Cameroon can be divided into northern, central, southern, and western geographic regions. North of the Benue (Bénoué) River, the savanna plain that occupies the country’s center declines in elevation as it approaches the Lake Chad basin. The region contains scattered inselbergs, mounds of erosion-resistant rock that rise above the plains. The Gotel Mountains of the Adamawa Plateau trend from south to north, culminating in the Mandara Mountains of the northwest.

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The central region extends east from the western highlands and from the Sanaga River north to the Benue River. The land rises progressively to the north and includes the Adamawa Plateau, with elevations between 2,450 and 4,450 feet. The southern region extends from the Sanaga River to the southern border and from the coast eastward to the Central African Republic and the Republic of the Congo. It consists of coastal plains that are about 25 miles wide and a densely forested plateau with an average elevation of a little more than 2,000 feet.

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The western region extends north and west from the Sanaga River and continues north along the Nigerian border as far as the Benue River. The relief is mostly mountainous, the result of a volcanic rift that extends northward from the island of Bioko. 

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Drainage, soils

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The rivers of Cameroon form four large drainage systems. In the south the Sanaga, Wouri, Nyong, and Ntem rivers drain into the Atlantic Ocean. The Benue River and its tributary, the Kébi, flow into the Niger River basin of Nigeria. The Logone and Chari rivers—which form part of the eastern border with Chad—drain into Lake Chad, whereas the Dja River joins the Sangha River and flows into the Congo River basin.

The soils of Cameroon may be roughly divided into three groups. The first soil group, developed primarily in the higher-precipitation south and south-center, is composed of soils with strong physical makeup but weaker chemical properties. With good depth, high permeability, and stable structure, these soils are less prone to erosion. They rely on the input of organic matter to replenish nutrient levels. Interruption of this cycle leads to swift depletion and decrease in fertility.

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The second soil group is present mainly in the lower-precipitation northern regions. Weathering by water is not as significant a problem for that soil group as mechanical weathering. A lower iron content dictates the soils’ coloring, which ranges from gray to brown. Though more fertile than their counterparts in the south, these soils are susceptible to nutrient imbalances that can impede productivity.

The third soil group is a general gathering of a number of young soils, including andosols, which are developed from volcanic ash and other matter, and the dark, clay-laden vertisols. Incidence of these soils varies by region.

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Climate 

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Lying wholly within the tropics, the country is hot throughout the year. Mean annual temperatures range between the low 70s and low 80s Fahrenheit, although they are lower in areas of high elevation. The incidence of precipitation depends largely on the seasonal movements of two contrasting air masses. The first is a dry continental tropical air mass, which originates over the Sahara and is associated with hot, dusty weather. The second is a warm and humid maritime tropical air mass that originates over the Atlantic and brings rain-bearing winds.

Precipitation decreases from south to north. Along the coast, the rainy season lasts from April to November, and the relatively dry season lasts from December to March; a transition period from March to April is marked by violent winds. The mean annual precipitation level of more than 100 inches occurs in about 150 days. In the central plateau region, precipitation decreases to about 60 inches. There are four seasons—a light rainy season from May to June, a short dry season from July to October, a heavy rainy season from October to November, and a long dry season from December to May.

The north, however, has a dry season only from October to May and an average annual precipitation level of about 30 inches. The wettest part of the country lies in the western highlands. Debundscha Point on Mt. Cameroon has a mean annual precipitation level of more than 400 inches—an average rarely attained elsewhere in the world—most of which falls from May to October.

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Flora, fauna

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The hot and humid south supports dense rainforests in which hardwood evergreen trees—including mahogany, ebony, obeche, dibetu, and sapelli—may grow more than 200 feet tall. There are large numbers of orchids and ferns. Mangroves grow along the coasts and at the mouths of rivers. The rainforest gives way to the semi-deciduous forest of the central region, where a number of tree species shed their leaves during the dry season. North of the semi-deciduous forest, the vegetation is composed of wooded savanna with scattered trees 10-60 feet high. The density of trees decreases toward the Chad basin, where they are sparse and mainly of Acacia species.

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The tropical rainforest at elevations between 4,000 and 8,000 feet differs from that of the lowlands: the trees are smaller, are of different species, and are festooned with mosses, lichens, and other epiphytes. Above the rainforest zone are drier woodlands, tall grasslands, or patches of mountain bamboo. Above about 7,800 feet in the interior and above about 10,000 feet on Mt. Cameroon, short grasses predominate.

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The country’s dense forests are inhabited by screaming red and green monkeys, chimpanzees, and mandrills, as well as rodents, bats, and numerous birds—from tiny sunbirds to giant hawks and eagles. A few elephants survive in the forest and in the grassy woodlands, where baboons and several types of antelope are the most common animals. Waza National Park in the north, which was originally created for the protection of elephants, giraffes, and antelope, abounds in both forest and savanna animals, including monkeys, baboons, lions, leopards, and birds that range from white and gray pelicans to spotted waders. To the south lies Dja Faunal Reserve, one of the best-protected rainforests in Africa and a reserve renowned for its biodiversity. In the late 1980s the reserve was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Government

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The government of Cameroon is comprised of three branches—executive, legislative, and judicial.

