 Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon conventional short form:Cameroon local long form:Republique du Cameroun/Republic of Cameroon local short form:Cameroun/Cameroon former:French Cameroon, British Cameroon, Federal Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon
Government type:
republic; multiparty presidential regime
Capital:
name:Yaoundegeographic coordinates:3 52 N, 11 31 E time difference:UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
10 regions (regions, singular - region); Adamaoua, Centre, East (Est), Far North (Extreme-Nord), Littoral, North (Nord), North-West (Nord-Ouest), West (Ouest), South (Sud), South-West (Sud-Ouest)
Independence:
1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)
National holiday:
Republic Day (National Day), 20 May (1972)
Constitution:
several previous; latest effective 18 January 1996; amended 2008 (2008)
Legal system:
mixed legal system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law
International law organization participation:
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)head of government:Prime Minister Philemon YANG (since 30 June 2009) cabinet:Cabinet appointed by the president from proposals submitted by the prime minister elections:president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (with no term limits per 2008 constitutional amendment); election last held on 9 October 2011 (next to be held in October 2018); prime minister appointed by the president election results:President Paul BIYA reelected; percent of vote - Paul BIYA 78.0%, John FRU NDI 10.7%, Garga Haman ADJI 3.2%, Adamou Ndam NJOYA 1.7%, Paul Abine AYAH 1.3%, other 5.1%
Legislative branch:
bicameral legislature consisting of an upper house or Senate (100 seats; 70 indirectly elected by municipal councils, 30 appointed by the President) and a National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - the president can either lengthen or shorten the term of the legislature; a senate was initially designated in 1996 by constitutional amendment but was only convened following a presidential decree in 2013elections:Senate last held on 14 April 2013 (next to be held NA); National Assembly last held on 30 September 2013 (next to be held in 2018) election results:Senate percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPDM 56, SDF 14; National Assembley percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPDM 148, SDF 18, UNDP 5, UDC 4, UPC 3, other 2
Judicial branch:
highest court(s):Supreme Court of Cameroon (consists of 9 titular and 6 surrogate judges and organized into judicial, administrative, and audit chambers); Constitutional Council (consists of 11 members)judge selection and term of office:Supreme Court judges appointed by the president with the advice of the Higher Judicial Council of Cameroon (a body chaired by the president and includes the minister of justice, selected magistrates, and representatives of the National Assembly); judge term NA; Constitutional Council members appointed by the president for single 9-year terms subordinate courts:Parliamentary Court of Justice (jurisdiction limited to cases involving the president and prime minister); appellate and first instance courts; circuit and magistrate's courts
| | Political parties and leaders:
Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM [Paul BIYA]Cameroon People's Party or CPP [Edith Kah WALLA] Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA] Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA] Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [Marcel YONDO] National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA] Progressive Movement or MP [Jean-Jacques EKINDI] Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI] Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC [The PMB, provisionary management bureau]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Human Rights Defense Group [Albert MUKONG, president]
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, C, CEMAC, EITI (candidate country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission:Ambassador Joseph FOE-ATANGANA (since 12 September 2008)chancery:2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; current temporary address - 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone:[1] (202) 265-8790 FAX:[1] (202) 387-3826
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Gregory THOMEembassy:Avenue Rosa Parks, Yaounde mailing address:P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520 telephone:[237] 2220 15 00; Consular: [237] 2220 16 03 FAX:[237] 2220 15 00 Ext. 4531; Consular FAX: [237] 2220 17 52 branch office(s):Douala
Flag description:
three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), red, and yellow, with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band; the vertical tricolor recalls the flag of France; red symbolizes unity, yellow the sun, happiness, and the savannahs in the north, and green hope and the forests in the south; the star is referred to as the 'star of unity'
National symbol(s):
lion
National anthem:
name:'O Cameroun, Berceau de nos Ancetres' (O Cameroon, Cradle of Our Forefathers)
lyrics/music:Rene Djam AFAME, Samuel Minkio BAMBA, Moise Nyatte NKO'O [French], Benard Nsokika FONLON [English]/Rene Djam AFAME note:adopted 1957; Cameroon's anthem, also known as 'Chant de Ralliement' (The Rallying Song), has been used unofficially since 1948 and officially adopted in 1957; the anthem has French and English versions whose lyrics differ |