Cameroon at a glance - Research Africa > West of Africa > Cameroon - - Afran Studies - AFRAN Study and Research Institute (Africa & Iran)

Cameroon at a glance 0 764 reads

Geography
Area: 475,000 sq. km. (184,000 sq. mi.), about the size of California.
Cities (2008 World Gazetteer estimates): Capital--Yaounde (pop. 1.677 million). Other major cities--Douala (1.978 million), Garoua (519,000), Maroua (486,000), Bafoussam (348,000), Bamenda (486,000), Loum (221,000), and Ngaoundere (283,000).
Terrain: Northern plains, central and western highlands, southern and coastal tropical forests. Mt. Cameroon (13,353 ft.) in the southwest is the highest peak in West Africa and the sixth in Africa.
Climate: Northern plains, the Sahel region--semiarid and hot (7-month dry season); central and western highlands where Yaounde is located--cooler, shorter dry season; southern tropical forest--warm, 4-month dry season; coastal tropical forest, where Douala is located--warm, humid year-round.

People
Nationality: English noun and adjective--Cameroonian(s); French noun and adjective--Camerounais(e).
Population (2009 est.): 19,521,645 (World Bank).
Annual population growth rate (2010 est.): 2.6%.
Ethnic groups: About 250.
Religions: Christian 40%, Muslim 20%, indigenous African 40%. Languages: French and English (both official) and about 270 African languages and dialects, including pidgin, Fulfulde, and Ewondo.
Education: Compulsory between ages 6 and 14. Attendance--65%. Literacy--76% (World Bank).
Health: Infant mortality rate (2008)--82/1,000 live births. Life expectancy (2008)--51 yrs. (World Bank).
Work force: Agriculture--70%. Industry and commerce--13%.

Government
Type: Republic; strong central government dominated by president.
Independence: January 1, 1960 (for areas formerly ruled by France) and October 1, 1961 (for territory formerly ruled by Britain).
Constitution: June 2, 1972, last amended in 2008. Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), 7-year term, no term limits; appointed prime minister (head of government). Legislative--unicameral National Assembly (180 members; meets briefly three times a year--March, June, November); a new Senate was called for under constitutional changes made in early 1996, but has not yet been established. Judicial--falls under the executive's Ministry of Justice.
Administrative subdivisions: 10 regions, 58 departments or divisions, 349 subprefectures or subdivisions.
Political parties: Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) or its predecessor parties have ruled since independence.
Major opposition parties: the Social Democratic Front (SDF), the National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP), and the Cameroon Democratic Union (CDU). Suffrage: Universal at 20.

Economy
GDP (2009): $21.84 billion (World Bank).
Annual real GDP growth rate (2009): 2% (World Bank).
GDP per capita (2009): $1,120 (World Bank). Inflation (2009 est.): 5.3%.
Natural resources: Oil, timber, hydroelectric power, natural gas, cobalt, nickel, iron ore, uranium.
Agriculture (2009): 19.8% of GDP. Products--timber, coffee, tea, bananas, cocoa, rubber, palm oil, pineapples, cotton. Arable land (2005 est.)--12.54%.
Industry (2009): 29.7% of GDP. Services (2009): 50.4% of GDP.
Trade (2008): Exports--$5.246 billion: crude oil, timber and finished wood products, cotton, cocoa, aluminum and aluminum products, coffee, rubber, bananas. Major markets--European Union, CEMAC, China, U.S., Nigeria (informal). Imports--$4.362 billion: crude oil, vehicles, pharmaceuticals, aluminum oxide, rubber, foodstuffs and grains, agricultural inputs, lubricants, used clothing. Major suppliers--France, Nigeria, Italy, U.S., Germany, Belgium, Japan.

Background

Former British and French colonies won independence and merged to form the present country of Cameroon in 1961, and since then has enjoy relative political and social stability. Occupying the inner corner of the western coat of the continent, the country has a coastline facing the Bight of Biafra, but borders 6 other African nations. Nigeria (2,690km)comprises its western frontier, while Chad (1,094km) and Central African Republic (797km) are to the east, while Republic of the Congo (523km), Gabon (298km) and Equitorial Guinea (189km) comprise the southern frontier. It population of 19.7 million makes the country the 14th most populated on the continent.

Identification

15 character Cameroon
30 character Cameroon
Country name	Cameroon
ISO code	120
ISO long	CMR
ISO short	CM
Native names Cameroon or Cameroun (French)
Oceanographic code	17
Translation > Catalan	Camerun
Translation > French	Cameroun
Translation > German	Kamerun
Translation > Italian	Cameroun
Translation > Portugese	Camar�es
Translation > Spanish	Camer�n
UN code	120

SOURCES
CIA World Factbook, 28 July 2005; Microsoft.com; Wkipedia; IOC country codes

ALTERNATIVE NAMES
Cameroon, Republic of Cameroon

Top rankings

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Environment > Water pollution, chemical industry > % of total BOD emissions

Sports > African Footballer of the Year > Wins > First place

2nd

Crime > Prisoners > Share of prison capacity filled

Energy > Other biomass and wastes > Consumption by industry & construction

Energy > Other biomass and wastes > Consumption by other industries and construction

Health > Nutrition > Vitamin A supplementation coverage rate 6-59 months

Sports > African Footballer of the Year > Wins > Second place

Taxation > Tax rates > % of managers surveyed ranking this as a major business constraint

3rd

Economy > Entrepreneurship > Paying Taxes > Time (hours)

Energy > Other Petroleum Products > Consumption by households and other consumers

Energy > Other Petroleum Products > Consumption by other consumers

Environment > Total renewable water resources

Government > Time to prepare and pay taxes > hours

Health > Female adults with HIV > % of population ages 15+ with HIV

Health > Malaria % under-fives with fever receiving anti-malarial drugs

4th

Economy > Poverty headcount ratio at rural poverty line > % of rural population

Education > Repetition rate, primary, male > % of total enrollment

Education > Repetition rate, primary > % of total enrollment

Government > Management time dealing with officials > % of management time

Health > Malaria prevention, use of insecticide-treated bed nets > % of under-5 population

Health > Unmet need for contraception > % of married women ages 15-49

Labor > Child employment in agriculture, female > % of female economically active children ages 7-14

Labor > Child employment in agriculture > % of economically active children ages 7-14

Labor > Economically active children, work only, female

Labor > Economically active children, work only, male

5th

Education > Pupils-teacher ratio > primary level

Education > Repetition rate, primary, female > % of total enrollment

Energy > Aviation Gasoline > Bunkers

Energy > Other biomass and wastes > Consumption by households and other consumers

Energy > White spirit/industrial spirit > Consumption by industry & construction

Energy > White spirit/industrial spirit > Net inland availability

Environment > Known mammal species

Health > ARI treatment > % of children under 5 taken to a health provider

Health > Malnutrition prevalence, height for age > % of children under 5

Bottom rankings

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Agriculture > Agricultural machinery > tractors

Crime > Corruption > % of managers surveyed ranking this as a major business constraint

Economy > GDP growth > annual %

Economy > GDP per capita, PPP > current international $

Energy > Coal > Production

Geography > Surface area > sq. km

Health > Hospital beds > per 1,000 people

Internet > International Internet bandwidth > Mbps

Military > Air force personnel

People > Urban population

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Economy > Interest payments > % of revenue

Economy > Net financial flows, IMF concessional > current US$ (per $ GDP)

Education > School enrollment, primary, male > % gross

Energy > Bitumen Asphalt > Production from refineries

Energy > Bitumen Asphalt > Total production

Government > Management time dealing with officials > % of management time

Labor > Child employment in manufacturing > % of economically active children ages 7-14

Labor > Economically active children, total

Media > Book production, titles by the Universal Decimal Classification > Total

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Economy > Official development assistance and official aid > current US$

Education > Education expenditure of government > As percentage of total government

Energy > Other Petroleum Products > Consumption by households and other consumers

Energy > Other Petroleum Products > Consumption by other consumers

Energy > White spirit/industrial spirit > Consumption by industry & construction

Energy > White spirit/industrial spirit > Consumption by other industries and construction

Energy > White spirit/industrial spirit > Net inland availability

Environment > Water pollution, food industry > % of total BOD emissions

Labor > Economically active children, female

Media > Book production, titles by the Universal Decimal Classification > Social sciences

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Economy > Aid > % of central government expenditures

Economy > Portfolio investment, equity > DRS, current US$

Economy > Public and publicly guaranteed debt service > % of exports

Education > Secondary education, vocational pupils

Energy > Lubricants > Exports

Energy > Oil exports > Net

Energy > Residual Fuel Oil > Bunkers

Food > exports > % of merchandise exports

Health > Malaria prevention, use of insecticide-treated bed nets > % of under-5 population

Taxation > Tax rates > % of managers surveyed ranking this as a major business constraint

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Economy > World Trade > Imports > Coin nongold non current

Education > Repetition rate, primary, female > % of total enrollment

Environment > Water > Freshwater pollution

Labor > Child employment in agriculture, female > % of female economically active children ages 7-14

Labor > Child employment in agriculture > % of economically active children ages 7-14

Media > Newspapers and periodicals > Circulation > Non-daily

Media > Telecommunications revenue > % GDP

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Democracy > Presidential elections > Turnout

Economy > Interest payments > % of expense

Economy > Services, etc., value added > annual % growth

Education > Repetition rate, primary, male > % of total enrollment

Education > Repetition rate, primary > % of total enrollment

Energy > Oil Production > Thousand barrels daily

Energy > Oil Production > Thousand barrels daily > Share of total

Health > Diarrhea treatment > % of children under 5 receiving oral rehydration and continued feeding

Labor > Economically active children, work only, male

Media > Computer, communications and other services > % of commercial service imports

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