Cameroon - Geography

Here, let us take a look at the Geography of Cameroon. Sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa because of its central location on the continent and its position at the west-south juncture of the Gulf of Guinea; 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. Mother's mean age at first birth is 20.1 years (2018 est.) (Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49), whereas, the Maternal mortality ratio is 438 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Geographical data of Cameroon
Location Central Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
Geographic coordinates 6 00 N, 12 00 E
Map references Africa
Tarrain diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north
Natural Resources petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower
Natural Hazards

volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes

volcanism: Mt. Cameroon (4,095 m), which last erupted in 2000, is the most frequently active volcano in West Africa; lakes in Oku volcanic field have released fatal levels of gas on occasion, killing some 1,700 people in 1986

Irrigated Land 290 sq km (2012)
Major rivers (by length in km)
Major aquifers Lake Chad Basin
Land Boundaries 5,018 km
Border Countries Central African Republic 901 km; Chad 1,116 km; Republic of the Congo 494 km; Equatorial Guinea 183 km; Gabon 349 km; Nigeria 1975 km
Coastline 402 km
Climate varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north
Area
Total Area
Land Area 472,710 sq km
Water Area 2,730 sq km
comparative Area slightly larger than California; about four times the size of Pennsylvania
Maritime Claims
Territorial sea 12 nm
Contiguous zone 24 nm
Elevations
Highest point Fako on Mont Cameroun 4,045 m
Lowest point Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Mean elevation 667 m
Land Use
Agricultural land 20.6% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land arable land: 13.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops permanent crops: 3.3% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture permanent pasture: 4.2% (2018 est.)
Forest 41.7% (2018 est.)
Other 37.7% (2018 est.)
Population Distribution

Population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated as shown in this population distribution map

People and Society

In Cameroon, the different Ethnic groups are such that we have: Bamileke-Bamu 22.2%, Biu-Mandara 16.4%, Arab-Choa/Hausa/Kanuri 13.5%, Beti/Bassa, Mbam 13.1%, Grassfields 9.9%, Adamawa-Ubangi, 9.8%, Cotier/Ngoe/Oroko 4.6%, Southwestern Bantu 4.3%, Kako/Meka 2.3%, foreign/other ethnic group 3.8% (2022 est.)

Population
Pop growth rate 2.71% (2024 est.)
Birth rate 34.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Death rate 7.4 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Health expenditure 3.8% of GDP (2020)
Physicians Density
Hospital bed Density 1.3 beds/1,000 population
Total fertility rate 4.44 children born/woman (2024 est.)
Gross reproduction rate 2.19 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate 19.3% (2018)
Est married women (ages 15-49) 54.2% (2023 est.)
Literacy age 15 and over can read and write
Education expenditures 3.2% of GDP (2020 est.)
Net Migration rate -0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Nationality Cameroonian | Cameroonian(s)
Languages
Religions Roman Catholic 33.1%, Muslim 30.6%, Protestant 27.1% other Christian 6.1%, animist 1.3%, other 0.7%, none 1.2% (2022 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 years 41.5% (male 6,477,438/female 6,364,987)
15-64 years 55.3% (male 8,488,522/female 8,638,519)
65 years and over 3.2% (2024 est.) (male 463,628/female 533,011)
Dependency Ratios
Total dependency ratio 82.3
Youth dependency ratio 77.3
Elderly dependency ratio 4.9
Potential support ratio 20.3 (2021 est.)
Median Age
Total 18.9 years (2024 est.)
Male 18.6 years
Female 19.2 years
Urbanization
Urban population 59.3% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization 3.43% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas (Pop) 4.509 million YAOUNDE (capital), 4.063 million Douala (2023).
Sex Ratio
At birth 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over 0.87 male(s)/female
Total population 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant Motality
Total 46.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male 50.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Female 41.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy at birth
Total population 64.2 years (2024 est.)
Male 62.3 years
Female 66.1 years
Drinking Water Sources
Improved: urban urban: 95.1% of population
Improved: rural rural: 56.2% of population
Improved: total total: 78.6% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 4.9% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 43.8% of population
Unimproved: total total: 21.4% of population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility acess
Improved: urban urban: 83.2% of population
Improved: rural rural: 27.7% of population
Improved: total total: 59.7% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 16.8% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 72.3% of population
Unimproved: total total: 40.3% of population (2020 est.)
Alcohol consumption per capita
Total 4.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer 2.36 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine 0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols 1.56 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
Total 7.3% (2020 est.)
Male 13.2% (2020 est.)
Female 1.4% (2020 est.)
Child marriage
Women married by age 15 10.7%
Women married by age 18 29.8%
Men married by age 18 2.9% (2018 est.)
Demographic profile

Cameroon has a large youth population, with more than 60% of the populace under the age of 25 as of 2020. Fertility is falling but remains at a high level, especially among poor, rural, and uneducated women, in part because of inadequate access to contraception. Life expectancy remains low at about 55 years due to the prevalence of HIV and AIDs and an elevated maternal mortality rate, which has remained high since 1990. Cameroon, particularly the northern region, is vulnerable to food insecurity largely because of government mismanagement, corruption, high production costs, inadequate infrastructure, and natural disasters. Despite economic growth in some regions, poverty is on the rise, and is most prevalent in rural areas, which are especially affected by a shortage of jobs, declining incomes, poor school and health care infrastructure, and a lack of clean water and sanitation. Underinvestment in social safety nets and ineffective public financial management also contribute to Cameroon’s high rate of poverty.  The activities of Boko Haram, other armed groups, and counterinsurgency operations have worsened food insecurity in the Far North region.  

International migration has been driven by unemployment (including fewer government jobs), poverty, the search for educational opportunities, and corruption. The US and Europe are preferred destinations, but, with tighter immigration restrictions in these countries, young Cameroonians are increasingly turning to neighboring states, such as Gabon and Nigeria, South Africa, other parts of Africa, and the Near and Far East. Cameroon’s limited resources make it dependent on UN support to host more than 480,000 refugees and asylum seekers as of December 2022. These refugees and asylum seekers are primarily from the Central African Republic and Nigeria.  Internal and external displacement have grown dramatically in recent years.  Boko Haram's attacks and counterattacks by government forces in the Far North since 2014 have increased the number of internally displaced people.  Armed conflict between separatists and Cameroon's military in the Northwest and Southwest since 2016 have displaced hundreds of thousands of the country's Anglophone minority.

All Important Facts about Cameroon

Want to know more about Cameroon? Check all different factbooks for Cameroon below.

Cameroon is found in Middle Africa