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Cameroon
Physical.
Cameroon is located on the Central West
African Coast, bordering Nigeria, Chad, and the Central African Republic.
It is divided into tropical forests in the
south, the drier savanna in the north-central region and mountains along the
western border. It covers an area slightly larger than California. The climate
varies from tropical along the coast to semiarid and hot in the north. Natural
resources include petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber and hydropower.
People.
Around 16.2 million people inhabit
Cameroon. Official languages are French and English, with such language groups
as Fulbe, Ewondo, Duala, Bamelke, Bassa, and Bali. The languages of southern
Cameroon are Bantu. In fact, scholars believe that the roots of the Bantu
language were derived from Cameroon. Ethnically, the nation is comprised of:
Cameroon Highlanders (31%) Equatorial Bantu (19%) Kirdi (11%) Fulani (10%) and
other groups (29%). Religious practices include: indigenous beliefs (40%);
Christian (40%); and Muslim (20%).
Government.
Cameroon has experienced political unrest over the last several years as various
political factions have moved to establish a stable form of government. At the
heart of the political turmoil is the need to raise the living standards of the
population through an increase in agricultural production. President Paul Biya
was elected with 92% of the vote in the October 1998 elections and re-elected in
October 2004. However, the opposition boycotted the elections because of earlier
electoral misconduct in 1992 by Biya’s party, the Cameroon People’s Democratic
Party (CPDM). The CPDM ruled the country for a quarter-century before 1992 and
after losing its monopoly following those elections, still retained control of
the government with a plurality of seats.
Cameroon is also unique in that it shares two European languages, English and
French. This linguistic division was created after World War I when Cameroon was
divided under British and French rule. Relations between the groups in each area
have been troubled. In October 2001, violence flared between government forces
and protesters favoring the separation of English-speaking Cameroon.
The hope that democratic reform would move Cameroon away from its consistent
Transparency International rating as one of the world’s most corrupt countries
has not been attained. This corruption has been associated with environmental
degradation. There are concerns about the construction of an oil pipeline
financed by the World Bank, without an environmental-impact study, and the
opening of 80% of the forests for logging.
There is a long-simmering border dispute with Nigeria. In October 2002, the
International Court of Justice ruled in favor of Cameroon, but the government of
Nigeria reneged on its previous agreement to accept the verdict.
Economics.
The country has relied on export agriculture. Cocoa and coffee comprise more
than 50% of Cameroon’s exports. The country’s income has consequently been
reduced due lower prices for these commodities. Almost 50% of the population
lives in poverty.
Areas of Concern. Political turmoil
hampers attempts to raise the standard of living. With one of the most corrupt
governments, environmental concerns such as water-borne diseases, overgrazing,
desertification and deforestation, poaching, and over-fishing are not addressed.
With 7.73% of the population living with HIV/AIDs, excess mortality from this
disease is an issue.
Cameroon statistics
Geography
Area: 183,568 square miles
Capital: Yaounde (pop 1,119,000)
Environmental concerns: deforestation; over-grazing; desertification; poaching;
over fishing; water-borne disease
Geographical features: diverse with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plain
in center, mountains in west and plains in north
Climate: from tropical to semiarid
People
16,185,000 people; 31% Cameroonian Highlander; 19% Equatorial Bantu; 11% Kirdi;
10% Fulani
Annual growth rate: 2.36%
Major languages are English; French; Fulde; Ewondo; Duala; Bamelke; Bassa; Bali
Religions: indigenous beliefs (40%), Christian (40%), Muslim (20%)
Health and social issues
Life expectancy: Men, 54 years; women, 55 years
Infant mortality: 68.8 deaths per 1000 live births
48 % of the population lives in poverty
1 physician per 11,848 people
HIV/AIDS Rate in Adults: 7.73%
63.4% of adults are literate
Compulsory education (Ages): 6-12 years; free
Communication and transportation
95,000 main telephone lines
60,000 Internet users (2002)
20,580 miles of highway
489 miles of railroad
49 airfields
153,000 motor vehicles
Government
Cameroon is a unitary republic that became independent from UN trusteeship under
the
French on January 1, 1960
President Paul Biya is head of state
5 major political parties
Universal suffrage at 20
Military
Military expenditures are 1.4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Current disputes: various border conflicts, especially with Nigeria
Economy
Currency: francs
Per capita GDP: $1,700
GDP: $ 26.4 billion
GDP growth rate: 4.9%
Inflation rate: 2%
Labor force: 70% agriculture; 13% industry and commerce
Resources and industry
Natural resources: petroleum; timber; bauxite; iron ore; hydropower
Agriculture: coffee; cocoa; cotton; rubber; bananas; oilseed; grain; roots;
livestock; timber
Industry: petroleum production and refining; food processing; light consumer
goods;
textiles; lumber
Exports: $2.1 billion
Imports: $1.5 billion
Suggested web sites
www.sas.upenn.edu
www.cameroon.net
www.telp.com/cameroon/home.htm
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