Cameroon-At-A-Glance
I realized today that I am in Cameroon and I have been telling my stories and yarns while I have been here but not once have I bothered to give anyone the facts about this country, so here is a bit of a lesson all about Cameroon. It is probably more interesting than my other posts that I have created :D
Now I didn't know which one I like more so I have put both maps on here. I live in the city Douala which is right near the Gulf Of Guinea. Now it shows I am pretty close to the ocean, I still have yet to see the ocean but I am told that if I am on the 5th floor (we only have 3 in our apartment) I can see the ocean. This just happens to be less than a kilometer away which is a harbor so I can't go and swim there but to go for a walk on the beach or swim in the ocean is about 30 minutes away ... I will have to do that eventually.
Cameroon Flag
Cameroon statistics
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
Geography
Area: 183,568 square miles
Capital: Yaounde (pop 1,119,000)
Environmental concerns: deforestation; over-grazing; desertification; poaching; over fishing; water-borne disease
Geographical features: diverse with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plain in center, mountains in west and plains in north
Climate: from tropical to semiarid
Comparative: slightly larger than California
Land boundaries: total: 4,591 km
Coastline: 402 km
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
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
People
16,185,000 people; 31% Cameroonian Highlander; 19% Equatorial Bantu; 11% Kirdi; 10% Fulani
Annual growth rate: 2.36%
Major languages are English; French; Fulde; Ewondo; Duala; Bamelke; Bassa; Bali
Religions: indigenous beliefs (40%), Christian (40%), Muslim (20%)
Health and social issues
Life expectancy: Men, 54 years; women, 55 years
Infant mortality: 68.8 deaths per 1000 live births
48 % of the population lives in poverty
1 physician per 11,848 people
HIV/AIDS Rate in Adults: 7.73%
63.4% of adults are literate
Compulsory education (Ages): 6-12 years; free
Communication and transportation
95,000 main telephone lines
60,000 Internet users (2002)
20,580 miles of highway
489 miles of railroad
49 airfields
153,000 motor vehicles
Government
Cameroon is a unitary republic that became independent from UN trusteeship under the
French on January 1, 1960
President Paul Biya is head of state
5 major political parties
Universal suffrage at 20
Military
Military expenditures are 1.4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Current disputes: various border conflicts, especially with Nigeria
Economy
Currency: francs
Per capita GDP: $1,700
GDP: $ 26.4 billion
GDP growth rate: 4.9%
Inflation rate: 2%
Labor force: 70% agriculture; 13% industry and commerce
Resources and industry
Natural resources: petroleum; timber; bauxite; iron ore; hydropower
Agriculture: coffee; cocoa; cotton; rubber; bananas; oilseed; grain; roots; livestock; timber
Industry: petroleum production and refining; food processing; light consumer goods;
textiles; lumber
Exports: $2.1 billion
Imports: $1.5 billion
Natural resources: petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 13%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 4%
forests and woodland: 78%
other: 3% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 210 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards
Recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous gases
Environment - current issues: water-borne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
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
Now I didn't know which one I like more so I have put both maps on here. I live in the city Douala which is right near the Gulf Of Guinea. Now it shows I am pretty close to the ocean, I still have yet to see the ocean but I am told that if I am on the 5th floor (we only have 3 in our apartment) I can see the ocean. This just happens to be less than a kilometer away which is a harbor so I can't go and swim there but to go for a walk on the beach or swim in the ocean is about 30 minutes away ... I will have to do that eventually.
Cameroon Flag
Cameroon statistics
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
Geography
Area: 183,568 square miles
Capital: Yaounde (pop 1,119,000)
Environmental concerns: deforestation; over-grazing; desertification; poaching; over fishing; water-borne disease
Geographical features: diverse with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plain in center, mountains in west and plains in north
Climate: from tropical to semiarid
Comparative: slightly larger than California
Land boundaries: total: 4,591 km
Coastline: 402 km
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
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
People
16,185,000 people; 31% Cameroonian Highlander; 19% Equatorial Bantu; 11% Kirdi; 10% Fulani
Annual growth rate: 2.36%
Major languages are English; French; Fulde; Ewondo; Duala; Bamelke; Bassa; Bali
Religions: indigenous beliefs (40%), Christian (40%), Muslim (20%)
Health and social issues
Life expectancy: Men, 54 years; women, 55 years
Infant mortality: 68.8 deaths per 1000 live births
48 % of the population lives in poverty
1 physician per 11,848 people
HIV/AIDS Rate in Adults: 7.73%
63.4% of adults are literate
Compulsory education (Ages): 6-12 years; free
Communication and transportation
95,000 main telephone lines
60,000 Internet users (2002)
20,580 miles of highway
489 miles of railroad
49 airfields
153,000 motor vehicles
Government
Cameroon is a unitary republic that became independent from UN trusteeship under the
French on January 1, 1960
President Paul Biya is head of state
5 major political parties
Universal suffrage at 20
Military
Military expenditures are 1.4% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
Current disputes: various border conflicts, especially with Nigeria
Economy
Currency: francs
Per capita GDP: $1,700
GDP: $ 26.4 billion
GDP growth rate: 4.9%
Inflation rate: 2%
Labor force: 70% agriculture; 13% industry and commerce
Resources and industry
Natural resources: petroleum; timber; bauxite; iron ore; hydropower
Agriculture: coffee; cocoa; cotton; rubber; bananas; oilseed; grain; roots; livestock; timber
Industry: petroleum production and refining; food processing; light consumer goods;
textiles; lumber
Exports: $2.1 billion
Imports: $1.5 billion
Natural resources: petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 13%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 4%
forests and woodland: 78%
other: 3% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 210 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards
Recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous gases
Environment - current issues: water-borne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
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
posted by Ashley at 6:35 PM
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