*Cameroon, Geography

Location:
  Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Equatorial Guinea
  and Nigeria
Map references:
  Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  475,440 km2
 land area:
  469,440 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:   total 4,591 km, Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km, Congo 523
  km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 km
Coastline:
  402 km
Maritime claims:
 territorial sea:
  50 nm
International disputes:
  demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has
  led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification
  by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; boundary commission, created with
  Nigeria to discuss unresolved land and maritime boundaries, has not yet
  convened
Climate:
  varies with terrain from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north
Terrain:
  diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center,
  mountains in west, plains in north
Natural resources:
  petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower potential
Land use:
 arable land:
  13%
 permanent crops:
  2%
 meadows and pastures:
  18%
 forest and woodland:
  54%
 other:
  13%
Irrigated land:
  280 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous gases; deforestation;
  overgrazing; desertification
Note:
  sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa

*Cameroon, People

Population:
  12,755,873 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.9% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  40.66 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  11.63 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  78.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:  total population:
  56.66 years
 male:
  54.65 years
 female:
  58.74 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  5.88 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Cameroonian(s)
 adjective:
  Cameroonian
Ethnic divisions:
  Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%,
  Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%, non-African
  less than 1%
Religions:
  indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 33%, Muslim 16%
Languages:
  24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
 total population:
  54%
 male:
  66%
 female:
  43%
Labor force:
  NA
 by occupation:
  agriculture 74.4%, industry and transport 11.4%, other services 14.2% (1983)
 note:
  50% of population of working age (15-64 years) (1985)

*Cameroon, Government

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Republic of Cameroon
 conventional short form:
  Cameroon
 former:
  French Cameroon
Digraph:
  CM
Type:
  unitary republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties
  legalized 1990)
Capital:
  Yaounde
Administrative divisions:
  10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord,
  Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest
Independence:
  1 January 1960 (from UN trusteeship under French administration)
Constitution:
  20 May 1972
Legal system:
  based on French civil law system, with common law influence; has not
  accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
  National Day, 20 May (1972)
Political parties and leaders:
  Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM), Paul BIYA, president, is
  government-controlled and was formerly the only party, but opposition
  parties were legalized in 1990
 major opposition parties:
  National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP)
 major oppositon parties:
  Social Democratic Front (SDF)
 major opposition parties:
  Cameroonian Democratic Union (UDC); Union of Cameroonian Populations (UPC)
Other political or pressure groups:
  NA
Suffrage:
  20 years of age; universal
Elections:
 National Assembly:
  last held 1 March 1992 (next scheduled for March 1997); results - (180
  seats) CPDM 88, UNDP 68, UPC 18, MDR 6
 President:
  last held 11 October 1992; results - President Paul BIYA reelected with
  about 40% of the vote amid widespread allegations of fraud; SDF candidate
  John FRU NDI got 36% of the vote; UNDP candidate Bello Bouba MAIGARI got 19%
  of the vote
Executive branch:
  president, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court
Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)

*Cameroon, Government

 Head of Government:
  Prime Minister Simon ACHIDI ACHU (since 9 April 1992)
Member of:
  ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-19, G-77,
  GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
  INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD,
  UNESCO, UNIDO, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:   Ambassador Paul PONDI
 chancery:
  2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
 telephone:
  (202) 265-8790 through 8794
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Harriet ISOM
 embassy:
  Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde
 mailing address:
  B. P. 817, Yaounde
 telephone:
  [237] 234-014
 FAX:
  [237] 230-753
 consulate:
  Douala
Flag:
  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

*Cameroon, Economy

Overview:
  Because of its offshore oil resources, Cameroon has one of the highest
  incomes per capita in tropical Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious
  problems facing other underdeveloped countries, such as political
  instability, a top-heavy civil service, and a generally unfavorable climate
  for business enterprise. The development of the oil sector led rapid
  economic growth between 1970 and 1985. Growth came to an abrupt halt in 1986
  precipitated by steep declines in the prices of major exports: coffee,
  cocoa, and petroleum. Export earnings were cut by almost one-third, and
  inefficiencies in fiscal management were exposed. In 1990-92, with support
  from the IMF and World Bank, the government has begun to introduce reforms
  designed to spur business investment, increase efficiency in agriculture,
  and recapitalize the nation's banks. Nationwide strikes organized by
  opposition parties in 1991, however, undermined these efforts.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $11.5 billion (1990 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  3% (1990 est.)
National product per capita:
  $1,040 (1990 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  3% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  25% (1990 est.)
Budget:
  revenues $1.7 billion; expenditures $2.4 billion, including capital
  expenditures of $422 million (FY90 est.)
Exports:
  $1.8 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
 commodities:
  petroleum products 51%, coffee, beans, cocoa, aluminum products, timber
 partners:
  EC (particularly France) about 50%, US, African countries
Imports:
  $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1991)
 commodities:
  machines and electrical equipment, food, consumer goods, transport equipment
 partners:
  EC about 60%, France 41%, Germany 9%, African countries, Japan, US 4%
External debt:
  $6 billion (1991)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 6.4% (FY87); accounts for 30% of GDP
Electricity:
  755,000 kW capacity; 2,190 million kWh produced, 190 kWh per capita (1991)
Industries:
  petroleum production and refining, food processing, light consumer goods,
  textiles, sawmills
Agriculture:
  the agriculture and forestry sectors provide employment for the majority of
  the population, contributing nearly 25% to GDP and providing a high degree
  of self-sufficiency in staple foods; commercial and food crops include
  coffee, cocoa, timber, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, livestock,
  root starches
Economic aid:
  US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $479 million; Western (non-US)
  countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-90), $4.75 billion; OPEC
  bilateral aid (1979-89), $29 million; Communist countries (1970-89), $125
  million

*Cameroon, Economy

Currency:
  1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
  Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF) per US$1 - 274.06 (January
  1993), 264.69 (1992), 282.11 (1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989), 297.85
  (1988)
Fiscal year:
  1 July - 30 June

*Cameroon, Communications

Railroads:
  1,003 km total; 858 km 1.000-meter gauge, 145 km 0.600-meter gauge
Highways:
  about 65,000 km total; includes 2,682 km paved, 32,318 km gravel and
  improved earth, and 30,000 km of unimproved earth
Inland waterways:
  2,090 km; of decreasing importance
Ports:   Douala
Merchant marine:
  2 cargo ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 24,122 GRT/33,509 DWT
Airports:
 total:
  59
 usable:
  51
 with permanent-surface runways:
  11
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  6
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  51
Telecommunications:
  good system of open wire, cable, troposcatter, and microwave radio relay;
  26,000 telephones, 2 telephones per 1,000 persons, available only to
  business and government; broadcast stations - 11 AM, 11 FM, 1 TV; 2 Atlantic
  Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

*Cameroon, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army, Navy (including Naval Infantry), Air Force, National Gendarmerie,
  Presidential Guard
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 2,844,280; fit for military service 1,432,563; reach
  military age (18) annually 125,453 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $219 million, less than 2% of GDP (1990 est.)