Geography of Cameroon

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Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

Geographic coordinates: 6° N 12° E

Map references: Africa

Area:
total: 475,440 km²
land: 469,440 km²
water: 6,000 km²

Area - comparative: slightly larger than California

Land boundaries:
total: 4,591 km
border countries: Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km, Republic of the Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 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(aka. Mt. Cameroon) 4,095 m

Natural resources: petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower

Land use:
arable land: 13%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 4%
forests and woodland: 78%
other: 3% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 210 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: Recent limnic eruptions with release of carbon dioxide:

• from Lake Monoun, August 15, 1984, killing 37
• from Lake Nyos, August 21, 1986, killing as many as 1800

Environment - current issues: water-borne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban

Geography - note: sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa

[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Geography of Cameroon

• Cameroon