has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

_#_National holiday: National Day, 20 May (1972)

_#_Executive branch: president, Cabinet

_#_Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee
Nationale)

_#_Judicial branch: Supreme Court

_#_Leaders:

Chief of State President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982);

Head of Government interim Prime Minister Sadou HAYATOU (since
25 April 1991)

_#_Political parties and leaders: Cameroon People's Democratic
Movement (RDPC), Paul BIYA, president, is government-controlled and was
formerly the only party; 17 parties formed by 1 May 1991

_#_Suffrage: universal at age 21

_#_Elections:

President--last held 24 April 1988 (next to be held April 1993);
results--President Paul BIYA reelected without opposition;

National Assembly--last held 24 April 1988 (next to be
held by the end of 1992);
results--RDPC was the only party;
seats--(180 total) RDPC 180

_#_Communists: no Communist party or significant number of
sympathizers

_#_Other political or pressure groups: NA

_#_Member of: ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, ECA,
FAO, FZ, G-19, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC,
ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, PCA,
UDEAC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

_#_Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Paul PONDI; Chancery at
2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
265-8790 through 8794;

US--Ambassador Frances D. COOK; Embassy at Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde
(mailing address is B. P. 817, Yaounde); telephone [237] 234014; there is
a US Consulate General in Douala

_#_Flag: 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
_#_Overview: Over the past decade the economy has registered a
remarkable performance because of the development of an offshore oil
industry. Real GDP growth annually averaged 10% from 1978 to 1985. In
1986 Cameroon had one of the highest levels of income per capita in
tropical Africa, with oil revenues picking up the slack as growth in
other sectors softened. Because of the sharp drop in oil prices, however,
the economy experienced serious budgetary difficulties and
balance-of-payments disequilibrium. Despite the recent upsurge in oil
prices, Cameroon's economic outlook is