Cameroonian(s)adjective:
Cameroonian
Ethnic divisions:
Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%,
Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%,
non-African less than 1%
Religions:
indigenous beliefs 51%, Christian 33%, Muslim 16%
Languages:
24 major African language groups, English (official), French
(official)
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
total population:
55%
male:
66%
female:
45%
Labor force:
NA
by occupation:
agriculture 74.4%, industry and transport 11.4%, other services 14.2%
(1983)
note:
50% of population of working age (15–64 years) (1985)
@Cameroon, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Republic of Cameroon
conventional short form:
Cameroon
former:
French Cameroon
Digraph:
CM
Type:
unitary republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition parties
legalized 1990)
Capital:
Yaounde
Administrative divisions:
10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord,
Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest
Independence:
1 January 1960 (from UN trusteeship under French administration)
National holiday:
National Day, 20 May (1972)
Constitution:
20 May 1972
Legal system:
based on French civil law system, with common law influence; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982); election last held 11
October 1992; results - President Paul BIYA reelected with about 40%
of the vote amid widespread allegations of fraud; SDF candidate John
FRU NDI got 36% of the vote; UNDP candidate Bello Bouba MAIGARI got
19% of the vote
head of government:
Prime Minister Simon ACHIDI ACHU (since 9 April 1992)
cabinet:
Cabinet; appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
unicameral
National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale):
elections last held 1 March 1992 (next scheduled for March 1997);
results - (180 seats) CPDM 88, UNDP 68, UPC 18, MDR 6
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM), Paul BIYA, president, is
government-controlled and was formerly the only party, but opposition
parties were legalized in 1990
major opposition parties:
National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP); Social Democratic
Front (SDF); Cameroonian Democratic Union (UDC); Union of Cameroonian
Populations (UPC)
Other political or pressure groups:
NA
Member of:
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-19, G-77, GATT,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO,
INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA,
UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNTAC, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Jerome MENDOUGA
chancery:
2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 265–8790 through 8794
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Harriet ISOM
embassy:
Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde
mailing address:
B. P. 817, Yaounde
telephone:
