Puerto Rico (2005) | Cameroon (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | none (commonwealth associated with the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 78 municipalities (municipios, singular - municipio) at the second order; Adjuntas, Aguada, Aguadilla, Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Anasco, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barceloneta, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Cabo Rojo, Caguas, Camuy, Canovanas, Carolina, Catano, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Dorado, Fajardo, Florida, Guanica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Hatillo, Hormigueros, Humacao, Isabela, Jayuya, Juana Diaz, Juncos, Lajas, Lares, Las Marias, Las Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Manati, Maricao, Maunabo, Mayaguez, Moca, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Penuelas, Ponce, Quebradillas, Rincon, Rio Grande, Sabana Grande, Salinas, San German, San Juan, San Lorenzo, San Sebastian, Santa Isabel, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Trujillo Alto, Utuado, Vega Alta, Vega Baja, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa, Yauco | 10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 22% (male 441,594/female 421,986)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 1,228,583/female 1,337,066) 65 years and over: 12.4% (male 211,283/female 276,120) (2005 est.) |
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.) |
Agriculture - products | sugarcane, coffee, pineapples, plantains, bananas, livestock products, chickens | coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root starches; livestock; timber |
Airports | 30 (2004 est.) | 49 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 17
over 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
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.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 13
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 10 (2004 est.) |
total:
38 1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 21 under 914 m: 10 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 9,104 sq km
land: 8,959 sq km water: 145 sq km |
total:
475,440 sq km land: 469,440 sq km water: 6,000 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly less than three times the size of Rhode Island | slightly larger than California |
Background | Populated for centuries by aboriginal peoples, the island was claimed by the Spanish Crown in 1493 following Columbus' second voyage to the Americas. In 1898, after 400 years of colonial rule that saw the indigenous population nearly exterminated and African slave labor introduced, Puerto Rico was ceded to the US as a result of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship in 1917. Popularly-elected governors have served since 1948. In 1952, a constitution was enacted providing for internal self government. In plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998, voters chose to retain commonwealth status. | 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. |
Birth rate | 13.93 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 36.12 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $6.7 billion
expenditures: $9.6 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (FY99/00) |
revenues:
$2.1 billion expenditures: $2.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
Capital | San Juan | Yaounde |
Climate | tropical marine, mild; little seasonal temperature variation | varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north |
Coastline | 501 km | 402 km |
Constitution | ratified 3 March 1952, approved by US Congress 3 July 1952, effective 25 July 1952 | 20 May 1972 approved by referendum; 2 June 1972 formally adopted; revised January 1996 |
Country name | conventional long form: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
conventional short form: Puerto Rico |
conventional long form:
Republic of Cameroon conventional short form: Cameroon former: French Cameroon |
Currency | - | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States |
Death rate | 7.86 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 11.99 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | NA | $10.9 billion (2000 est.) |
Dependency status | commonwealth associated with the US | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (commonwealth associated with 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 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (commonwealth associated with 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 |
Disputes - international | increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage to Puerto Rico each year looking for work | 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 |
Economic aid - recipient | NA (2001) | 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 |
Economy - overview | Puerto Rico has one of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean region. A diverse industrial sector has far surpassed agriculture as the primary locus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, US firms have invested heavily in Puerto Rico since the 1950s. US minimum wage laws apply. Sugar production has lost out to dairy production and other livestock products as the main source of income in the agricultural sector. Tourism has traditionally been an important source of income, with estimated arrivals of nearly 5 million tourists in 1999. Growth fell off in 2001-03, largely due to the slowdown in the US economy, and has recovered in 2004. | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | 20.54 billion kWh (2002) | 3.227 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 22.09 billion kWh (2002) | 3.47 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
2.59% hydro: 97.41% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Cerro de Punta 1,338 m |
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Fako 4,095 m |
Environment - current issues | erosion; occasional drought causing water shortages | water-borne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing |
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 | white (mostly Spanish origin) 80.5%, black 8%, Amerindian 0.4%, Asian 0.2%, mixed and other 10.9% | Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%, non-African less than 1% |
Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | 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 |
Executive branch | chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001)
head of government: Governor Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (since 2 January 2005) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor with the consent of the legislature elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008) election results: Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA (PPD) elected governor; percent of vote - 48.4% |
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 |
Exports | NA | $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Exports - commodities | chemicals, electronics, apparel, canned tuna, rum, beverage concentrates, medical equipment | crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton |
Exports - partners | US 90.3%, UK 1.6%, Netherlands 1.4%, Dominican Republic 1.4% (2002 est.) | Italy 24%, France 18%, Netherlands 10% (2000 est.) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | five equal horizontal bands of red (top and bottom) alternating with white; a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side bears a large, white, five-pointed star in the center; design initially influenced by the US flag, but similar to the Cuban flag, with the colors of the bands and triangle reversed | 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 |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $26 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 1%
industry: 45% services: 54% (2002 est.) |
agriculture:
43.4% industry: 20.1% services: 36.5% (1999 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $17,700 (2004 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.7% (2004 est.) | 4.4% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 18 15 N, 66 30 W | 6 00 N, 12 00 E |
