Cameroon

Wealth and National Well-Being

Country Comparisons:
2010: see chart (middle)

World Factbook: "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."

Water-borne diseases prevail. Cameroon suffers from deforestation, overgrazing, desertification, poaching and over-fishing.

Products are coffee, cocoa, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root starches, livestock and timber.

People

Living in an urban area
2008: 57%

Literacy, Age 15 and Older
2003: males 84.7%, females 73.4%

Religions
Traditional 40 percent, Christian 40 percent, Muslim 20 percent.

Geography

Western Africa, with 402 kilometers of coastline, just west and south of Nigeria. Slightly larger than California.

Government

Republic of Cameroon has a president elected by popular vote for seven years, and a unicameral assembly with 180 seats. The president chooses the prime minister, who submits the names of people for the cabinet, chosen by the president.

Recent History

Virus Origins: Viruses from non-human primates have spread among people in Cameroon. The hunting and butchering of these non-human primates has exposed people to the blood and body fluids of these animals, through which people have acquired viruses of the same family as HIV.

Oct 16, 2004: Paul Biya has been president since 1982. He won his 1997 election with 92 percent of the vote. The result of this year's election is announced, and he has won another seven years in office, by 75 percent of the vote. Opposition to him was split among 16 candidates. His closest challenger won 17 percent of the vote. Cameroon's Cardinal Tumi has questioned the results of the election. He speaks of people having lost confidence in the government's ability to conduct polling. There have been calls for the courts to annul the election.

Law, Abortion, Homosexuality: Abortion is legal only when medically necessary or as a response to rape, but many young urban women have abortions anyway. Homosexuality is illegal and can bring up to five years in prison.