World Country Guide

General Information

Area
475,442 sq km (183,569 sq miles).

Population
16,018,000 (2003).

Population Density
33.7 per sq km (2003).

Capital
Yaound (constitutional). Population: 649,000 (1987). Douala (economic). Population: 810,000 (1987).

Geography
Situated on the west coast of Africa, Cameroon is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Guinea, to the northwest by Nigeria, to the northeast by Chad (with Lake Chad at its northern tip), to the east by the Central African Republic and to the south by Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. The far north of the country is a semi-desert broadening into the vast Maroua Plain, with game reserves and mineral deposits. This is bordered to the west by the lush Mandara Mountains. The Benue River rises here and flows westwards into the Niger. The country to the northwest is very beautiful; volcanic peaks covered by bamboo forest rise to over 2000m (6500ft), with waterfalls and villages scattered over the lower slopes. Further to the south and west are savannah uplands, while dense forest covers the east and south. The coastal strip is tropical and cultivated. Cameroon derives its name from the 15th-century Portuguese sailor Fernando Po’s description of the River Wouri: Rio dos Cameroes (‘river of shrimps’).

Government
Republic. Gained independence in 1961. Head of State: President Paul Biya since 1982; won a new seven-year term in 2004. Head of Government: Prime Minister Peter Mafany Musonge Mafani since 1996.

Language
The official languages are French and English. They are given equal importance in the Constitution but French is the more commonly spoken. Spanish is spoken in some urban centres. There are 24 major African language groups.

Religion
53 per cent Christian (mainly Roman Catholic), 25 per cent traditional animist beliefs, 22 per cent Muslim.

Time
GMT + 1.

Electricity
110/220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are round two-pin; bayonet light-fittings are used.

Communications

Telephone
Telephone: IDD is available to and from Cameroon. Country code: 237. Outgoing international code: 00. International calls can be made from CAMTEL offices. Telephones can usually be found in post offices and restaurants, and there are telephone booths in the towns. Phonecards are available. The main towns in Cameroon are linked by automatic dialling, although this service is often unreliable.

Mobile telephone
GSM 900 network provides coverage mainly in Yaound, Douala and the southwest of the country. Network operators include Mobile Telephone Networks Cameroon (MTNC) and Orange Cameroun SA.

Fax
Available at CAMNET offices.

Internet
ISPs include Camnet (website: www.camnet.cm). Internet cafes, which are on the increase, exist in the main towns. Charges are significantly higher outside Yaound and Douala.

Telegram
Facilities are available at Yaound and Douala post offices and at larger hotels but service is slow.

Post
Stamps can only be obtained from post offices. Mail takes about a week to reach addresses in Europe. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0730-1530.

Press
The main newspaper is the (government-controlled) Cameroon Tribune, published daily in French and English. Other English-language newspapers include the Cameroon Post (weekly), Cameroon Times (weekly) and The Herald (three times a week).

Radio
BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online.