e-year terms; note - the president can either lengthen or
shorten the term of the legislature)
elections: last held 11 May 1997 (next to be held NA 2002)
election results : percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
CDPM 109, SDF 43, UNDP 13, UDC 5, UPC-K 1, MDR 1, MLJC I; note - 7
contested seats will be filled in an election at a time to be set by
the Supreme Court

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the president

Political parties and leaders: Cameroon People's Democratic Movement
or CPDM (government-controlled and the only party until legalization
of opposition parties in 1990) [Paul BIYA, president]
major opposition parties: Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou
NDAM NJOYA]; Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole
DAISSALA, leader]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP
[Maigari BELLO BOUBA, chairman]; Social Democratic Front or SDF [John
FRU NDI, leader]; Union of Cameroonian Populations or UPC [Ndeh
NTUMAZAH, leader]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Alliance for Change or FAC;
Cameroon Anglophone Movement or CAM

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, C,
CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA, UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jerome MENDOUGA
chancery : 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790 through 8794

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Charles H. TWINING
embassy: Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde
mailing address : B. P. 817, Yaounde; Pouch American Embassy DOS,
Washington, DC 20521-2520
telephone: [237] 23-40-14, 23-05-12
FAX: [237] 23-07-53

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side),
red, and yellow with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the red
band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy

Economy - overview: Because of its offshore oil resources and
favorable agricultural conditions, Cameroon has one of the
best-endowed primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Still,
it faces many of the serious problems facing other underdeveloped
countries, such as political instability, a top-heavy civil service,
and a generally unfavorable