Cameroon (2001) | Aruba (2001) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Administrative divisions | 10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
42.37% (male 3,385,898; female 3,310,504) 15-64 years: 54.28% (male 4,305,354; female 4,271,958) 65 years and over: 3.35% (male 244,419; female 285,087) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years:
21.29% (male 7,709; female 7,193) 15-64 years: 68.52% (male 23,111; female 24,859) 65 years and over: 10.19% (male 2,954; female 4,181) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root starches; livestock; timber | aloes; livestock; fish |
Airports | 49 (2000 est.) | 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
11 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total:
1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
38 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 21 under 914 m: 10 (2000 est.) |
- |
Area | total:
475,440 sq km land: 469,440 sq km water: 6,000 sq km |
total:
193 sq km land: 193 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than California | slightly larger than Washington, DC |
Background | The former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon merged in 1961 to form the present country. Cameroon has generally enjoyed stability, which has permitted the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Despite movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of an ethnic oligarchy. | Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990. |
Birth rate | 36.12 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 12.64 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$2.1 billion expenditures: $2.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
revenues:
$NA expenditures: $541 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
Capital | Yaounde | Oranjestad |
Climate | varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north | tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 402 km | 68.5 km |
Constitution | 20 May 1972 approved by referendum; 2 June 1972 formally adopted; revised January 1996 | 1 January 1986 |
Country name | conventional long form:
Republic of Cameroon conventional short form: Cameroon former: French Cameroon |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Aruba |
Currency | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States | Aruban guilder/florin (AWG) |
Death rate | 11.99 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 6.21 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $10.9 billion (2000 est.) | $285 million (1996) |
Dependency status | - | part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador John M. YATES embassy: Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde mailing address: P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520 telephone: [237] 23-40-14, 22-25-89, 23-05-12, 22-17-94 FAX: [237] 23-07-53 branch office(s): Douala |
chief of mission:
Consul General Barbara J. STEPHENSON embassy: J. B. Gorsiraweg #1, Curacao mailing address: P. O. Box 158, Willemstad, Curacao telephone: [599] (9) 461-3066 FAX: [599] (9) 461-6489 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Jerome MENDOUGA chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790 FAX: [1] (202) 387-3826 |
none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
Disputes - international | delimitation of international boundaries in the vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in the past, is complete and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; tripartite maritime boundary and economic zone dispute with Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria is currently before the ICJ | none |
Economic aid - recipient | on 23 January 2001, the Paris Club agreed to reduce Cameroon's debt of $1.3 billion by $900 million; total debt relief now amounts to $1.26 billion | $26 million (1995); note - the Netherlands provided a $127 million aid package to Aruba and Suriname in 1996 |
Economy - overview | Because of its oil resources and favorable agricultural conditions, Cameroon has one of the best-endowed primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces many of the serious problems facing other underdeveloped countries, such as a top-heavy civil service and a generally unfavorable climate for business enterprise. Since 1990, the government has embarked on various IMF and World Bank programs designed to spur business investment, increase efficiency in agriculture, improve trade, and recapitalize the nation's banks. In June 2000, the government completed an IMF-sponsored, three-year structural adjustment program; however, the IMF is pressing for more reforms, including increased budget transparency and privatization. Higher oil prices in 2000 helped to offset the country's lower cocoa export revenues. A rebound in the cocoa market should increase growth to over 5% in 2001. | Tourism is the mainstay of the Aruban economy, although offshore banking and oil refining and storage are also important. The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Construction has boomed, with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. In addition, the reopening of the country's oil refinery in 1993, a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings, has further spurred growth. Aruba's small labor force and less than 1% unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies, despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years. |
Electricity - consumption | 3.227 billion kWh (1999) | 418.5 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 3.47 billion kWh (1999) | 450 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
2.59% hydro: 97.41% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Fako 4,095 m |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m |
Environment - current issues | water-borne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing | NA |
Environment - international agreements | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban |
- |
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% | mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80% |
Exchange rates | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 699.21 (January 2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997), 511.55 (1996); note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro | Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.7900 (fixed rate since 1986) |
Executive branch | chief of state:
President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982) head of government: Prime Minister Peter Mafany MUSONGE (since 19 September 1996) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from proposals submitted by the Prime Minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 12 October 1997 (next to be held NA October 2004); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Paul BIYA reelected; percent of vote - Paul BIYA 92.6%; note - supporters of the opposition candidates boycotted the elections, making a comparison of vote shares relatively meaningless |
chief of state:
Queen BEATRIX Wilhelmina Armgard of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Olindo KOOLMAN (since 1 January 1992) head of government: Prime Minister Jan (Henny) H. EMAN (since 29 July 1994) and Deputy Prime Minister Lili BEKE-MARTINEZ cabinet: Council of Ministers (elected by the Staten) elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed for a six-year term by the monarch; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by the Staten for four-year terms; election last held 12 July 1997 (next to be held by December 2001) election results: Jan (Henny) H. EMAN elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA%; Lili BEKE-MARTINEZ elected deputy prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA% |
Exports | $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | $2.2 billion (including oil reexports) (2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton | live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment |
Exports - partners | Italy 24%, France 18%, Netherlands 10% (2000 est.) | US 42%, Colombia 20%, Netherlands 12% (1999) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year |
Flag description | three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia | blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $26 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $2 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
43.4% industry: 20.1% services: 36.5% (1999 est.) |
agriculture:
NA% industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $28,000 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.4% (2000 est.) | 3.5% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 6 00 N, 12 00 E | 12 30 N, 69 58 W |
Geography - note | sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa | - |
Highways | total:
34,300 km paved: 4,288 km unpaved: 30,012 km (1995) |
total:
800 km paved: 513 km unpaved: 287 km note: most coastal roads are paved, while unpaved roads serve large tracts of the interior (1995) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | drug-money-laundering center and transit point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe |
Imports | $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | $2.5 billion (2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | machines and electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food | machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | France 29%, Germany 7%, US 6%, Japan 6% (2000 est.) | US 63%, Netherlands 11%, Netherlands Antilles 3%, Japan (1999) |
Independence | 1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship) | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) |
Industrial production growth rate | 4.2% (1999 est.) | NA% |
Industries | petroleum production and refining, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber | tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining |
Infant mortality rate | 69.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | 6.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2% (2000 est.) | 4.2% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, C, CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO | Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WToO (associate) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | NA |
Irrigated land | 210 sq km (1993 est.) | 0.01 sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); High Court of Justice (consists of nine judges and 6 substitute judges, elected by the National Assembly) | Joint High Court of Justice (judges are appointed by the monarch) |
Labor force | NA | 41,501 (1997 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 70%, industry and commerce 13%, other 17% | most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining |
Land boundaries | total:
4,591 km border countries: Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km, Republic of the Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land:
13% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 4% forests and woodland: 78% other: 3% (1993 est.) |
arable land:
7% (including aloe 0.01%) permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 93% (1993 est.) |
Languages | 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official) | Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish |
Legal system | based on French civil law system, with common law influence; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence |
Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms; note - the president can either lengthen or shorten the term of the legislature)
elections: last held 17 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RDCP 109, SDF 43, UNDP 13, UDC 5, UPC-K 1, MDR 1, MLJC 1; note - results from 7 contested seats were cancelled by the Supreme Court, further elections on 3 August 1997 gave these seats to the RDPC note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for the legislature, to be called a Senate, but it has yet to be established |
unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 12 December 1997 (next to be held by NA December 2001) election results: percent of vote by party - AVP 43%, MEP 39%, OLA 9% PPA 4%, ADN 2%, PARA 1%, MAS 0.5%; seats by party - AVP 10, MEP 9, OLA 2 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
54.59 years male: 53.76 years female: 55.44 years (2001 est.) |
total population:
78.52 years male: 75.16 years female: 82.04 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 63.4% male: 75% female: 52.1% (1995 est.) |
definition:
NA total population: 97% male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela |
Map references | Africa | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | territorial sea:
50 NM |
territorial sea:
12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total:
1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,120 GRT/3,635 DWT ships by type: cargo 1 (2000 est.) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands |
Military branches | Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Presidential Guard | Royal Dutch Navy and Marines, Coast Guard |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $118.6 million (FY00/01) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.4% (FY98/99) | - |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
3,762,369 (2001 est.) |
- |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
1,903,149 (2001 est.) |
- |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
174,308 (2001 est.) |
- |
National holiday | Republic Day, 20 May (1972) | Flag Day, 18 March |
Nationality | noun:
Cameroonian(s) adjective: Cameroonian |
noun:
Aruban(s) adjective: Aruban; Dutch |
Natural hazards | recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous gases | lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt |
Natural resources | petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower | NEGL; white sandy beaches |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) NA migrant(s)/1,000 population | NEGL |
Political parties and leaders | Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou NDAM NJOYA]; Democratic Rally of the Cameroon People or RDCP [Paul BIYA]; Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]; Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [leader NA]; Movement for the Youth of Cameroon or MLJC [Marcel YONDO]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA, chairman]; Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI]; Union of Cameroonian Populations has two sections UPC-N [Ndeh NTUMAZAH] and UPC-K [Augustin Frederic KODOCK] | Aruba Solidarity Movement or MAS [leader NA]; Aruban Democratic Party or PDA [Leo BERLINSKI]; Aruban Liberal Party or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Tico CROES]; Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson ODUBER]; For a Restructured Aruba Now or PARA [leader NA]; National Democratic Action or ADN [Pedro Charro KELLY] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Cameroon Anglophone Movement or CAM [Vishe FAI, secretary general]; Southern Cameroon National Council [Nfor Ngala NFOR, acting] | NA |
Population | 15,803,220
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2001 est.) |
70,007 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 48% (2000 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.41% (2001 est.) | 0.64% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Bonaberi, Douala, Garoua, Kribi, Tiko | Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 11, FM 8, shortwave 3 (1998) | AM 4, FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 2.27 million (1997) | 50,000 (1997) |
Railways | total:
1,104 km narrow gauge: 1,104 km 1.000-m gauge (1995 est.) |
0 km |
Religions | indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20% | Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 20 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment:
available only to business and government domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment:
NA domestic: more than adequate international: 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links |
Telephones - main lines in use | 75,000 (1997) | 33,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 4,200 (1997) | 3,402 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (1998) | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north | flat with a few hills; scant vegetation |
Total fertility rate | 4.8 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 1.8 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 30% (1998 est.) | 0.6% (1999 est.) |
Waterways | 2,090 km (of decreasing importance) | none |