Cameroon

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Powerful chiefdoms ruled much of the area of present-day Cameroon before it became a German colony known as Kamerun in 1884. 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 have persisted since 2016. Movement toward democratic reform is slow, and political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA.

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

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6 00 N, 12 00 E

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Africa

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

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402 km

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

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diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north

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petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower

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290 sq km (2012)

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Lake Chad Basin

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population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated, as shown in this population distribution map

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volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes <br><br><strong>volcanism:</strong> Mt. Cameroon (4,095 m), which last erupted in 2000, is the most frequently active volcano in West Africa; lakes in the Oku volcanic field sometimes release fatal levels of gas, which killed about 1,700 people in 1986

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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; 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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Bamileke-Bamu 22.2%, Biu-Mandara 16.4%, Arab-Choa/Hausa/Kanuri 13.5%, Beti/Bassa, Mbam 13.1%, Grassfields 9.9%, Adamawa-Ubangi, 9.8%, Cotier/Ngoe/Oroko 4.6%, Southwestern Bantu 4.3%, Kako/Meka 2.3%, foreign/other ethnic group 3.8% (2022 est.)

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Roman Catholic 33.1%, Muslim 30.6%, Protestant 27.1% other Christian 6.1%, animist 1.3%, other 0.7%, none 1.2% (2022 est.)

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2.37% (2025 est.)

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30.79 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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6.73 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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-0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated, as shown in this population distribution map

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4.509 million YAOUNDE (capital), 4.063 million Douala (2023)

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20.1 years (2018 est.)

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<strong>note:</strong> data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

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258 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

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3.87 children born/woman (2025 est.)

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1.91 (2025 est.)

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0.14 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

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2.6 beds/1,000 population (2016 est.)

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11.4% (2016)

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11% (2018 est.)

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58.1% (2018 est.)

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deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; poaching; overfishing; overhunting

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

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62 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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283.15 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

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presidential republic

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10 regions (<em>régions</em>, singular - <em>région</em>); Adamaoua, Centre, East (Est), Far North (Extrême-Nord), Littoral, North (Nord), North-West (Nord-Ouest), West (Ouest), South (Sud), South-West (Sud-Ouest)

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

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

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20 years of age; universal

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Alliance for Democracy and Development <br>Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM <br>Cameroon People's Party or CPP <br>Cameroon Renaissance Movement or MRC <br>Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC <br>Cameroonian Party for National Reconciliation or PCRN <br>Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon or FSNC <br>Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR <br>Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC <br>National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP <br>Progressive Movement or MP <br>Social Democratic Front or SDF <br>Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC <br>Union of Socialist Movements 

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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), LCBC, MIGA, MNJTF, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

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

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<strong>description:</strong> three equal vertical bands of green (left side), red, and yellow, with a small five-pointed yellow star centered in the red band<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> red stands for unity; yellow for the sun, happiness, and the northern savannahs; green for hope and the southern forests; the star is called the "star of unity;" the vertical tricolor design is similar to the French flag<br><br><strong>history:</strong> uses the colors of the Pan-African movement

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lion

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green, red, yellow

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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

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<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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<b>note:</b> annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

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<b>note:</b> data in 2021 dollars

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$51.327 billion (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> data in current dollars at official exchange rate

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<b>note:</b> annual % change based on consumer prices

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<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

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<b>note:</b> figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

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cassava, plantains, oil palm fruit, maize, taro, tomatoes, sorghum, sugarcane, bananas, vegetables (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

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

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1.9% (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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11.119 million (2024 est.)

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<b>note:</b> number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

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<b>note:</b> % of labor force seeking employment

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<b>note:</b> % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

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<b>note:</b> index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

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<b>note:</b> % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

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<b>note:</b> personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

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<b>note:</b> central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

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11.3% (of GDP) (2021 est.)

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<b>note:</b> central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

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Netherlands 21%, France 14%, UAE 13%, India 9%, China 8% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

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crude petroleum, natural gas, gold, cocoa beans, wood (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five export commodities based on value in dollars

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<b>note:</b> balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

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China 43%, France 6%, India 6%, Belgium 4%, UAE 4% (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

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garments, refined petroleum, plastic products, wheat, rice (2023)

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<b>note:</b> top five import commodities based on value in dollars

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<b>note:</b> holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

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<b>note:</b> present value of external debt in current US dollars

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government maintains tight control over broadcast media; state-owned Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), with both TV and radio broadcasts, was the only officially recognized and fully licensed broadcaster until 2007, when the government issued licenses to 2 private TV broadcasters and 1 private radio broadcaster; about 70 privately owned, unlicensed radio stations operate under &ldquo;administrative tolerance,&rdquo; meaning the stations could be subject to closure at any time (2023)

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.cm

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TJ

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37 (2025)

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1 (2025)

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<strong>note:</strong> railway connections generally efficient but limited; rail lines connect major cities of Douala, Yaounde, Ngaoundere, and Garoua; passenger and freight service provided by CAMRAIL

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Cameroon Armed Forces (Forces Armees Camerounaises, FAC): Army, Cameroon Navy (includes naval infantry or fusiliers marin), Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Firefighting Corps<br><br>General Delegation for National Security (Délégation Générale à la Sûreté Nationale or DGSN): Cameroon Police (2025)

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<strong>note 1:</strong> the Army includes the Rapid Intervention Brigade (Brigade d’Intervention Rapide or BIR), which maintains its own command and control structure and reports directly to the Chief of Defense staff and the Presidency; the BIR includes airborne/airmobile, amphibious, armored reconnaissance, artillery, and counterterrorism forces, as well as support elements, such as intelligence <br><br><strong>note 2:</strong> the Cameroon Police and the National Gendarmerie are responsible for internal security; the Gendarmerie conducts administrative, criminal, and military investigative functions; other missions include customs, air and maritime surveillance, and road traffic control; in times of conflict, it participates in internal defense

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estimated 40-50,000 active FAC, including the Gendarmerie (2025)

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the FAC inventory is comprised of armaments from a variety of countries, including China, Israel, Russia/former Soviet Union, South Africa, the US, and some Western European countries, particularly France (2025)

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18-23 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (18-28 for medical services); no conscription; service obligation 4 years (2025)

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750 (plus about 400 police) Central African Republic (MINUSCA) (2025)

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<strong>note: </strong>Cameroon has committed approximately 2,000-2,500 troops to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against Boko Haram and other terrorist groups operating in the general area of the Lake Chad Basin and along Nigeria's northeast border; national MNJTF troop contingents are deployed within their own country territories, although cross‐border operations occur occasionally

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the Cameroon Armed Forces (FAC) are responsible for defending the country's territorial integrity, providing humanitarian assistance, supporting regional peacekeeping operations, and contributing to internal security; key areas of focus are the threat from the terrorist groups Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa along its frontiers with Nigeria and Chad (Far North region) and, since 2016, an insurgency from armed Anglophone separatist groups in the North-West and South-West regions; in addition, the FAC often deploys ground units to the border region with the Central African Republic to counter intrusions from armed militias and bandits; the Navy&rsquo;s missions include protecting Cameroon&rsquo;s oil installations, combatting crime and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, and patrolling the country&rsquo;s lakes and rivers; the FAC's small Air Force supports both the ground and naval forces (2025)

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Boko Haram; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – West Africa

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<strong>note:</strong> details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide