The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency (ereader iphone .txt) 📖

id="id11186" >Merchant marine:

total: 626 by type: bulk carrier 41, cargo 530, carrier 3, chemical tanker 10, container 8, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 11, refrigerated cargo 15, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 1 foreign-owned: 467 (Canada 2, China 193, Cyprus 7, Egypt 13, Gabon 1, Greece 3, Hong Kong 8, Indonesia 2, Japan 1, South Korea 22, Latvia 1, Lebanon 8, Netherlands 1, Romania 1, Russia 83, Singapore 4, Syria 48, Taiwan 1, Turkey 26, Ukraine 34, UAE 2, US 6) (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Phnom Penh, Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville)

Military
Cambodia

Military branches:

Royal Cambodian Armed Forces: Royal Cambodian Army, Royal Khmer
Navy, Royal Cambodian Air Force (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

conscription law of October 2006 requires all males between 18-30 to register for military service; 18-month service obligation (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 3,759,034 females age 16-49: 3,784,333 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 2,581,045 females age 16-49: 2,676,075 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 185,959 female: 182,558 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

3% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues
Cambodia

Disputes - international:

Cambodia and Thailand dispute sections of boundary with missing boundary markers and claims of Thai encroachments into Cambodian territory; maritime boundary with Vietnam is hampered by unresolved dispute over sovereignty of offshore islands; Thailand accuses Cambodia of obstructing inclusion of Thai areas near Preah Vihear temple ruins, awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962, as part of a planned UN World Heritage site

Illicit drugs:

narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the government, military, and police; limited methamphetamine production; vulnerable to money laundering due to its cash-based economy and porous borders

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Cameroon

Introduction
Cameroon

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 President Paul BIYA.

Geography
Cameroon

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)

Total renewable water resources:

285.5 cu km (2003)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.99 cu km/yr (18%/8%/74%) per capita: 61 cu m/yr (2000)

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

People
Cameroon

Population:

18,467,692 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 41.1% (male 3,826,232/female 3,757,859) 15-64 years: 55.7% (male 5,164,338/female 5,122,817) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 274,821/female 321,625) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 19 years male: 18.9 years female: 19.2 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

2.218% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

34.59 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

12.41 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 64.57 deaths/1,000 live births male: 69.39 deaths/1,000 live births female: 59.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 53.3 years male: 52.54 years female: 54.08 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

4.41 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

6.9% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

560,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

49,000 (2003 est.)

Major infectious diseases:

degree of risk: very high food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malaria and yellow fever water contact disease: schistosomiasis respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis animal contact disease: rabies (2008)

Nationality:

noun: Cameroonian(s) adjective: Cameroonian

Ethnic groups:

Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%, non-African less than 1%

Religions:

indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%

Languages:

24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 67.9% male: 77% female: 59.8% (2001 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 9 years male: 10 years female: 8 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

3.3% of GDP (2006)

Government
Cameroon

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

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)

Administrative divisions:

10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest

Independence:

1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday:

Republic Day (National Day), 20 May (1972)

Constitution:

20 May 1972 approved by referendum, adopted 2 June 1972; revised January 1996

Legal system:

based on French civil law system, with common law influence; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

20 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982) head of government: Prime Minister Ephraim INONI (since 8 December 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from proposals submitted by the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 11 October 2004 (next to be held by October 2011); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Paul BIYA reelected; percent of vote - Paul BIYA 70.9%, John FRU NDI 17.4%, Adamou Ndam NJOYA 4.5%, Garga Haman ADJI 3.7%

Legislative branch:

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - the president can either lengthen or shorten the term of the legislature elections: last held 22 July 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RDCP 140, SDF 14, UDC 4, UNDP 4, MP 1, vacant 17; note - vacant seats will be determined in a yet to be scheduled by-election after the Supreme Court nullified results in five districts note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for the legislature, to be called a Senate, but it has yet to be established

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); High Court of Justice (consists of nine judges and six substitute judges, elected by the National Assembly)

Political parties and leaders:

Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA]; Cameroon
People's Democratic Movement or RDPC [Paul BIYA]; Movement for the
Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]; Movement for the
Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [Marcel YONDO];
National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO
BOUBA]; Progressive Movement or MP; Social Democratic Front or SDF
[John FRU NDI]; Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC [Augustin
Frederic KODOCK]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Human Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president]; Southern
Cameroon National Council [Ayamba Ette OTUN]

International organization participation:

ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, C, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO,
IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO,
ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph FOE-ATANGANA chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790 FAX: [1] (202) 387-3826

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Janet E. GARVEY embassy: Avenue Rosa Parks, Yaounde mailing address: P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520 telephone: [237] 2220 15 00; Consular: [237] 2220 16 03 FAX: [237] 2220 16 00 Ext. 4531; Consular FAX: [237] 2220 17 52 branch office(s): Douala

Flag description:

three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band note: uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy
Cameroon

Economy - overview:

Because of its modest oil resources and favorable agricultural conditions, Cameroon has one of the best-endowed primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious problems facing other underdeveloped countries, such as a top-heavy civil service and a generally unfavorable climate for business enterprise. Since 1990, the government has embarked on various IMF and World Bank programs designed to spur business investment, increase efficiency in agriculture, improve trade, and recapitalize the nation's banks. In June 2000, the government completed an IMF-sponsored, three-year structural adjustment program; however, the IMF is pressing for more reforms, including increased budget transparency, privatization, and poverty reduction programs. In January 2001, the Paris Club agreed to reduce Cameroon's debt of $1.3 billion by $900 million; debt relief now totals $1.26 billion. International oil and cocoa prices have a significant impact on the economy.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$40.24 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$20.65 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

2.7% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$2,200 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 43.9% industry: 15.8% services: 40.3% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

6.674 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 70% industry: 13% services: 17% (2001 est.)

Unemployment rate:

30% (2001 est.)

Population below poverty line:

48% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.3% highest 10%: 35.4% (2001)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

44.6 (2001)

Investment (gross fixed):

17.3% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $4.179 billion expenditures: $3.297 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

1 July - 30 June

Public debt:

15.5% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

1.1% (2007 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

15% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$2.616 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$1.698 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$1.3 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber,