Qatar (2003) | Cameroon (2006) | |
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Administrative divisions | 10 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan al Batinah, Madinat ash Shamal, Umm Sa'id, Umm Salal | 10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est, Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 24.7% (male 102,938; female 98,934)
15-64 years: 72.4% (male 415,302; female 176,183) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 17,199; female 6,496) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years: 41.2% (male 3,614,430/female 3,531,047)
15-64 years: 55.5% (male 4,835,453/female 4,796,276) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 260,342/female 303,154) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish | coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root starches; livestock; timber |
Airports | 4 (2002) | 47 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
over 3,047 m: 2 (2002) |
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 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 36
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 20 under 914 m: 9 (2006) |
Area | total: 11,437 sq km
land: 11,437 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 475,440 sq km
land: 469,440 sq km water: 6,000 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Connecticut | slightly larger than California |
Background | Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. He was overthrown by his son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Oil and natural gas revenues enable Qatar to have a per capita income not far below the leading industrial countries of Western Europe. | 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 a slow movement toward democratic reform, political power remains firmly in the hands of an ethnic oligarchy headed by President Paul BIYA. |
Birth rate | 15.68 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 33.89 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $5 billion
expenditures: $5.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.2 billion (FY 02/03 est.) |
revenues: $3.263 billion
expenditures: $2.705 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
Capital | Doha | name: Yaounde
geographic coordinates: 3 52 N, 11 31 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers | varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north |
Coastline | 563 km | 402 km |
Constitution | provisional constitution enacted 19 April 1972; in July 1999 Amir HAMAD issued a decree forming a committee to draft a permanent constitution; in the 29 April 2003 referendum, 96.6% of Qatari voters approved the new constitution | 20 May 1972 approved by referendum, 2 June 1972 formally adopted; revised January 1996 |
Country name | conventional long form: State of Qatar
conventional short form: Qatar local long form: Dawlat Qatar local short form: Qatar note: closest approximation of the native pronunciation falls between cutter and gutter, but not like guitar |
conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon
conventional short form: Cameroon local long form: Republique du Cameroun/Republic of Cameroon local short form: Cameroun/Cameroon former: French Cameroon, British Cameroon, Federal Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon |
Currency | Qatari rial (QAR) | - |
Death rate | 4.43 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 13.47 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $15.4 billion (2002 est.) | $9.168 billion (2005 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Maureen E. QUINN
embassy: Al-Luqtas District, 22 February Road, Doha mailing address: P. O. Box 2399, Doha telephone: [974] 488 4101 FAX: [974] 488 4298 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Niels MARQUARDT
embassy: Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde mailing address: P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520 telephone: [237] 220 15 00; Consular: [237] 220 16 03 FAX: [237] 220 16 20; Consular FAX: [237] 220 17 52 branch office(s): Douala |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Badr Umar al-DAFA
chancery: 4200 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600 FAX: [1] (202) 237-0061 consulate(s) general: Houston |
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 | none | ICJ ruled in 2002 on the entire Cameroon-Nigeria land and maritime boundary but the parties formed a Joint Border Commission, which continues to meet regularly to resolve differences bilaterally and have commenced with demarcation in less-contested sections of the boundary, starting in Lake Chad in the north; implementation of the ICJ ruling on the Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea is impeded by imprecisely defined coordinates and a sovereignty dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River; Nigeria initially rejected cession of the Bakassi Peninsula, then agreed, but much of the indigenous population opposes cession; only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty which also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | in January 2001, the Paris Club agreed to reduce Cameroon's debt of $1.3 billion by $900 million; debt relief now totals $1.26 billion |
Economy - overview | Oil and gas account for more than 55% of GDP, roughly 85% of export earnings, and 70% of government revenues. Oil and gas have given Qatar a per capita GDP comparable to that of the leading West European industrial countries. Proved oil reserves of 14.5 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 23 years. Production and export of natural gas are becoming increasingly important to the economy. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 17.9 trillion cubic meters, more than 5% of the world total and third largest in the world. Long-term goals feature the development of offshore natural gas reserves. Since 2000, Qatar has consistently posted trade surpluses largely because of high oil prices and increased natural gas exports, and Qatar's economy is expected to receive an added boost as it begins to increase liquid natural gas exports. | 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, privatization, and poverty reduction programs. International oil and cocoa prices have considerable impact on the economy. |
Electricity - consumption | 8.616 billion kWh (2001) | 2.779 billion kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production | 9.264 billion kWh (2001) | 2.988 billion kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Qurayn Abu al Bawl 103 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Fako 4,095 m (on Mt. Cameroon) |
Environment - current issues | limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities | waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14% | 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 | Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.64 (2002), 3.64 (2001), 3.64 (2000), 3.64 (1999), 3.64 (1998) | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani (since 27 June 1995 when, as crown prince, he ousted his father, Amir KHALIFA bin Hamad Al Thani, in a bloodless coup); Crown Prince JASIM bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, third son of the monarch (selected crown prince by the monarch 22 October 1996); note - Amir HAMAD also holds the positions of minister of defense and commander-in-chief of the armed forces
head of government: Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Khalifa Al Thani, brother of the monarch (since 30 October 1996); Deputy Prime Minister MUHAMMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, brother of the monarch (since 20 January 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary note: in April 2003, Qatar held nationwide elections for a 29-member Central Municipal Council (CMC), which has consultative powers aimed at improving the provision of municipal services; the first election for the CMC was held in March 1999 |
chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)
head of government: Prime Minister Ephraim INONI (since 8 December 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from proposals submitted by the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 11 October 2004 (next to be held by October 2011); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Paul BIYA reelected; percent of vote - Paul BIYA 70.9%, John FRU NDI 17.4%, Adamou Ndam NJOYA 4.5%, Garga Haman ADJI 3.7% |
Exports | NA (2001) | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | petroleum products, fertilizers, steel | crude oil and petroleum products, lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton |
