Islamic countries

Islamic countries

REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON
RÉPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN

General Information

Total Land Area:	475,440 km²
Land boundaries:	4,591 km
Coastline:	402 km
Capital:	Yaoundé
Other Large Cities:	Douala, Garoua, Maroua
Official Language:	French and English
National Currency Unit:	Communauté Financière Africaine Franc (XAF)
National Day:	May 20

Location and Geography

Cameroon is located in West Africa with a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean and a triangular shape wedged between West and Central Africa. The country has borders with the Central African Republic in the East, Chad in the North-east, Nigeria in the North, Republic of the Congo in the South-east, and Equatorial Guinea and Gabon in the South. Meadows and pastures take up a limited land area while forests and woodlands cover more than half of the country. The land is diverse with coastal plains in the South-west, dissected plateau in the central region, mountains in the West and plains in the North. The low coastal plains in the South are covered with equatorial rain forests extending to the river Sanaga. Mount Cameroon is the highest summit in sub-Saharan West Africa. The climate is tropical along the coast and semiarid and hot in the North. It varies depending on the terrain.

Demography

Population:	15.50 million (2002)
Crude Birth Rate:	36 per thousand people (2002)
Crude Death Rate:	16 per thousand people (2002)
Infant Mortality Rate:	95 per thousand (2002)
Life Expectancy:	Male: 48 years, Female: 49 years (2002)
Urban Population:	50.0 percent (2002)
Adult Literacy:	72.40 percent (2001)

Economy

Cameroon is one of the best-endowed primary commodity economies in Sub-Saharan Africa thanks to its oil resources and favourable agricultural conditions. Its main natural resources are petroleum, bauxite, tin ore, iron ore, timber, and hydropower. Despite the country’s oil endowment, agriculture still constitutes the major economic activity a priority in Cameroon, employing most of the adult population. The main crops include coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, and grains. Cameroon is a member of the Franc zone (CFA), which is a regional currency union with 14 member States. The country’s non-agricultural sectors are dominated by State-owned enterprises.

GDP at Current Market Prices:	10917 million US$ (2002)
Per Capita GDP:	704 US$ (2002)
Share of Sectors in GDP:	43.0% Agriculture, 20.0% Industry, 37.0% Services, (2002)
Total Exports:	1999 million US$ (2002)
Total Imports:	2151 million US$ (2002)
Major Exports Items:	Crude oil and semi-processed petroleum products, lumber, cotton and coffee
Major Imports Items:	Machinery and electrical equipment, fuel and foodstuffs
Major Trading Partners:	France, Italy, Spain and Nigeria