Cameroon

Internet country code

.cm

Internet hosts

479 (2004)

Internet users

60,000 (2002) note: Cameroon also had more than 100 cyber-cafes in 2001

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (2002)

Telephone system

general assessment: available only to business and government domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter international: country code - 237; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia

Telephones - main lines in use

110,900 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular

1.077 million (2003)

Television broadcast stations

1 (2002)

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

revenues: $2.442 billion expenditures: $1.941 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)

Currency

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

Currency code

XAF

Current account balance

$-564 million (2003)

Debt - external

$7.236 billion (2003 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

47.7 (1996)

Economic aid - recipient

on 23 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

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. 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 considerable impact on the economy.

Electricity - consumption

3.36 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

3.613 billion kWh (2001)

Exchange rates

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 581.2 (2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699 (1999)

Exports

$1.873 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Exports - partners

Spain 21.9%, Italy 13.4%, France 10.8%, Netherlands 10.6%, US 7.5%, China 4.4% (2003)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $27.75 billion (2003 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 42.6% industry: 19.8% services: 37.6% (2003 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4.2% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.9% highest 10%: 36.6% (1996)

Imports

$1.959 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food

Imports - partners

France 21.9%, Nigeria 9.5%, Japan 6.8%, US 5.7%, China 4.9%, Germany 4.3% (2003)

Industrial production growth rate

4.2% (1999 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.3% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

19.4% of GDP (2003)

Labor force

6.49 million NA (2003)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 70%, industry and commerce 13%, other 17%

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

55.22 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Oil - consumption

22,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

76,650 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

200 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Population below poverty line

48% (2000 est.)

Public debt

57.1% of GDP (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold

$634 million (2003)

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 (on Mount Cameroon) 4,095 m

Environment - current issues

water-borne 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 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

330 sq km (1998 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: 12.81% permanent crops: 2.58% other: 84.61% (2001)

Location

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 50 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

Yaounde

Constitution

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

Country name

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador George McDade STAPLES embassy: Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde mailing address: P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520 telephone: [237] 223-05-12, 222-25-89, 222-17-94, 223-40-14 FAX: [237] 223-07-53 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 Dec 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; election last held 11 October 2004 (next to be held NA 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

unitary republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties legalized in 1990) note: preponderance of power remains with the president

Independence

1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

International organization participation

ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, C, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); High Court of Justice (consists of 9 judges and 6 substitute judges, elected by the National Assembly)

Legal system

based on French civil law system, with common law influence; has not accepted 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 23 June 2002 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RDCP 133, SDF 21, UDC 5, other 21 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]; Democratic Rally of the Cameroon People or RDCP [Paul BIYA]; Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]; Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [leader Marcel YONDO]; Movement for the Youth of Cameroon or MYC [Dieudonne TINA]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA]; Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI]; Union of Cameroonian Populations 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 movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of an ethnic oligarchy.

Military branches

Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Air Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$189.2 million (2003)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1.4% (2003)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 3,898,944 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 1,979,151 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - military age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (1999)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males: 184,054 (2004 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 42% (male 3,416,086; female 3,334,904) 15-64 years: 54.8% (male 4,425,246; female 4,370,329) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 233,506; female 283,607) (2004 est.)

Birth rate

35.08 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate

15.34 deaths/1,000 population (2004 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: 69.18 deaths/1,000 live births male: 73.16 deaths/1,000 live births female: 65.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 47.95 years male: 47.1 years female: 48.83 years (2004 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 79% male: 84.7% female: 73.4% (2003 est.)

Median age

total: 18.5 years male: 18.3 years female: 18.6 years (2004 est.)

Nationality

noun: Cameroonian(s) adjective: Cameroonian

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Population

16,063,678 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 2004 est.)

Population growth rate

1.97% (2004 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.55 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Disputes - international

ICJ ruled in 2002 on the entire Cameroon-Nigeria land and maritime boundary but the parties formed a Joint Border Commission to resolve differences bilaterally and have commenced with demarcation in less-contested sections of the boundary, starting in Lake Chad in the north; the ICF ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, however, implementation of the decision is delayed due to imprecisely defined coordinates, the unresolved Bakasi allocation, and a sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River; Nigeria initially rejected cession of the Bakasi Peninsula; Lake Chad Commission continues to urge signatories Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria to ratify delimitation treaty over the lake region, which remains the site of armed clashes among local populations and militias

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 39,261 (Chad), 16,983 (Nigeria), 9,634 (Cote d'Ivoire) (2004)

Airports

47 (2003 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 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 36 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 9 (2004 est.)

Highways

total: 34,300 km paved: 4,288 km unpaved: 30,012 km (1999 est.)

Merchant marine

total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 169,593 GRT/357,023 DWT by type: petroleum tanker 1 (2004 est.)

Pipelines

gas 90 km; liquid petroleum gas 9 km; oil 1,120 km (2004)

Ports and harbors

Bonaberi, Douala, Garoua, Kribi, Tiko

Railways

total: 1,008 km narrow gauge: 1,008 km 1.000-m gauge (2003)

Waterways

navigation mainly on Benue River; limited during rainy season (2004)