Cameroon - Geography
Cameroon - geography, Cameroon extends over 1200 km from north to south, and
there are over 200 ethnic groups from the rainforest belt in the south, which is
mainly characterized by Bantu people, to the Sahel belt in the north, populated
by, among other things. fulani.
The population is growing by approximately 2% per year. There is
considerable migration towards the cities, whose share of the population grew
from 14% in 1960 to 55% in 2005. It is especially the port city
of Douala (approximately 1.5 million inbound) and the capital Yaoundé that has
been the target of the relocation.
- Countryaah:
Do you know how many people there are in Cameroon? Check this site to see
population pyramid and resident density about this country.
Agriculture employs nearly 3/4 of the
population and contributes about 45% of GDP. Cameroon is self-sufficient with
most foods. Base crops are millet, corn and root vegetables; in addition, rice
production is increasing. The economic crisis in the 1990's has meant a decline
in total production, as government subsidies on fertilizers, etc. have fallen
away.
The main export crops are coffee, cocoa and cotton; these goods were crucial
until oil production began. Rubber and palm oil as well as bananas are also
exported; banana exports are growing strongly under the impression of EU
countries' policies in this area, with imports from Latin America seeking to be
replaced by imports from the closer partner countries in Africa.
About half of Cameroon is covered by forest, but commercial forestry is
of limited importance and resources are used mainly for local firewood
production. The opportunities for fishing from the short coastline are
severely limited; The waters off Cameroon are fish-poor and the territorial
waters are restricted by the island of Bioko, which belongs to Equatorial
Guinea.
Mining and industry. In 1977, a French company initiated oil
production from offshore fields near the Nigeria border. The fields were quickly
expanded and production has been declining since 1985. Limestone is used in the
cement industry, while other mineral resources are not extracted. There are
significant bauxite deposits, but the country's rather large aluminum industry
uses Guinea's bauxite and alumina as a raw material.
The industry contributes approximately 17% of GDP (2005). The sector is dominated
by raw material processing, the Edéa aluminum complex being the most
important. It was built already during the colonial period (1958) and is based
on electric power from a hydropower plant on the Sanaga River. In addition, the
industry is built on independence and is mainly aimed at replacing previous
imports of consumer goods - except for the cement industry, which has a modest
export.
Physical Geography
The southern and central plateaus form a wide transition belt from rainforest
to savanna. There are two rainy seasons each year and an annual rainfall of over
1500 mm. To the north, this area is bounded by the Adamaoua massif, whose
highest peaks are over 2500 m. Cameroon's westernmost part is characterized by
several extinct and single active volcanoes; The Cameroon mountain (4070 m) is
the highest. This is where the country's most fertile agricultural areas lie,
and a large part of the cultivation of coffee and other crops is exported.
The country has several major national parks. North of Adamaoua lies, among
other things. Waza, one of Africa's richest zoos, including elephants, antelopes
and cheetahs.
Economy
Until the late 1980's, Cameroon was considered to be one of Africa's most
economically sound countries. Economic growth was based on agricultural exports,
supplemented by oil exports from the late 1970's. Falling prices of oil, coffee
and cocoa after 1986 gave the country still growing financial problems. The debt
burden increased, and Cameroon had to comply with the World Bank's demands for
privatization, liberalization and liquidation of government subsidies in order
to obtain loans. agriculture. The first years of the new policy further deepened
the economic crisis and in 1994 the currency was written down by 50%. A tense
relationship with Nigeria did not improve the situation. In 1991, Cameroon
occupied nine Nigerian villages in an area where the boundary between the two
countries is unclear. In 1993, Nigeria occupied two islands off the Bakassi
Peninsula, and in Cameroon, bans were imposed on imports from Nigeria. The
conflict was aggravated by the fact that the area is believed to contain
significant oil reserves. In 2002, Cameroon got rid ofThe International
Court recognized the important area, but only in 2006 did Nigeria finally agree
to withdraw its troops from the Bakassi Peninsula. Not least, rising oil prices
have given Cameroon new economic growth in recent years. However, the country is
plagued by severe corruption problems.
Cameroon - language
Cameroon - languages, English and French are official languages. The country
has a total of approximately 275 languages belonging to the Nigerian -Congo languages
spoken in the South, and Afro-Asian and Nilo-Saharan spoken
in the North. Important trading languages are full south pidgin
English and north full.
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