Cameroon Geography:
Location:
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
Geographic coordinates:
6 00 N, 12 00 E
Map references:
Area:
total:
475,440 sq km
land:
469,440 sq km
water:
6,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
Slightly larger than California
Land boundaries:
total: 4,591 km
border countries: Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1094 km, Republic of the Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1690 km
Coastline:
402 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 50 NM
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
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Fako 4,095 m on Mount Cameroon
Natural resources:
Petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 12.81%
permanent crops: 2.58%
other: 84.61%
(2001)
Irrigated land:
330 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes
Environment - current issues:
Waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements (not ratified)
Geography - Note:
Sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughout the country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano |
