Information on Cameroon
Information on Cameroon
Three quick facts about the Republic of Cameroon; Mount Cameroon is the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan West Africa and an active volcano, former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon merged in 1961 to form the present country, and The Republic of Cameroon has generally enjoyed stability, which has permitted the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry.
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| Carrying firewood home in Cameroon |
How Cameroon got its name.
In the 15th century, Portuguese explorers named the area near the mouth of the Wouri River the Rio dos Camaroes (River of Prawns) after the abundant shrimp in the water; over time, the designation became Cameroon in English; this is the only instance where a country is named after a crustacean
Nationality
Noun: Cameroonian(s)
Adjective: Cameroonian
Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 59.4 years
Male: 58 years
Female: 60.9 years
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%
Population distribution
The population is concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated.
Religions
Indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%
Languages
24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
Area comparative to US States
Slightly larger than California
Border countries
Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Nigeria
Climate
Current Weather 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
Elevation extremes
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Fako 4,095 m (on Mt. Cameroon)
Natural hazards
Volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes
Did you know?
Cameroon is also referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughout the country, there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity.
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| Information on Cameroon |