Exports - partners | Japan 40.1%, South Korea 16.6%, Singapore 8.2%, US 4.1% (2002) | Spain 17.2%, Italy 13.7%, France 9.4%, South Korea 8.1%, UK 8%, Netherlands 7.8%, Belgium 4.8%, US 4.3% (2005) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side | 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 - $15.91 billion (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 0.4%
industry: 67.6% services: 32% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 44.8%
industry: 17% services: 38.2% (2005 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $20,100 (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.6% (2002 est.) | 2.4% (2005 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 25 30 N, 51 15 E | 6 00 N, 12 00 E |
Geography - note | strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits | sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughout the country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano |
Heliports | 1 (2002) | - |
Highways | total: 1,230 km
paved: 1,107 km unpaved: 123 km (1999 est.) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 1.9%
highest 10%: 36.6% (1996) |
Imports | NA (2001) | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals | machinery, electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food |
Imports - partners | France 17.8%, Japan 10.1%, US 8.5%, UK 8.3%, Germany 8%, Italy 6.7%, UAE 5.1%, Saudi Arabia 4.1%, South Korea 4% (2002) | France 25%, Nigeria 12.5%, Belgium 6.6%, China 5.8%, US 5.3%, Thailand 4.7%, Germany 4.4% (2005) |
Independence | 3 September 1971 (from UK) | 1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 4.2% (1999 est.) |
Industries | crude oil production and refining, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement | petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair |
Infant mortality rate | total: 20.03 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 23.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
total: 63.52 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 67.38 deaths/1,000 live births female: 59.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.9% (2002) | 2% (2005 est.) |
International organization participation | ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, C, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 130 sq km (1998 est.) | 260 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Court of Appeal | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); High Court of Justice (consists of nine judges and six substitute judges, elected by the National Assembly) |
Labor force | 280,122 (1997 est.) | 6.86 million (2005 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 70%
industry: 13% services: 17% |
Land boundaries | total: 60 km
border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 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: 1.27%
permanent crops: 0.27% other: 98.46% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 12.54%
permanent crops: 2.52% other: 84.94% (2005) |
Languages | Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language | 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official) |
Legal system | discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law dominates family and personal matters | based on French civil law system, with common law influence; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (35 seats; members appointed)
note: no legislative elections have been held since 1970 when there were partial elections to the body; Council members have had their terms extended every four years since; the new constitution provides for a 45-member Consultative Council, or Majlis al-Shura; the public would elect two-thirds of the Majlis al-Shura; the amir would appoint the remaining members |
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 23 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RDCP 133, SDF 21, UDC 5, other 21 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: 73.14 years
male: 70.65 years female: 75.76 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 51.16 years
male: 50.98 years female: 51.34 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 82.5% male: 81.4% female: 85% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79% male: 84.7% female: 73.4% (2003 est.) |
Location | Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria |
Map references | Middle East | Africa |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 50 nm |
Merchant marine | total: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 638,815 GRT/995,096 DWT
ships by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 2, combination ore/oil 2, container 7, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Kuwait 1, UAE 3 (2002 est.) |
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 38,613 GRT/68,820 DWT
by type: petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: 1 (France 1) (2006) |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force | Cameroon Armed Forces: Army, Navy (includes naval infantry), Air Force (Armee de l'Air du Cameroun, AAC) (2006) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $723 million (FY00) | $230.2 million (2005 est.) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 10% (FY00) | 1.5% (2005 est.) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 320,835
note: includes non-nationals (2003 est.) |
- |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 168,416 (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 7,192 (2003 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 3 September (1971) | Republic Day (National Day), 20 May (1972) |
Nationality | noun: Qatari(s)
adjective: Qatari |
noun: Cameroonian(s)
adjective: Cameroonian |
Natural hazards | haze, dust storms, sandstorms common | volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes |
Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, fish | petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower |
Net migration rate | 17.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Pipelines | condensate 90 km; condensate/gas 209 km; gas 902 km; liquid petroleum gas 87 km; oil 722 km; oil/gas/water 41 km (2003) | gas 70 km; liquid petroleum gas 9 km; oil 1,107 km (2006) |
Political parties and leaders | none | 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 [Marcel YONDO]; Movement for the Youth of Cameroon or MYC [Dieudonne TINA]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA]; Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI]; Union of Cameroonian Populations or UPC [Augustin Frederic KODOCK] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | Southern Cameroon National Council [Ayamba Ette OTUN]; Human Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president] |
Population | 817,052 (July 2003 est.) | 17,340,702
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 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 48% (2000 est.) |
Population growth rate | 2.87% (2003 est.) | 2.04% (2006 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Doha, Halul Island, Umm Sa'id (Musay'id) | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 3 (2002) |
Railways | 0 km | total: 987 km
narrow gauge: 987 km 1.000-m gauge (2005) |
Religions | Muslim 95% | indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 2.36 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 2.65 male(s)/female total population: 1.9 male(s)/female (2003 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 (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 20 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: modern system centered in Doha
domestic: NA international: tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat |
general assessment: available only to business and government
domestic: cable, microwave radio relay, and tropospheric scatter international: country code - 237; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia |
Telephones - main lines in use | 142,000 (1997) | 99,400 (2004) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 43,476 (1997) | 2.259 million (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (plus three repeaters) (2001) | 1 (2002) |
Terrain | mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel | diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north |
Total fertility rate | 3.02 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 4.39 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 2.7% (2001) | 30% (2001 est.) |
Waterways | none | navigation mainly on Benue River; limited during rainy season (2005) |