GeoFroggy

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Background

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. Despite slow movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA.

Location

Central Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

Area Comparative

Slightly larger than California; about four times the size of Pennsylvania

Maritime Claims

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Contiguous zone: 24 nm

Climate

Varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north

Population Distribution

Population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated

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

Environment Current Issues

Waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation and overgrazing result in erosion, desertification, and reduced quality of pastureland; poaching; overfishing; overhunting

Environment International Agreements

Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

Signed but not ratified: None of the selected agreements

Geography Note

Sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa because of its central location on the continent and its position at the west-south juncture of the Gulf of Guinea; throughout the country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano

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Map Reference

Africa

Irrigated Land 2012

290 sq km

Area 2019

Total

475,440 sq km
Land

472,710 sq km
Water

2,730 sq km

Coastline

402 km

Geographical Coordinates

6 00 N, 12 00 E

Land use 2019

Agricultural Land
20.6%
Agricultural Land Arable Land
13.1%
Agricultural Land Permanent Crops
3.3%
Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture
4.2%
Forest
41.7%
Other
37.7%

Terrain

Diverse
With coastal plain in southwest
Dissected plateau in center
Mountains in west
Plains in north

Elevation

Mean Elevation: 667 m
Lowest Point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest Point: Fako on Mont Cameroun 4,045 m

Land Boundaries

Total
5,018 km
Central African Republic
901 km
Chad
1116 km
Republic Of The Congo
494 km
Equatorial Guinea
183 km
Gabon
349 km
Nigeria
1975 km

Natural Resources

Petroleum
Bauxite
Iron ore

Timber
Hydropower

Cameroon