Xaverians in Cameroon

Cameroon: Country Profile

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Cameroon

Cameroon is a country in western Africa, east of Nigeria, west of Chad and the Central African Republic, and north of the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. It has a total area of 183,569 sq. mi. Yaounde is the capital, and Douala is the largest city.

Cameroon's tropical climate is humid in the south but increasingly dry to the north. Wildlife includes monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas, antelope, lions, elephants, birds, and snakes. The country's primary resources are timber, petroleum, and bauxite.

The majority of the population (14,611,357; 1997 estimate) are farmers who live in small villages. Most of the people are Christians. About 25 percent practice traditional religions, and about 22 percent are Muslims. About 200 ethnic groups, speaking 24 major languages, live in Cameroon. French and English are the official languages. Cameroon has one of the highest rates of school attendance in Africa.

Cameroon's principal commercial crops are cacao, coffee, tobacco, cotton, and bananas. Petroleum products constitute about one-third of all exports, and timber, another valuable export, consists mainly of mahogany, ebony, and teak. Cameroon's unit of currency is the CFA franc.

Cameroon is governed under a 1972 constitution. The president, elected by universal suffrage, is chief of state and commander of the armed forces. A 1995 constitutional amendment extended the president's term from five to seven years and introduced a two-term limit. Legislative power is vested in the unicameral National Assembly, but a 1995 amendment created a Senate, to be elected in 1997. The highest judicial body is the Supreme Court.

Service, mission, work, news, and presence of the Xaverian Missionaries in Cameroon