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Cameroon:
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Other pages in this profile of Cameroon:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
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Background |
The former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon merged in 1961 to form the present country. Cameroon has generally enjoyed stability, which has permitted the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Despite a slow movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of an ethnic oligarchy headed by President Paul BIYA. |
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Location |
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria |
Geographic coordinates |
6 00 N, 12 00 E |
Map references |
Africa |
Area |
total: 475,440 sq km land: 469,440 sq km water: 6,000 sq km |
Area - comparative |
slightly larger than California |
Land boundaries |
total: 4,591 km border countries: Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km, Republic of the Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 km |
Coastline |
402 km |
Maritime claims |
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm |
Climate |
varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north |
Terrain |
diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north |
Elevation extremes |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Fako 4,095 m (on Mt. Cameroon) |
Natural resources |
petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower |
Land use |
arable land: 12.54% permanent crops: 2.52% other: 84.94% (2005) |
Irrigated land |
260 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards |
volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes |
Environment - current issues |
waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing |
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; 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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Copyright 2008 World Sites Atlas (sitesatlas.com) |