3 GeoFroggy

Country Name

Conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon

Conventional short form: Cameroon

Local long form: Republique du Cameroun/Republic of Cameroon

Local short form: Cameroun/Cameroon

Former: French Cameroon, British Cameroon, Federal Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon

Administrative Divisions

10 regions (regions, singular - region); Adamaoua, Centre, East (Est), Far North (Extreme-Nord), Littoral, North (Nord), North-West (Nord-Ouest), West (Ouest), South (Sud), South-West (Sud-Ouest)

Independence

1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

National Holiday

State Unification Day (National Day), 20 May (1972)

Constitution

Several previous; latest effective 18 January 1996; amended 2008 (2008)

Legal System

mixed legal system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law

International Law Organization Participation

Accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal

Executive Branch

Chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)

Head of government: Prime Minister Philemon YANG (since 30 June 2009)

Cabinet: Cabinet proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president

Elections:

Election results: Paul BIYA reelected president; percent of vote - Paul BIYA (CPDM) 78.0%, John FRU NDI (SDF) 10.7%, Garga Haman ADJI 3.2%, other 8.1%

Legislative Branch

Description: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of the Senate or Senat (100 seats; 70 members indirectly elected by regional councils and 30 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms); note - the 100-member Senate was formed at the time of the April 2013 election

Elections: Senate last held on 14 April 2013 (next to be held in 2018); National Assembly last held on 30 September 2013 (next to be held in 2018)

Election results: Senate percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPDM 56, SDF 14; National Assembly percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPDM 148, SDF 18, UNDP 5, UDC 4, UPC 3, other 2

Judicial Branch

Highest court(s): Supreme Court of Cameroon (consists of 9 titular and 6 surrogate judges and organized into judicial, administrative, and audit chambers); Constitutional Council (consists of 11 members)

Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president with the advice of the Higher Judicial Council of Cameroon, a body chaired by the president and includes the minister of justice, selected magistrates, and representatives of the National Assembly; judge term NA; Constitutional Council members appointed by the president for single 9-year terms

Subordinate courts: Parliamentary Court of Justice (jurisdiction limited to cases involving the president and prime minister); appellate and first instance courts; circuit and magistrate's courts

Political Parties and Leaders

Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC [Provisionary Management Bureau]

Political Pressure Groups and Leaders

Tribunal 53 [Patrice NGANANG]

Flag Description

Three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow, with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band; the vertical tricolor recalls the flag of France; red symbolizes unity, yellow the sun, happiness, and the savannahs in the north, and green hope and the forests in the south; the star is referred to as the "star of unity"

National Symbols

Lion; national colors: green, red, yellow

National Anthem

Lyrics:

: undefined

Year

Government Type

  • Republic; multiparty presidential regime

Capital

  • Name
    Yaounde
  • Geographic Coordinates
    3 52 N, 11 31 E
  • Time Difference
    UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Diplomatic Representation in the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador Joseph FOE-ATANGANA (since 12 September 2008)
  • Chancery
    2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; current temporary address - 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
  • Telephone
    [1] (202) 265-8790
  • FAX
    [1] (202) 387-3826

Diplomatic Representation from the US

  • Chief Of Mission
    Ambassador Michael Stephen HOZA (since 19 September 2014)
  • Embassy
    Avenue Rosa Parks, Yaounde
  • Mailing Address
    P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch
  • Telephone
    [237] 22220 15 00; Consular
  • FAX
    [237] 22220 15 00 Ext. 4531; Consular FAX
  • Branch Office(s)
    Douala

International Organization Participation

  • ACP
  • AfDB
  • AU
  • BDEAC
  • C
  • CEMAC
  • EITI (compliant country)
  • FAO
  • FZ
  • G-77
  • IAEA
  • IBRD
  • ICAO
  • ICRM
  • IDA
  • IDB
  • IFAD
  • IFC
  • IFRCS
  • IHO
  • ILO
  • IMF
  • IMO
  • IMSO
  • Interpol
  • IOC
  • IOM
  • IPU
  • ISO
  • ITSO
  • ITU
  • ITUC (NGOs)
  • MIGA
  • MONUSCO
  • NAM
  • OIC
  • OIF
  • OPCW
  • PCA
  • UN
  • UNCTAD
  • UNESCO
  • UNHCR
  • UNIDO
  • UNOCI
  • UNWTO
  • UPU
  • WCO
  • WFTU (NGOs)
  • WHO
  • WIPO
  • WMO
  • WTO