Country Profile: Cameroon

Last reviewed: 7 January 2008

Country information

Map of Cameroon

Area: 475,000 sq km (184,000 sq miles)
Population: (2005 UN estimate): 16,322,000
Capital City: Yaounde (population: 1.5 million). Douala is Cameroon's largest city (population 1.7 million. UN estimates).
People and languages: French and English are the official languages. There are around about 250 different African languages spoken in Cameroon and a similar number of ethnic groups. Pidgin English is widely spoken especially in the North-West, South-West, West and Littoral provinces.
Religion(s): Christian, Muslim and indigenous African religions
Currency: CFA Franc (fixed to Euro). Pegged at FCFA 655.957=euro 1.00 currently (July 2006) approx 960=£1
Major political parties: Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM), Social Democratic Front (SDF), Union des Populations du Cameroun (UPC), National Union of Democracy and Progress (UNDP), the Cameroon Democratic Union (UDC)
Head of State: President Paul Biya
Prime Minister: Chief Ephraim Inoni
Membership of international groupings/organisations: African Development Bank (AfDB), African Union (AU), Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), Commonwealth, International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF), Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC), International Monetary Fund (IMF), United Nations (UN).