mortality rate: 75.69 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 51.32 years
male: 49.75 years
female: 52.94 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.8 children born/woman (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 51%, Christian 33%, Muslim 16%

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

Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Cameroon
conventional short form: Cameroon
former: French Cameroon

Data code: CM

Government type: unitary republic; multiparty presidential regime
(opposition parties legalized in 1990)

Capital: Yaounde

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

Independence: 1 January 1960 (from UN trusteeship under French
administration)

National holiday: National Day, 20 May (1972)

Constitution: 20 May 1972

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

Suffrage: 21 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)
head of government: Prime Minister Peter Mafany MUSONGE (since 19
September 1996)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 12 October 1997 (next to be held NA October
2004); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: President Paul BIYA reelected; percent of
vote--Paul BIYA 93%; note--supporters of the opposition candidates
boycotted the elections, making a comparison of vote shares
relatively meaningless

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee
Nationale (180 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to
serve five-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