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Communications

Internet country code [time series]

.cm

Internet users (Internet hosts) [time series]

479 (2004)

Internet users [time series]

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

Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]

AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (2002)

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

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 - fixed lines (Telephones - main lines in use) [time series]

110,900 (2002)

Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]

1.077 million (2003)

Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]

1 (2002)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

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

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Exchange rates (Currency code) [time series]

XAF

Current account balance [time series]

$-564 million (2003)

Debt - external [time series]

$7.236 billion (2003 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]

47.7 (1996)

Economic aid (Economic aid - recipient) [time series]

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

Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]

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 [time series]

3.36 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports [time series]

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports [time series]

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production [time series]

3.613 billion kWh (2001)

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

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

Exports - commodities [time series]

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

Exports - partners [time series]

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

Fiscal year [time series]

1 July - 30 June

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

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

GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP - composition by sector) [time series]

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

Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita) [time series]

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

Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]

4.2% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

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

Imports - commodities [time series]

machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food

Imports - partners [time series]

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

Industrial production growth rate [time series]

4.2% (1999 est.)

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

2.3% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed) [time series]

19.4% of GDP (2003)

Labor force [time series]

6.49 million NA (2003)

Labor force - by occupation [time series]

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

Natural gas - consumption [time series]

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports [time series]

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports [time series]

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production [time series]

0 cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]

55.22 billion cu m (1 January 2002)

Oil - consumption [time series]

22,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports [time series]

NA (2001)

Oil - imports [time series]

NA (2001)

Oil - production [time series]

76,650 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves [time series]

200 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Population below poverty line [time series]

48% (2000 est.)

Public debt [time series]

57.1% of GDP (2003)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold (Reserves of foreign exchange & gold) [time series]

$634 million (2003)

Unemployment rate [time series]

30% (2001 est.)

Geography

Area [time series]

total: 475,440 sq km land: 469,440 sq km water: 6,000 sq km

Area - comparative [time series]

slightly larger than California

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

402 km

Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Fako (on Mount Cameroon) 4,095 m

Environment - current issues [time series]

water-borne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing

International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]

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 [time series]

6 00 N, 12 00 E

Geography - note [time series]

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 [time series]

330 sq km (1998 est.)

Land boundaries [time series]

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 [time series]

arable land: 12.81% permanent crops: 2.58% other: 84.61% (2001)

Location [time series]

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

Map references [time series]

Africa

Maritime claims [time series]

territorial sea: 50 nm

Natural hazards [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower

Terrain [time series]

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

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Yaounde

Constitution [time series]

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

Country name [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]

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 [time series]

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 [time series]

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 (Flag description) [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

International organization participation [time series]

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 [time series]

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 [time series]

based on French civil law system, with common law influence; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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 parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]

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

Suffrage [time series]

20 years of age; universal

Introduction

Background [time series]

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

Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]

Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Air Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure [time series]

$189.2 million (2003)

Military expenditures (Military expenditures - percent of GDP) [time series]

1.4% (2003)

Military manpower - availability [time series]

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

Military manpower - fit for military service [time series]

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

Military manpower - military age and obligation [time series]

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

Military manpower - reaching military age annually [time series]

males: 184,054 (2004 est.)

People

Age structure [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Death rate [time series]

15.34 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Ethnic groups [time series]

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 [time series]

6.9% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]

49,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]

560,000 (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

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

Literacy [time series]

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

Median age [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun: Cameroonian(s) adjective: Cameroonian

Net migration rate [time series]

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

Population [time series]

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 [time series]

1.97% (2004 est.)

Religions [time series]

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

Sex ratio [time series]

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 [time series]

4.55 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Transportation

Airports [time series]

47 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

Merchant marine [time series]

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

Pipelines [time series]

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

Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]

Bonaberi, Douala, Garoua, Kribi, Tiko

Railways [time series]

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

Waterways [time series]

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