Cameroon
|
Cameroon is a west-African nation with a coast facing the Bight of Biafra in the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic Ocean.
Cameroons's major environmental issues include: waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; and overfishing. It is susceptible to volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes.
The region was split into two colonial areas, one French and one British after World war I. 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 a slow movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul Biya.
Geography
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
Geographic Coordinates: 6 00 N, 12 00 E
Area: 475,440 km2 (469,440 km2 land and 6,000 km2 water)
arable land: 12.54%
permanent crops: 2.52%
other: 84.94% (2005)
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
Maritime Claims: Territorial sea to 12 nautical miles and a contiguous zone to 24 nautical miles
Natural Hazards: volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes
Terrain: Diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north. Its lowest point is the Atlantic Ocean (0 metres) and its highest point is Fako on Mount Cameroon (4,095 metres)
Climate: Varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north
Government
Government Type: republic; multiparty presidential regime
Capital: Yaounde
Independence Date: 1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)
Legal System: based on French civil law system, with common law influence; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal
International Environmental Agreements
Cameroon is party to international agreements on 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, Wetlands, and Whaling.
People and Society
Population: 18,467,692
Age Structure:
0-14 years: 41.1% (male 3,826,232/female 3,757,859)
15-64 years: 55.7% (male 5,164,338/female 5,122,817)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 274,821/female 321,625) (2008 est.)
Population Growth Rate: 2.218% (2008 est.)
Birthrate: 34.59 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death Rate: 12.41 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net Migration Rate: NA
Life Expectancy at Birth: 53.3 years (2008 est.)
Total Fertility Rate: 4.41 children born/woman (2008 est.)
Languages: 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)
Literacy: 67.9% (male: 77% - female: 59.8% [2001 est.])
Water
Total Renewable Water Resources: 285.5 cu km (2003)
Freshwater Withdrawal: Total: 0.99 cu km/yr (18% domestic, 8% industrial, 74% agricultural). Per capita: 61 cu m/yr (2000)
Agriculture
Agricultural Products: coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root starches; livestock; timber
Irrigated Land: 260 sq km (2003)
Resources
Natural Resources: petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower.
Energy
| Production | Consumption | Exports | Imports | Reserves | |
| Electricity | 4.09 billion kWh (2005) | 3.435 billion kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2005) | |
| Oil | 82,670 bbl/day (2005 est.) | 24,200 bbl/day (2005 est.) | 107,400 bbl/day (2004) | 63,710 bbl/day (2004) | 95 million bbl (2007 est.) |
| Natural Gas | 0 cu m (2005 est.) | 0 cu m (2005 est.) | 0 cu m (2005 est.) | 0 cu m (2005 est.) | 105.9 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Source: CIA Factbook | |||||
Health
Prevalence Rate of HIV/AIDS in Adults: 6.9% (2003 est.)
Conflict
International Disputes: Joint Border Commission with Nigeria reviewed 2002 International Court of Justice ruling on the entire boundary and bilaterally resolved differences, including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately ceded sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon with a full phase-out of Nigerian control and patriation of residents in 2008; Cameroon and Nigeria agree on maritime delimitation in March 2008; sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty, which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries
Refugees and internally Displaced Persons (country of origin): 20,000-30,000 (Chad); 3,000 (Nigeria); 24,000 (Central African Republic) (2007)
Economy
Because of its modest 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. In 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. International oil and cocoa prices have a significant impact on the economy.
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $39.37 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (Official Exchange Rate): $20.65 billion (2007 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 3.3% (2007 est.)
GDP-per capita (PPP): $2,100 (2007 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 43.9%
industry: 15.8%
services: 40.3% (2007 est.)
Population Below Poverty Line: 48% (2000 est.)
Industries: petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair
Exports: crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton
Export Partners: Spain 20%, Italy 15.9%, France 11.8%, South Korea 8.5%, Netherlands 6.2%, US 5.8% (2006)
Imports: machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food
Import Partners: France 23.3%, Nigeria 12.8%, China 9%, Belgium 5.8%, US 4% (2006)
Economic Aid Recipients: $413.8 million (2005)
Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF)
Ports and Terminals: Douala, Limboh Terminal