523 m: 10 | under 914 m: 8 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

TJ (2016)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 267,208 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 0 mt-km (2015)

Pipelines

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

Ports and terminals

river port(s): Douala (Wouri); Garoua (Benoue) | oil terminal(s): Limboh Terminal

Railways

total: 987 km | narrow gauge: 987 km 1.000-m gauge | 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 (2014) | country comparison to the world: 89

Roadways

total: 51,350 km | paved: 4,108 km | unpaved: 47,242 km | note: there are 28,857 km of national roads (2011) | country comparison to the world: 78

Waterways

(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) (2010)