CAMEROON

Paul Biya
President

(pronounced "PAHL BEE-yah")

"We are determined to stick with democracy. We know that our democracy is not perfect, but we are doing everything to improve it."

The Republic of Cameroon, located in Central Africa, has an area of 475,440 sq km (183,567 sq mi). It lies on the Gulf of Guinea and is bordered by Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Chad, and Nigeria. The physical geography of Cameroon is quite diverse, ranging from dense rainforest in the south to thorn steppe in the north.

Cameroon had an estimated population of 16,184,748 in 2002. The country is experiencing rapid growth, averaging 2.4% a year, but this may be countered in the future by the rising death rate due to AIDS, which is a serious health threat in Cameroon. Approximately two-thirds of the people live in rural areas. The main ethnic groups are semi-Bantu Highlanders, Northwestern Bantu, and Sudanic Northerners. The largest cities are Yaounde, the capital, and Douala, the economic and industrial center. Official languages are French and English.

The national currency is the Communauté Financière Africaine (CFA) franc. The per capita gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at US $1,700 in 2001, with an annual growth rate of 5.5% that year. Major exports include coffee, cocoa, and cotton. Principal trading partners are France, United States, Germany, Belgium, and Guinea.