Cameroon
Republic of Cameroon
Capital: Yaounde
History
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 permitted 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.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
475,440
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
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 |
| Coastline |
402
km
|
| Terrain |
diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north |
| Minimum Elevation |
0
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
4,095
m
|
| Climate |
varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north |
| Natural Resources |
petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower |
| Arable Land |
13.04% |
| Permanent Crops |
2.94% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$6.54 billion |
| Export Items |
crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton |
| Export Partners |
Spain 13.4%, China 11.4%, Netherlands 9.8%, Italy 8.9%, France 6.4%, US 5.9%, India 5.7%, Germany 4.8%, Belgium 4.1% (2011) |
| Imports |
$6.6 billion |
| Import Items |
machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food |
| Import Partners |
China 16.8%, France 16.6%, Nigeria 12.3%, Belgium 5.3%, Italy 4.3%, US 4.2% (2011) |
People
| Population |
20,549,221 |
| Population Growth |
2.04% |
| 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% |
| Religion |
indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20% |
| Life Expectancy |
55.02 years |
| Infant Mortality |
1.01 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
3.3 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
