République du
Cameroun
Republic of
Cameroon
|
|
 |
 |
|
Flag |
Emblem |
|
Motto: "Paix
- Travail - Patrie" (French)
"Peace - Work -
Fatherland" |
Anthem: Ô
Cameroun, Berceau de
nos Ancêtres (French)
O Cameroon,
Cradle of our
Forefathers 1 |
|
|
 |
|
Location
of Cameroon |
|
|
Capital |
Yaoundé
 3°52′N
11°31′E
/ 3.867,
11.517 |
|
Largest city |
Douala |
|
Official languages |
French,
English |
|
Demonym |
Cameroonian |
|
Government |
Republic |
|
- |
President |
Paul Biya |
|
- |
Prime Minister |
Ephraïm Inoni |
|
Independence |
from
France and the
UK |
|
- |
Date |
1 January
1960,
1 October
1961 |
|
Area |
|
- |
Total |
475,442 km² (53rd)
183,568 sq mi |
|
- |
Water (%) |
1.3 |
|
|
Population |
|
- |
July 2005 estimate |
17,795,000 (58th) |
|
- |
2003 census |
15,746,179 |
|
- |
Density |
37/km² (167th)
97/sq mi |
|
GDP (PPP) |
2005 estimate |
|
- |
Total |
$43.196
billion (84th) |
|
- |
Per capita |
$2,421 (130th) |
|
Gini (2001) |
44.6 (medium) |
|
HDI (2007) |
▲ 0.532 (medium) (144th) |
|
Currency |
Central African CFA
franc (XAF) |
|
Time zone |
WAT
(UTC+1) |
|
- |
Summer (DST) |
not observed (UTC+1) |
|
Internet TLD |
.cm |
|
Calling code |
+237 |
|
The Republic of Cameroon
is a unitary republic of central
and western Africa. It borders
Nigeria to the west; Chad to the
northeast; the Central African
Republic to the east; and
Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and
the Republic of the Congo to the
south. Cameroon's coastline lies
on the Bight of Bonny, part of
the Gulf of Guinea and the
Atlantic Ocean. The country is
called "Africa in miniature" for
its geological and cultural
diversity. Natural features
include beaches, deserts,
mountains, rainforests, and
savannas. The highest point is
Mount Cameroon in the southwest,
and the largest cities are
Douala, Yaoundé, and Garoua.
Cameroon is home to over 200
different ethnic and linguistic
groups. The country is well
known for its native styles of
music, particularly makossa and
bikutsi, and for its successful
national football team. English
and French are the official
languages.
Early inhabitants of the
territory included the Sao
civilisation around Lake Chad
and the Baka hunter-gatherers in
the southeastern rainforest.
Portuguese explorers reached the
coast in the 15th century and
named the area Rio dos Camarões
("River of Prawns"), the name
from which Cameroon derives.
Fulani soldiers founded the
Adamawa Emirate in the north in
the 19th century, and various
ethnic groups of the west and
northwest established powerful
chiefdoms and fondoms. Cameroon
became a German colony in 1884.
After World War I, the territory
was divided between France and
Britain as League of Nations
mandates. The Union des
Populations du Cameroun
political party advocated
independence but was outlawed in
the 1950s. It waged war on
French and Cameroonian forces
until 1971. In 1960, French
Cameroun became independent as
the Republic of Cameroun under
President Ahmadou Ahidjo. The
southern part of British
Cameroons merged with it in 1961
to form the Federal Republic of
Cameroon. The country was
renamed the United Republic of
Cameroon in 1972 and the
Republic of Cameroon in 1984.
Compared with other African
countries, Cameroon enjoys
political and social stability.
This has permitted the
development of agriculture,
roads, railways, and large
petroleum and timber industries.
Nevertheless, large numbers of
Cameroonians live in poverty as
subsistence farmers. Power lies
firmly in the hands of the
president, Paul Biya, and his
Cameroon People's Democratic
Movement party, and corruption
is widespread. The Anglophone
community has grown increasingly
alienated from the government,
and Anglophone politicians have
called for greater
decentralisation and even the
secession of the former
British-governed territories.