Location: Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

Map references: Africa, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:
total area: 475,440 sq km
land area: 469,440 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries: total 4,591 km, Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km, Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 km

Coastline: 402 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 50 nm

International disputes: demarcation of international boundaries in Lake Chad, the lack of which has led to border incidents in the past, is completed and awaiting ratification by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria; boundary commission, created with Nigeria to discuss unresolved land and maritime boundaries in the vicinity of the Bakasi Peninsula, has not yet convened, but a commission was formed in January 1994 to study a flare-up of the dispute

Climate: varies with terrain from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north

Terrain: diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north

Natural resources: petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower potential

Land use:
arable land: 13%
permanent crops: 2%
meadows and pastures: 18%
forest and woodland: 54%
other: 13%

Irrigated land: 280 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: water-borne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching
natural hazards: recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous gases
international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban

Note: sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa

NOTE: The information regarding Cameroon on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Cameroon Geography 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Cameroon Geography 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.