varies with terrain from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in northTerrain:
diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center,
mountains in west, plains in north
Natural resources:
crude oil, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land 13%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 18%; forest and
woodland 54%; other 13%; includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous gases; deforestation;
overgrazing; desertification
Note:
sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa
:Cameroon People
Population:
12,658,439 (July 1992), growth rate 3.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
44 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
11 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
0 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
81 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
55 years male, 60 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
6.4 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Cameroonian(s); adjective - Cameroonian
Ethnic divisions:
over 200 tribes of widely differing background; 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:
English and French (official), 24 major African language groups
Literacy:
54% (male 66%, female 43%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
NA; agriculture 74.4%, industry and transport 11.4%, other services 14.2%
(1983); 50% of population of working age (15-64 years) (1985)
Organized labor:
under 45% of wage labor force
:Cameroon Government
Long-form name:
Republic of Cameroon
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; formerly
French Cameroon)
Constitution:
20 May 1972
Legal system:
based on French civil law system, with common law influence; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
National holiday:
National Day, 20 May (1972)
Executive branch:
president, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee Nationale)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Leaders:
Chief of State:
President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)
Head of Government:
interim Prime Minister Sadou HAYATOU (since 25 April 1991)
Political parties and leaders:
Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (RDPC), Paul BIYA, president, is
government-controlled and was formerly the only party; numerous small
parties formed since opposition parties were legalized in 1990
Suffrage:
universal at age 20
Elections:
National Assembly:
next to be held 1 March 1992
President:
last held 24 April 1988 (next to be held April 1993); results - President
Paul BIYA reelected without opposition
Other political or pressure groups:
NA
Member of:
ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-19, G-77,
GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation:
Ambassador Paul PONDI;
