National name: République du Cameroun

President: Paul Biya (1982)

Prime Minister: Ephraïm Inoni (2004)

Area: 183,567 sq mi (475,440 sq km)

Population (2005 est.): 16,380,005 (growth rate: 1.9%); birth rate: 34.7/1000; infant mortality rate: 68.3/1000; life expectancy: 47.8; density per sq mi: 89

Capital: Yaoundé, 1,395,200 (metro. area), 1,154,400 (city proper)

Largest city: Douala, 1,490,500 (metro. area), 1,274.300 (city proper)

Monetary unit: CFA Franc

Languages: French, English (both official); 24 major African language groups

Ethnicity/race: Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%, Northwest Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%, non-African less than 1%

Religions: indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Islam 20%

Literacy rate: 79% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $30.17 billion; per capita $1,900. Real growth rate: 4.9%. Inflation: 1%. Unemployment: 30% (2001 est.). Arable land: 13%. Agriculture: coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root starches; livestock; timber. Labor force: 6.68 million; agriculture 70%, industry and commerce 13%, other 17%. Industries: petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair. Natural resources: petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower. Exports: $2.445 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton. Imports: $1.979 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food. Major trading partners: Spain, Italy, France, Netherlands, U.S., Nigeria, Japan, China, Germany (2003).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 95,000 (2001); mobile cellular: 300,000 (2002). Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (2002). Radios: 2.27 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 1 (2002). Televisions: 450,000 (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2002). Internet users: 45,000; note: Cameroon also had more than 100 cyber-cafes in 2001 (Dec. 2001).

Transportation: Railways: total: 1,008 km (2002). Highways: total: 34,300 km; paved: 4,288 km; unpaved: 30,012 km (1999 est.). Waterways: 2,090 km; of decreasing importance (2002). Ports and harbors: Bonaberi, Douala, Garoua, Kribi, Tiko. Airports: 49 (2002).