Youth for Christ ministry in Cameroon is still in the target stage. This means key contacts have been identified, and a ministry plan is being developed but ministry has not yet commenced.
About Cameroon
Cameroon
Introduction
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 slow movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA.
Geography
Location
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
Geographic Coordinates: 6 00 N, 12 00 E
Area
Total Area: 475,440 sq km Rank: 53
Land Area: 472,710 sq km
Water Area: 2,730 sq km
Comparison: slightly larger than California
Land Boundaries: 4,591 km
Bordering 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
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
Elevations
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)
Renewable Water Resources: 285.5 cu km (2003)
Total Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): 0.99 cu km/yr (18%/8%/74%)
Freshwater Withdrawal Per Capita: 61 cu m/yr (2000)
Environment
Natural Hazards: volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes
Environmental Issues: waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing
Environmental 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
Geography Notes
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
Population: 18,879,301 Rank: 58
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 2010 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 years: 40.9% (male 3,891,762/female 3,822,870)
15-64 years: 55.9% (male 5,298,143/female 5,250,493)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 283,289/female 332,744) (2010 est.)
Median Age: 19.2 years
Population Growth
Growth Rate: 2.19% (2010 est.) Rank: 41
Birth Rate: 34.1 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) Rank: 40
Death Rate: 12.2 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) Rank: 34
Net Migration Rate: NA
Urbanization
Urban Population: 57% of total population (2008)
Rate of Urbanization: 3.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Life and Death
Infant Mortality Rate: 63.34 deaths/1,000 live births Rank: 36
Life Expectancy at Birth: 53.69 years Rank: 201
Fertility Rate: 4.25 children born/woman (2010 est.) Rank: 42
Health and Disease
HIV/AIDS - Adult Prevalence Rate: 5.1% (2007 est.) Rank: 15
People living with HIV/AIDS: 540,000 (2007 est.) Rank: 19
HIV/AIDS Deaths: 39,000 (2007 est.) Rank: 14
Degree of Risk for Major Infectious Diseases: 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 Diseases: schistosomiasis
Respiratory Disease: meningococcal meningitis
Animal Contact Diseases: rabies (2009)
Nationality and Culture
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%
Religion: indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%
Languages: 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)
Education
Literacy (Meaning, age 15 and over can read and write): 67.9% Male: 77% Female: 59.8% (2001 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education): 9 years Male: 10 years Female: 8 years (2006)
Education expenditures: 3.3% of GDP (2006) Rank: 135
Government
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
Formerly: French Cameroon, British Cameroon, Federal Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon
Government Type: republic; multiparty presidential regime
Capital: Yaounde Geographic Coordinates: 3 52 N, 11 31 E
Administrative divisions
10 regions (regions, singular - region); Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, North-West (Nord-Ouest), Ouest, Sud, South-West (Sud-Ouest)
Independence: 1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday: Republic Day (National Day), 20 May (1972)
Constitution: approved by referendum 20 May 1972; 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 Philemon YANG (since 30 June 2009)
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 on 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 on 22 July 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
Election Results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPDM 140, SDF 14, UDC 4, UNDP 4, MP 1, vacant 17
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)
Politics
Political Parties and Leaders: Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM [Paul BIYA]; Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA]; 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, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Flag Description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow, with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band; the vertical tricolor recalls the flag of France; red symbolizes unity, yellow the sun, happiness, and the savannahs in the north, and green hope and the forests in the south; the star is referred to as the "star of unity"
Note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia
Economy
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 stagnating per capita income, a relatively inequitable distribution of income, a top-heavy civil service, and a generally unfavorable climate for business enterprise. International oil and cocoa prices have a significant impact on the economy. 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. The IMF is pressing for more reforms, including increased budget transparency, privatization, and poverty reduction programs.
Gross Domestic Product
GDP (purchasing power parity): $42.85 billion (2009 est.) Rank: 94
GDP - real growth rate: 0.9% (2009 est.) Rank: 101
GDP - per capita (PPP): $2,300 (2009 est.) Rank: 178
GDP - Composition by Sector: Agriculture: 20.3% Industry: 30.5% Services: 49.2% (2009 est.)
Labor Force
Labor Force: 7.283 million (2009 est.) Rank: 61
Labor force - by occupation: Agriculture: 70% Industry: 13% Services: 17% (2001 est.)
Unemployment Rate: 30% (2001 est.) Rank: 175
Poverty
Population below poverty line: 48% (2000 est.)
Transnational Issues
International Disputes: Joint Border Commission with Nigeria reviewed 2002 ICJ ruling on the entire boundary and bilaterally resolved differences, including June 2006 Greentree Agreement that immediately ceded sovereignty of the Bakassi Peninsula to Cameroon with a full phase-out of Nigerian control and patriation of residents in 2008; Cameroon and Nigeria agree on maritime delimitation in March 2008; sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty, which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries
Refugees and internally displaced persons - refugees (country of origin): 20,000-30,000 (Chad); 3,000 (Nigeria); 24,000 (Central African Republic) (2007)
