"text":"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 enabled 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":{
"Location":{
"text":"Central Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria"
"text":"volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes",
"volcanism":{
"text":"Mt. Cameroon (elev. 4,095 m), which last erupted in 2000, is the most frequently active volcano in West Africa; lakes in Oku volcanic field have released fatal levels of gas on occasion, killing some 1,700 people in 1986"
}
},
"Environment - current issues":{
"text":"waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing"
},
"Environment - international agreements":{
"party to":{
"text":"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, Whaling"
},
"signed, but not ratified":{
"text":"none of the selected agreements"
}
},
"Geography - note":{
"text":"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"
}
},
"People and Society":{
"Nationality":{
"noun":{
"text":"Cameroonian(s)"
},
"adjective":{
"text":"Cameroonian"
}
},
"Ethnic groups":{
"text":"Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%, non-African less than 1%"
},
"Languages":{
"text":"24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)"
},
"Religions":{
"text":"indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%"
},
"Population":{
"text":"23,739,218",
"note":{
"text":"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, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2015 est.)"
"text":"36.17 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)"
},
"Death rate":{
"text":"10.11 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)"
},
"Net migration rate":{
"text":"-0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)"
},
"Urbanization":{
"urban population":{
"text":"54.4% of total population (2015)"
},
"rate of urbanization":{
"text":"3.6% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)"
}
},
"Major urban areas - population":{
"text":"YAOUNDE (capital) 3.066 million; Douala 2.943 million (2015)"
},
"Sex ratio":{
"at birth":{
"text":"1.03 male(s)/female"
},
"0-14 years":{
"text":"1.02 male(s)/female"
},
"15-24 years":{
"text":"1.01 male(s)/female"
},
"25-54 years":{
"text":"1.01 male(s)/female"
},
"55-64 years":{
"text":"0.95 male(s)/female"
},
"65 years and over":{
"text":"0.87 male(s)/female"
},
"total population":{
"text":"1.01 male(s)/female (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Infant mortality rate":{
"total":{
"text":"53.63 deaths/1,000 live births"
},
"male":{
"text":"57.28 deaths/1,000 live births"
},
"female":{
"text":"49.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Life expectancy at birth":{
"total population":{
"text":"57.93 years"
},
"male":{
"text":"56.62 years"
},
"female":{
"text":"59.28 years (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Total fertility rate":{
"text":"4.76 children born/woman (2015 est.)"
},
"Contraceptive prevalence rate":{
"text":"23.4% (2011)"
},
"Health expenditures":{
"text":"5.1% of GDP (2013)"
},
"Physicians density":{
"text":"0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2009)"
},
"Hospital bed density":{
"text":"1.3 beds/1,000 population (2010)"
},
"Drinking water source":{
"improved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 94.8% of population ++ rural: 52.7% of population ++ total: 75.6% of population"
},
"unimproved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 5.2% of population ++ rural: 47.3% of population ++ total: 24.4% of population (2015 est.)"
}
},
"Sanitation facility access":{
"improved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 61.8% of population ++ rural: 26.8% of population ++ total: 45.8% of population"
},
"unimproved":{
"text":" ++ urban: 38.2% of population ++ rural: 73.2% of population ++ total: 54.2% of population (2015 est.)"
}
},
"HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate":{
"text":"4.77% (2014 est.)"
},
"HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS":{
"text":"657,500 (2014 est.)"
},
"HIV/AIDS - deaths":{
"text":"34,200 (2014 est.)"
},
"Major infectious diseases":{
"degree of risk":{
"text":"very high"
},
"food or waterborne diseases":{
"text":"bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever"
},
"vectorborne diseases":{
"text":"malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever"
},
"water contact disease":{
"text":"schistosomiasis"
},
"respiratory disease":{
"text":"meningococcal meningitis"
},
"animal contact disease":{
"text":"rabies (2013)"
}
},
"Obesity - adult prevalence rate":{
"text":"9.6% (2014)"
},
"Children under the age of 5 years underweight":{
"text":"15.1% (2011)"
},
"Education expenditures":{
"text":"3% of GDP (2012)"
},
"Literacy":{
"definition":{
"text":"age 15 and over can read and write"
},
"total population":{
"text":"75%"
},
"male":{
"text":"81.2%"
},
"female":{
"text":"68.9% (2015 est.)"
}
},
"School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)":{
"total":{
"text":"10 years"
},
"male":{
"text":"11 years"
},
"female":{
"text":"10 years (2011)"
}
},
"Child labor - children ages 5-14":{
"total number":{
"text":"1,396,281"
},
"percentage":{
"text":"31% (2006 est.)"