Geography - note | important location along the Mona Passage - a key shipping lane to the Panama Canal; San Juan is one of the biggest and best natural harbors in the Caribbean; many small rivers and high central mountains ensure land is well watered; south coast relatively dry; fertile coastal plain belt in north | sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa |
Highways | total: 25,328 km
paved: 23,665 km (including 426 km of expressways) unpaved: 1,363 km (2004) |
total:
34,300 km paved: 4,288 km unpaved: 30,012 km (1995) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA | $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) |
Imports - commodities | chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food, fish, petroleum products | machines and electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food |
Imports - partners | US 55.0%, Ireland 23.7%, Japan 5.4% (2002 est.) | France 29%, Germany 7%, US 6%, Japan 6% (2000 est.) |
Independence | none (commonwealth associated with the US) | 1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 4.2% (1999 est.) |
Industries | pharmaceuticals, electronics, apparel, food products, tourism | petroleum production and refining, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber |
Infant mortality rate | total: 8.24 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.52 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
69.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 6.5% (2003 est.) | 2% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WToO (associate) | 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 |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 400 sq km (1998 est.) | 210 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Appellate Court; Court of First Instance composed of two sections: a Superior Court and a Municipal Court (justices for all these courts appointed by the governor with the consent of the Senate) | 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) |
Labor force | 1.3 million (2000) | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 3%, industry 20%, services 77% (2000 est.) | agriculture 70%, industry and commerce 13%, other 17% |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 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 |
Land use | arable land: 3.95%
permanent crops: 5.52% other: 90.53% (2001) |
arable land:
13% permanent crops: 2% permanent pastures: 4% forests and woodland: 78% other: 3% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Spanish, English | 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official) |
Legal system | based on Spanish civil code and within the US Federal system of justice | based on French civil law system, with common law influence; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | bicameral Legislative Assembly consists of the Senate (at least 27 seats - currently 29; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives (51 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); House of Representatives - last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PNP 43.4%, PPD 40.3%, PIP 9.4%; seats by party - PNP 17, PPD 9, PIP 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - PNP 46.3%, PPD 43.1%, PIP 9.7%; seats by party - PNP 32, PPD 18, PIP 1 note: Puerto Rico elects, by popular vote, a resident commissioner to serve a four-year term as a nonvoting representative in the US House of Representatives; aside from not voting on the House floor, he enjoys all the rights of a member of Congress; elections last held 2 November 2004 (next to be held November 2008); results - percent of vote by party - PNP 48.6%; seats by party - PNP 1; Luis FORTUNO elected resident commissioner |
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 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.29 years
male: 74.35 years female: 82.43 years (2005 est.) |
total population:
54.59 years male: 53.76 years female: 55.44 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.1% male: 93.9% female: 94.4% (2002 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 63.4% male: 75% female: 52.1% (1995 est.) |
Location | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of the Dominican Republic | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Africa |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
territorial sea:
50 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 36,728 GRT/37,048 DWT
by type: roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 2 (United States 2) registered in other countries: 1 (2005) |
- |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | - |
Military branches | no regular indigenous military forces; paramilitary National Guard, Police Force | Army, Navy (includes Naval Infantry), Air Force, National Gendarmerie, Presidential 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 | US Independence Day, 4 July (1776); Puerto Rico Constitution Day, 25 July (1952) | Republic Day, 20 May (1972) |
Nationality | noun: Puerto Rican(s) (US citizens)
adjective: Puerto Rican |
noun:
Cameroonian(s) adjective: Cameroonian |
Natural hazards | periodic droughts; hurricanes | recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous gases |
Natural resources | some copper and nickel; potential for onshore and offshore oil | petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower |
Net migration rate | -1.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) NA migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Political parties and leaders | National Democratic Party [Celeste BENITEZ]; National Republican Party of Puerto Rico [Dr. Tiody FERRE]; New Progressive Party or PNP (pro-US statehood) [Pedro ROSSELLO]; Popular Democratic Party or PPD (pro-commonwealth) [Anibal ACEVEDO-VILA]; Puerto Rican Independence Party or PIP (pro-independence) [Ruben BERRIOS Martinez] | 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] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Armed Forces for National Liberation or FALN; Armed Forces of Popular Resistance; Boricua Popular Army (also known as the Macheteros); Volunteers of the Puerto Rican Revolution | Cameroon Anglophone Movement or CAM [Vishe FAI, secretary general]; Southern Cameroon National Council [Nfor Ngala NFOR, acting] |
Population | 3,916,632 (July 2005 est.) | 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.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | 48% (2000 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0.47% (2005 est.) | 2.41% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Las Mareas, Mayaguez, San Juan | Bonaberi, Douala, Garoua, Kribi, Tiko |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 72, FM 17, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 11, FM 8, shortwave 3 (1998) |
Radios | - | 2.27 million (1997) |
Railways | total: 96 km
narrow gauge: 96 km 1.000-m gauge (2004) |
total:
1,104 km narrow gauge: 1,104 km 1.000-m gauge (1995 est.) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 85%, Protestant and other 15% | indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
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.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal; island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections | 20 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: modern system integrated with that of the US by high-capacity submarine cable and Intelsat with high-speed data capability
domestic: digital telephone system; cellular telephone service international: country code - 1-787, 939; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; submarine cable to US |
general assessment:
available only to business and government domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1,329,500 (2002) | 75,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,211,111 (2001) | 4,200 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 6 (19 relay stations) (2004) | 1 (1998) |
Terrain | mostly mountains with coastal plain belt in north; mountains precipitous to sea on west coast; sandy beaches along most coastal areas | diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north |
Total fertility rate | 1.91 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 4.8 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 12% (2002) | 30% (1998 est.) |
Waterways | - | 2,090 km (of decreasing importance) |