Country Name: Cameroon

Capital: Yaounde

Official Visa & Travel Information: eVisa Cameroon (Visa Services)

Government Type: presidential republic

Background: Much of the area of present-day Cameroon was ruled by powerful chiefdoms before becoming a German colony in 1884 known as Kamerun. After World War I, the territory was divided between France and the UK as League of Nations mandates. French Cameroon became independent in 1960 as the Republic of Cameroon. The following year the southern portion of neighboring British Cameroon voted to merge with the new country to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. In 1972, a new constitution replaced the federation with a unitary state, the United Republic of Cameroon. The country has generally enjoyed stability, which has enabled the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Nonetheless, unrest and violence in the country's two western, English-speaking regions has persisted since 2016. Movement toward democratic reform is slow and political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA.

Continent: Africa

Population: 30,135,732 (2023 est.)

Ethnic Groups: Bamileke-Bamu 24.3%, Beti/Bassa, Mbam 21.6%, Biu-Mandara 14.6%, Arab-Choa/Hausa/Kanuri 11%, Adamawa-Ubangi, 9.8%, Grassfields 7.7%, Kako, Meka/Pygmy 3.3%, Cotier/Ngoe/Oroko 2.7%, Southwestern Bantu 0.7%, foreign/other ethnic group 4.5% (2018 est.)

Languages: 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)

Religions: Roman Catholic 38.3%, Protestant 25.5%, other Christian 6.9%, Muslim 24.4%, animist 2.2%, other 0.5%, none 2.2% (2018 est.)

Economic Overview: largest CEMAC economy with many natural resources; recent political instability and terrorism reducing economic output; systemic corruption; poor property rights enforcement; increasing poverty in northern regions

Currency: Central African CFA Franc (XAF)

Reserves of Foreign Exchange & Gold: $3.459 billion (2018 est.) note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Real GDP (Purchasing Power Parity): $103.941 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars

Real GDP Growth Rate: 3.58% (2022 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per Capita: $3,700 (2022 est.) note: data in 2017 dollars

Exports: 

• $8.641 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

• Comparison Ranking: 119

Export Commodities: crude petroleum, natural gas, cocoa beans, lumber, gold, bananas (2021)

Export Partners: China 17%, Netherlands 14%, Italy 9%, United Arab Emirates 8%, India 7%, United States 6%, Belgium 6%, Spain 5%, France 5% (2019)

Imports: 

• $9.759 billion (2022 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

• Comparison Ranking: 124

Import Commodities: crude petroleum, scrap vessels, rice, special purpose ships, packaged medicines (2019)

Import Partners: China 28%, Nigeria 15%, France 9%, Belgium 6% (2019)

Natural Resources: petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower

Agricultural Products: cassava, plantains, maize, oil palm fruit, taro, sugar cane, sorghum, tomatoes, bananas, vegetables

Industries: petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair

Industrial Production Growth Rate: 

• 2.74% (2022 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

• Comparison Ranking: 122

Labor Force: 11.592 million (2022 est.)

Unemployment Rate: 3.78% (2022 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Natural Hazards: volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes

• Volcanism: Mt. Cameroon (4,095 m), which last erupted in 2000, is the most frequently active volcano in West Africa; lakes in Oku volcanic field have released fatal levels of gas on occasion, killing some 1,700 people in 1986

Geography:

• Total: 475,440 sq km

• Land: 472,710 sq km

• Water: 2,730 sq km

(Country Summary, The World Factbook, CIA.gov)

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