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The president is elected by plurality vote has the most power of the three branches and is in charge of naming cabinet members, judges, and governors. The president also approves or vetoes regulations, among other things, and appoints the prime minister.

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The judiciary is subordinate to the executive branch's ministry of justice. The supreme court may review the constitutionality of a law only at the president's request. The supreme court judges are appointed by the president with the advice of the higher judicial council of Cameroon. There are no term limits for Supreme court justices.

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The legislative branch is responsible for creating and passing laws. The senate comprises 100 members, with 70 members being indirectly elected by regional governing councils and 30 members being appointed by the president. The national assembly has 180 members, 34 of whom are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies, and the other 146 are elected by plurality vote in multi-member constituencies.

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The constitution was adopted: 1972. The basis of the constitution is to have a strong central government that is dominated by the executive branch. The constitution includes the rights of citizens, structure and function of government, symbols and institutions of the country and how the constitution should be amended. The constitution was amended in 1996, establishing a second house of parliament, the 100-seat Senate. The government recognizes the authority of traditional chiefs or fons, and lamibe to govern at the local level and to resolve disputes as long as such rulings do not conflict with national law.

The constitution divides Cameroon into 10 semi-autonomous regions, each under the administration of an elected Regional Council. Each region is headed by a presidentially appointed governor. These leaders are charged with implementing the will of the president. The governors have broad powers. All local government officials are employees of the central government's Ministry of Territorial Administration, from which local governments also get most of their budgets. The regions are subdivided into 58 divisions headed by divisional officers appointed by the president. The divisions are further split into sub-divisions headed by assistant divisional officers. The districts, administered by district heads (chefs de district), are the smallest administrative units.

Cameroon's legal system is a mixture of civil law, common law, and customary law. Although nominally independent, the judiciary falls under the authority of the executive's Ministry of Justice. The president appoints judges at all levels. The nation’s judiciary is officially divided into tribunals—the court of appeal, and the supreme court. The National Assembly elects the members of a nine-member High Court of Justice.

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Foreign relations, ​armed forces

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Cameroon is a member of both the Commonwealth of Nations and La Francophonie. Its foreign policy closely follows that of its main ally, France. To this day, the nation relies heavily on France for its defense, although military spending in Cameroon is high compared to other sectors of government. The Cameroon Armed Forces is comprised of the army (Armée de Terre), navy (Marine Nationale de la République, which includes a naval infantry; the Cameroonian Air Force (Armée de l'Air du Cameroun, AAC), and the Gendarmerie. Males and females 18-23 years of age and have grad- uated high school are eligible for military service. Those who join are obliged to complete four years of service. There is no conscription in Cameroon, but the government makes periodic calls for volunteers.

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Health and education

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In 2013, the total adult literacy rate of Cameroon was estimated to be 71 percent. Among youth age 15-24 the literacy rate was 85.4 percent for males and 76.4 percent for females. Most children have access to state-run schools that are less expensive than private and religious institutions. The educational system is a mixture of British and French precedents with most instruction in English or French. Cameroon has one of the highest school attendance rates in Africa. Females attend school less regularly than males because of cultural attitudes, domestic duties, marriage, pregnancy, and sexual harassment. Although attendance rates are higher in the south, a disproportionate number of teachers are stationed there, leaving northern schools chronically understaffed. In 2013, the primary school enrollment rate was 93.5 percent.

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School attendance in Cameroon is also affected by child labor. Indeed, the US Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor reported that 56 percent of children 5-14 were working and that almost 53 percent aged  7-14 combined work and school. In December 2014, a List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor issued by the Bureau of International Labor Affairs mentioned Cameroon among the countries that resorted to child labor in the production of cocoa.

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The quality of health care is generally low. Life expectancy at birth was estimated in 2012 to be 56 years, with 48 healthy years expected. According to the World Health Organization, the fertility rate was 4.8 in 2013 with a population growth rate of 2.56 percent. Cameroon had an average of 4.8 births per woman and 19.7 years as average for mothers. In Cameroon, there is only one doctor for every 5,000 people, according to the World Health Organization. In 2014, just 4.1 percent of total GDP expenditure was allocated to healthcare. Due to financial cuts in the health care system, there are few professionals. Doctors and nurses who were trained in Cameroon, often emigrate due to low pay and long hours. Outside major cities, healthcare facilities are often dirty and poorly equipped.

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Economy and infrastructure

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Cameroon's per capita GDP was estimated as $3,700US in 2017. Major export markets include the Netherlands, France, China, Belgium, Italy, Algeria, and Malaysia. Cameroon has had a strong economic performance with GDP growing an average of 4 percent per year. During the 2004-2008 period, public debt was reduced from over 60 percent of GDP to 10 percent and official reserves quadrupled to more than $3 billion.  

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Cameroon is part of the Bank of Central African States—for which it is the dominant economy), the Customs and Economic Union of Central Africa (UDEAC), and the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa. Its currency is the CFA franc. Unemployment was estimated at 3.38 percent in 2019 and 23.8 percent of the population was living below the international poverty threshold of $1.90 US a day in 2014.  Since the late 1980s, Cameroon has been following programs advocated by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) to reduce poverty, privatize industries, and increase economic growth. The government has taken measures to encourage tourism in the country.

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