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Background:
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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. |
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Location:
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Western
Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between
Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria |
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Geographic coordinates:
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6 00 N,
12 00 E |
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total:
475,440 sq km
land: 469,440 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
larger than California |
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Land boundaries:
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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
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Coastline:
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402 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 50 nm |
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Climate:
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varies
with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and
hot in north |
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Terrain:
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diverse,
with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in
center, mountains in west, plains in north |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Fako (on Mount Cameroon) 4,095 m
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 12.81%
permanent crops: 2.58%
other: 84.61% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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330 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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volcanic
activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from
Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes |
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Environment - current issues:
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waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation;
overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing |
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Environment - international agreements:
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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 |
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Geography - note:
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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 |
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Population:
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16,380,005
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 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 41.7% (male 3,457,180/female 3,375,668)
15-64 years: 55% (male 4,537,281/female
4,477,163)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 239,634/female
293,079) (2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
18.6 years
male: 18.45 years
female: 18.76 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.93%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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34.67
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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15.4
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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 (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
68.26 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 72.14 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 64.27 deaths/1,000 live births (2005
est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 50.89 years
male: 50.71 years
female: 51.08 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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4.47
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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6.9%
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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560,000
(2003 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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49,000
(2003 est.) |
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Major infectious diseases:
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degree
of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea,
hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever
are high risks in some locations
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
(2004) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Cameroonian(s)
adjective: Cameroonian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Cameroon
Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani
10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other
African 13%, non-African less than 1% |
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Religions:
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indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20% |
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Languages:
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24 major
African language groups, English (official), French
(official) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79%
male: 84.7%
female: 73.4% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon
conventional short form: Cameroon
former: French Cameroon |
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Government type:
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unitary
republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition
parties legalized in 1990)
note: preponderance of power remains with the
president |
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Capital:
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Yaounde
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Administrative divisions:
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10
provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord,
Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest |
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Independence:
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1 January
1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship) |
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National holiday:
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Republic
Day (National Day), 20 May (1972) |
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Constitution:
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20 May
1972 approved by referendum, 2 June 1972 formally
adopted; revised January 1996 |
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Legal system:
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based on
French civil law system, with common law influence; has
not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
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Suffrage:
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20 years
of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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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% |
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Legislative branch:
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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 |
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Judicial branch:
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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) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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Southern
Cameroon National Council [Ayamba Ette OTUN]; Human
Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president] |
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International organization participation:
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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 |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador Jerome MENDOUGA
chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790
FAX: [1] (202) 387-3826 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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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 |
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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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. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$30.17
billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4.9%
(2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $1,900 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 43.7%
industry: 20.1%
services: 36.2% (2004 est.) |
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Labor force:
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6.68
million (2004 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture 70%, industry and commerce 13%, other 17%
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Unemployment rate:
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30% (2001
est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
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48% (2000
est.) |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: 1.9%
highest 10%: 36.6% (1996) |
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Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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47.7
(1996) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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1% (2004
est.) |
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Investment (gross fixed):
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16.1% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $2.493 billion
expenditures: $2.248 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
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Public debt:
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69.1% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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coffee,
cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root
starches; livestock; timber |
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Industries:
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petroleum
production and refining, aluminum production, food
processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship
repair |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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4.2%
(1999 est.) |
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Electricity - production:
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3.571
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 2.7%
hydro: 97.3%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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3.321
billion kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Oil - production:
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94,000
bbl/day (2004 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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22,000
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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80
million bbl (2004 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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55.22
billion cu m (2004) |
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Current account balance:
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$-149.1
million (2004 est.) |
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Exports:
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$2.445
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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crude oil
and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum,
coffee, cotton |
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Exports - partners:
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Spain
15.2%, Italy 12.3%, UK 10.2%, France 9.2%, US 8.8%,
South Korea 7.1%, Netherlands 4.3% (2004) |
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Imports:
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$1.979
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment,
fuel, food |
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Imports - partners:
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France
28.2%, Nigeria 9.9%, Belgium 7.6%, US 4.9%, China 4.8%,
Germany 4.6%, Italy 4.1% (2004) |
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$687.5
million (2004 est.) |
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Debt - external:
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$8.46
billion (2004 est.) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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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 |
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Currency (code):
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Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note -
responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African
States |
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Currency code:
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XAF |
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Exchange rates:
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Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US
dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002),
733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 July -
30 June |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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110,900
(2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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1.077
million (2003) |
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Telephone system:
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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 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 2, FM
9, shortwave 3 (2002) |
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Radios:
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2.27
million (1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (2002)
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Televisions:
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450,000
(1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.cm |
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Internet hosts:
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479
(2004) |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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1 (2002)
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Internet users:
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60,000
(2002)
note: Cameroon also had more than 100 cyber-cafes
in 2001 |
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Railways:
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total:
1,008 km
narrow gauge: 1,008 km 1.000-m gauge (2004) |
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Highways:
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total:
34,300 km
paved: 4,288 km
unpaved: 30,012 km (1999 est.) |
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Waterways:
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navigation mainly on Benue River; limited during rainy
season (2004) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 90
km; liquid petroleum gas 9 km; oil 1,120 km (2004) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Douala,
Limboh Terminal |
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Merchant marine:
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total:
1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 169,593 GRT/357,023 DWT
by type: petroleum tanker 1 (2005) |
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Airports:
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47 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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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.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total:
36
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 20
under 914 m: 9 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Cameroon
Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Air
Force |
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Military service age and obligation:
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18 years
of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(1999) |
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Manpower available for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 3,410,440 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males
age 18-49: 1,720,385 (2005 est.) |
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Manpower reaching military service age annually:
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males:
188,662 (2005 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$221.1
million (2004) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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1.6%
(2004) |
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Disputes - international:
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ICJ ruled
in 2002 on the entire Cameroon-Nigeria land and maritime
boundary but the parties formed a Joint Border
Commission, which continues to meet regularly to resolve
differences bilaterally and have commenced with
demarcation in less-contested sections of the boundary,
starting in Lake Chad in the north; implementation of
the ICJ ruling on the Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria
maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea is impeded by
imprecisely defined coordinates, the unresolved Bakassi
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, then agreed, but has yet to withdraw
its forces while much of the indigenous population
opposes cession; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded
the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the
delimitation treaty which also includes Chad and Niger
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Refugees and internally displaced persons:
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refugees (country of origin): 39,261 (Chad) 16,983
(Nigeria) 9,634 (Cote d'Ivoire) (2004) |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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