Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Cameroon: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCC, ranked #143 of 195).
Cameroon is a presidential republic in Central Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria. The country's capital is Yaounde; it covers 475,440 sq km. Independence: 1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship). Terrain: diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north. Climate: varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north. Population: 31.5 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +2.37% per year. Median age: 19.4 years. Life expectancy: 64.2 years (2024 est.). Languages: 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official) Religions: Roma…
| Capital | Yaounde |
|---|---|
| Population | 31,518,954 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $143.264 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $4,900 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 3.7% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 4.5% |
| Unemployment | 3.6% |
| Public debt | 32.5% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $8.353 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $10.294 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 64.2 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 19.4 |
| Urbanization | 59.3% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship) |
| Languages | 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official) |
MCC · 41/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The quarter's signal was silence: no major domestic development, no external shock, no diplomatic breakthrough.
The country's course remains what it was in June — set by structural realities that no single quarter rewrites.
Oil, Bauxite, Iron ore, Timber, Hydropower.
Paul Biya — President. President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)
Cameroon maintains 33 embassies and 8 consulates abroad, hosts 38 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 33 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 8 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 38 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 402 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 37 + 1 heliports (registration prefix TJ) |
| Major seaports | Douala, Ebome Marine Terminal, Kole Oil Terminal, Kome Kribi 1 Marine Terminal, Kribi Deep Sea Port, Limboh Terminal, Moudi Marine Terminal |
| Railways | 987 km |
| Pipelines | 53 km gas, 5 km liquid petroleum gas, 1,107 km oil, 35 km water (2013) |
Douala International Airport (DLA) — Douala; Garoua International Airport (GOU) — Garoua; Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport (NSI) — Yaoundé; N'Gaoundéré Airport (NGE) — N'Gaoundéré; Salak Airport (MVR) — Maroua.
| Oil terminals | Limboh Terminal |
|---|---|
| River ports | Douala (Wouri) |
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28); theodora.com CIA mirror (CIA World Factbook Transportation section), scraped 2026-10-02
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCC · 41 Ranked #143 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Cameroon.
Historical timeline of Cameroon
