Cameroon
Veröffentlicht: 18. June 2022 - Letztes Update: 28. February 2025
Country Data Dashboard
Population
30,966,105
Growth: 2.71% (2024 est.)
GDP
$49.279 billion
(2023 est.)
Area
475,440 sq km
| Government type: | presidential republic |
| Capital: | Yaounde |
| Languages: | 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official) |
People & Society
Ethnicity (2022 est.)
Religion (2022 est.)
Age structure
Economy
Economic overview
largest CEMAC economy with many natural resources; recent political instability and terrorism reducing economic output; systemic corruption; poor property rights enforcement; increasing poverty in northern regions
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) in Billion $
Real GDP per capita in $
Exports & Imports in billion $
Top 5 Import Partner in 2022 (61%)
Top 5 Import Commodities in 2022
- refined petroleum ⛽
- wheat 🌾
- garments 👕
- rice 🍚
- plastic products ♻️
Top 5 Export Partner in 2022 (61%)
Top 5 Export Commodities in 2022
- crude petroleum 🛢️
- natural gas 💨
- wood 🌲
- cocoa beans 🍫
- gold 💰
Geography
Map
Area
Natural resources
- petroleum 🛢️
- bauxite 🪨
- iron ore ⛓️
- timber 🌲
- hydropower 💧⚡
Climate
varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north
Historical Background Information
Powerful chiefdoms ruled much of the area of present-day Cameroon before it became a German colony known as Kamerun in 1884. After World War I, the territory was divided between France and the UK as League of Nations mandates. French Cameroon became independent in 1960 as the Republic of Cameroon. The following year, the southern portion of neighboring British Cameroon voted to merge with the new country to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. In 1972, a new constitution replaced the federation with a unitary state, the United Republic of Cameroon. The country has generally enjoyed stability, which has enabled the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Nonetheless, unrest and violence in the country's two western, English-speaking regions have persisted since 2016. Movement toward democratic reform is slow, and political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA.