Cameroon is a country in West-Central Africa with its South West border along the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean). Cameroon is divided into ten semi-autonomous regions with its capital city, Yaoundé, located in the central region of the country. Geographically, Cameroon borders Chad to the North East, the Central African Republic to the east, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo to the south and Nigeria to the North West.
Cameroon has a total population of approximately 27.2 million people. The Cameroonian population consists of approximately 250 ethnic groups with the Bamileke-Bamu, Beti/Bassa, Mbam and Biu-Mandara being the largest groups. The population is predominantly Christian, accounting for approximately 70% of the population’s religion. The country has 24 major African language groups, with English and French serving as the official languages. Cameroon’s industries include agriculture, aluminium, the service sector, timber and the oil industry. Oil is the country’s main export commodity, accounting for 40% of Cameroon’s exports.
Cameroon key statistics
Government and political environment
In 1960, French Cameroon became independent as the Republic of Cameroon with British Cameroon voting to merge with the new country to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon in 1961. Cameroon is a member of the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (“CEMAC”). President Ahmadou Ahidjo served as the nation’s first President and lead reunification of the country with British Cameroon in February 1961, creating the Federal Republic of Cameroon. President Ahidjo instituted a one-party system and served as President until 1982 when he was succeeded by current President Paul Biya. In 1984, by presidential decree, the country became the Republic of Cameroon.
The current constitution was amended in 2008 and provides the President with the power to appoint the Prime Minister and other members of government. The President is elected for a mandate of seven years with no term limits on re-election. In 2018, President Paul Biya won a seventh term.
The legislative structure in Cameroon is made up of a parliament consisting of the Senate and the National Assembly. There are 100 seats in the Senate with 30 members appointed by the President and 180 members of the National Assembly with all members serving a 5-year term.
Economic environment
Cameroon has one of the largest economies of the West-Central African states due to its oil resources, favourable agricultural conditions and strong service sector.
The oil industry accounts for about 40% of export earnings while the commodity and service sectors contribute to more than 15% and 51% of GDP, respectively.
Over the last decade, Cameroon’s GDP has grown at an average rate of 4% per annum. Since the late 1980s, Cameroon has been following programmes advocated by the World Bank and IMF to reduce poverty, privatise industries and increase economic growth.
1 IMF 2022 Statistics