Travelling Club - Cameroon

Fact Sheet: Cameroon

• Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
• Geographic coordinates: 6 00 N, 12 00 E
• Area: total: 475,440 sq 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
• Natural hazards: volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes
• Population: 17,340,702
• 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)
• Government type: republic; multiparty presidential regime
• Capital: name: Yaounde
• Currency code: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States
• Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)
• Internet country code: .cm
• Airports: 47 (2006)