253,242; female 296,751) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.36% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 35.66 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 12.08 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.85 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 68.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 55.23 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 4.72 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 7.73% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 540,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: 52,000 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Cameroonian(s) adjective: Cameroonian

Ethnic groups: Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%,
Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%,
non-African less than 1%

Religions: indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%

Languages: 24 major African language groups, English (official), French
(official)

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 63.4% male: 75% female: 52.1% (1995 est.)

Government Cameroon

Country name: Republic of Cameroon conventional short form: Government
type: unitary republic; multiparty presidential regime (opposition
parties legalized in 1990) note: preponderance of power remains with
the president

Capital: Yaounde

Administrative divisions: 10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est,
Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud, Sud-Ouest

Independence: 1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship)

National holiday: Republic Day (National Day), 20 May (1972)

Constitution: 20 May 1972 approved by referendum; 2 June 1972 formally
adopted; revised January 1996

Legal system: based on French civil law system, with common law
influence; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982) elections:
held 12 October 1997 (next to be held NA October 2004); prime minister
appointed by the president head of government: Prime Minister Peter
Mafany MUSONGE (since 19 September 1996) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by
the president from proposals submitted by the p