Total area: 475,440 km2
land area: 469,440 km2

Comparative area: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries: 4,591 km total
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

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; Nigerian proposals to reopen maritime boundary negotiations and redemarcate the entire land boundary have been rejected by Cameroon

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: crude oil, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower potential

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

Environment: recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous gases; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification

Note: sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa

NOTE: The information regarding Cameroon on this page is re-published from the 1991 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Cameroon Geography 1991 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Cameroon Geography 1991 should be addressed to the CIA.