}
}
},
"Government":{
"Country name":{
"conventional long form":{
"text":"Republic of Cameroon"
},
"conventional short form":{
"text":"Cameroon"
},
"local long form":{
"text":"Republique du Cameroun/Republic of Cameroon"
},
"local short form":{
"text":"Cameroun/Cameroon"
},
"former":{
"text":"French Cameroon, British Cameroon, Federal Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon"
}
},
"Government type":{
"text":"republic; multiparty presidential regime"
},
"Capital":{
"name":{
"text":"Yaounde"
},
"geographic coordinates":{
"text":"3 52 N, 11 31 E"
},
"time difference":{
"text":"UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
}
},
"Administrative divisions":{
"text":"10 regions (regions, singular - region); Adamaoua, Centre, East (Est), Far North (Extreme-Nord), Littoral, North (Nord), North-West (Nord-Ouest), West (Ouest), South (Sud), South-West (Sud-Ouest)"
},
"Independence":{
"text":"1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)"
},
"National holiday":{
"text":"State Unification Day (National Day), 20 May (1972)"
},
"Constitution":{
"text":"several previous; latest effective 18 January 1996; amended 2008 (2008)"
},
"Legal system":{
"text":"mixed legal system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law"
},
"International law organization participation":{
"text":"accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt"
},
"Suffrage":{
"text":"20 years of age; universal"
},
"Executive branch":{
"chief of state":{
"text":"President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)"
},
"head of government":{
"text":"Prime Minister Philemon YANG (since 30 June 2009)"
},
"cabinet":{
"text":"Cabinet proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president"
},
"elections/appointments":{
"text":"president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (no term limits); election last held on 9 October 2011 (next to be held in October 2018); prime minister appointed by the president"
},
"election results":{
"text":"Paul BIYA reelected president; percent of vote - Paul BIYA (CPDM) 78.0%, John FRU NDI (SDF) 10.7%, Garga Haman ADJI 3.2%, other 8.1%"
}
},
"Legislative branch":{
"description":{
"text":"bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (100 seats; 70 members indirectly elected by regional councils and 30 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); note - the 100-member Senate was formed at the time of the April 2013 election"
},
"elections":{
"text":"Senate last held on 14 April 2013 (next to be held in 2018); National Assembly last held on 30 September 2013 (next to be held in 2018)"
"text":"Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPDM 56, SDF 14; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPDM 73.1%, SDF 17.6%, UNDP 6.1%, UDC 2.5%, other 0.7%; seats by party - CPDM 148, SDF 18, UNDP 5, UDC 4, UPC 3, other 2"
"text":"Supreme Court of Cameroon (consists of 9 titular and 6 surrogate judges and organized into judicial, administrative, and audit chambers); Constitutional Council (consists of 11 members)"
},
"judge selection and term of office":{
"text":"Supreme Court judges appointed by the president with the advice of the Higher Judicial Council of Cameroon, a body chaired by the president and includes the minister of justice, selected magistrates, and representatives of the National Assembly; judge term NA; Constitutional Council members appointed by the president for single 9-year terms"
},
"subordinate courts":{
"text":"Parliamentary Court of Justice (jurisdiction limited to cases involving the president and prime minister); appellate and first instance courts; circuit and magistrate's courts"
}
},
"Political parties and leaders":{
"text":"Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM [Paul BIYA] ++ Cameroon People's Party or CPP [Edith Kah WALLA] ++ Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA] ++ Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA] ++ Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [Marcel YONDO] ++ National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA] ++ Progressive Movement or MP [Jean-Jacques EKINDI] ++ Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI] ++ Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC [Provisionary Management Bureau]"
},
"Political pressure groups and leaders":{
"text":"Network of Human Rights Defenders in Central Africa or REDHAC [Maximilliene Ngo MBE] ++ Tribunal 53 [Patrice NGANANG]"
"text":"three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow, with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band; the vertical tricolor recalls the flag of France; red symbolizes unity, yellow the sun, happiness, and the savannahs in the north, and green hope and the forests in the south; the star is referred to as the \"star of unity\"",
"note":{
"text":"uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia"
}
},
"National symbol(s)":{
"text":"lion; national colors: green, red, yellow"
},
"National anthem":{
"name":{
"text":"\"O Cameroun, Berceau de nos Ancetres\" (O Cameroon, Cradle of Our Forefathers)"
"text":"adopted 1957; Cameroon's anthem, also known as \"Chant de Ralliement\" (The Rallying Song), has been used unofficially since 1948 and officially adopted in 1957; the anthem has French and English versions whose lyrics differ"
}
}
},
"Economy":{
"Economy - overview":{
"text":"Modest oil resources and favorable agricultural conditions provide Cameroon with one of the best-endowed primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Cameroon’s economy suffers from political and economic factors that often impact underdeveloped countries, such as stagnant per capita income, a relatively inequitable distribution of income, a top-heavy civil service, endemic corruption, the continuing inefficiencies of a large parastatal system in key sectors, 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. The IMF continues to press for economic reforms, including increased budget transparency, privatization, and poverty reduction programs. The Government of Cameroon provides subsidies for electricity, food, and fuel that have strained the federal budget diverting funds from education, healthcare, and infrastructure projects. Cameroon devotes significant resources to several large infrastructure projects under construction, including a deep sea port in Kribi and the Lom Pangar Hydropower Project. Cameroon’s energy sector continues to diversify, recently opening a natural gas powered electricity generating plant. Oil remains Cameroon’s main export commodity accounting for nearly 40% of export earnings despite falling global oil prices. Cameroon continues to seek foreign investment to improve its inadequate infrastructure, create jobs and improve its economic footprint but its unfavorable business environment remains a significant deterrent to foreign investment."
"Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy":{
"text":"6.224 million Mt (2012 est.)"
}
},
"Communications":{
"Telephones - fixed lines":{
"total subscriptions":{
"text":"1.05 million"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"5 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephones - mobile cellular":{
"total":{
"text":"17.3 million"
},
"subscriptions per 100 inhabitants":{
"text":"75 (2014 est.)"
}
},
"Telephone system":{
"general assessment":{
"text":"system includes cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter; Camtel, the monopoly provider of fixed-line service, provides connections for only about 3 per 100 persons; equipment is old and outdated, and connections with many parts of the country are unreliable"
},
"domestic":{
"text":"mobile-cellular usage, in part a reflection of the poor condition and general inadequacy of the fixed-line network, has increased sharply, reaching a subscribership base of 50 per 100 persons"
},
"international":{
"text":"country code - 237; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2011)"
}
},
"Broadcast media":{
"text":"government maintains tight control over broadcast media; state-owned Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), broadcasting on both a TV and radio network, was the only officially recognized and fully licensed broadcaster until August 2007, when the government finally issued licenses to 2 private TV broadcasters and 1 private radio broadcaster; about 70 privately owned, unlicensed radio stations operating but are subject to closure at any time; foreign news services required to partner with state-owned national station (2007)"
},
"Radio broadcast stations":{
"text":"AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (2001)"
},
"Television broadcast stations":{
"text":"1 (2001)"
},
"Internet country code":{
"text":".cm"
},
"Internet users":{
"total":{
"text":"1.5 million"
},
"percent of population":{
"text":"6.5% (2014 est.)"
}
}
},
"Transportation":{
"Airports":{
"text":"33 (2013)"
},
"Airports - with paved runways":{
"total":{
"text":"11"
},
"over 3,047 m":{
"text":"2"
},
"2,438 to 3,047 m":{
"text":"5"
},
"1,524 to 2,437 m":{
"text":"3"
},
"914 to 1,523 m":{
"text":"1 (2013)"
}
},
"Airports - with unpaved runways":{
"total":{
"text":"22"
},
"1,524 to 2,437 m":{
"text":"4"
},
"914 to 1,523 m":{
"text":"10"
},
"under 914 m":{
"text":" ++ 8 (2013)"
}
},
"Pipelines":{
"text":"gas 53 km; liquid petroleum gas 5 km; oil 1,107 km; water 35 km (2013)"
},
"Railways":{
"total":{
"text":"987 km"
},
"narrow gauge":{
"text":"987 km 1.000-m gauge"
},
"note":{
"text":"railway connections generally efficient but limited; rail lines connect major cities of Douala, Yaounde, Ngaoundere, and Garoua; passenger and freight service provided by CAMRAIL (2014)"
}
},
"Roadways":{
"total":{
"text":"51,350 km"
},
"paved":{
"text":"4,108 km"
},
"unpaved":{
"text":"47,242 km"
},
"note":{
"text":"there are 28,857 km of national roads (2011)"
}
},
"Waterways":{
"text":"(major rivers in the south, such as the Wouri and the Sanaga, are largely non-navigable; in the north, the Benue, which connects through Nigeria to the Niger River, is navigable in the rainy season only to the port of Garoua) (2010)"
},
"Ports and terminals":{
"river port(s)":{
"text":"Douala (Wouri); Garoua (Benoue)"
},
"oil terminal(s)":{
"text":"Limboh Terminal"
}
}
},
"Military":{
"Military branches":{
"text":"Cameroon Armed Forces (Forces Armees Camerounaises, FAC), Army (L'Armee de Terre), Navy (Marine Nationale Republique (MNR), includes naval infantry), Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Cameroun, AAC), Fire Fighter Corps, Gendarmerie (2013)"
},
"Military service age and obligation":{
"text":"18-23 years of age for male and female voluntary military service; no conscription; high school graduation required; service obligation 4 years; periodic government calls for volunteers (2012)"
},
"Manpower available for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"4,667,251"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"4,548,909 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower fit for military service":{
"males age 16-49":{
"text":"2,794,998"
},
"females age 16-49":{
"text":"2,718,110 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually":{
"male":{
"text":"215,248"
},
"female":{
"text":"211,636 (2010 est.)"
}
},
"Military expenditures":{
"text":"1.42% of GDP (2012) ++ 1.37% of GDP (2011) ++ 1.42% of GDP (2010)"
}
},
"Transnational Issues":{
"Disputes - international":{
"text":"Joint Border Commission with Nigeria reviewed 2002 ICJ 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 agreed 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"
