Jordan Kornelson

Issues P.1
Cameroon
2 February 2015
Cameroon
Who is involved?

Government services
Local communities
Industry & private sector
Research
Education and consulting
Issues?
Destruction of the remaining forests is heavy, even with reserved lands. The forests result in the
elimination of 200,000 hectares (494,200 acres) per year.
Of 690 bird species, 14 are endangered. 26 species of freshwater fish are also threatened. About
67 plant species of 8,000 were endangered in 2000. Theres 620 species of trees and bushes, 500
kinds of herbs and lianas occur in the Korup National Park. Rare chimpanzees live in the region,
as well as forest elephants, gorillas and leopards. Many animal and plant species can be seen here
and nowhere else in the whole world.
Around 60% of its raw timber is shipped to China and 80% of processed wood goes to European
Union countries.
When and why did this Begin?
Jun 6, 2013
The U.S. company Herakles Farms wants to destroy 70,000 hectares of rainforest for its huge
palm oil project. The authorities have stopped the company's activities.
They wanted to build a huge palm oil plant so they took out a lot of forest.
History
Bantu speakers were one of the first groups to settle Cameroon, followed by the Muslim Fulani
in the 18th and 19th centuries. The land escaped colonial rule until 1884, when treaties with
tribal chiefs brought the area under German domination. After World War I, the League of
Nations gave the French control over 80% of the area, and the British 20% next to Nigeria.
France set up Cameroon as a state in 1957, and the next year they voted for independence in
1960.

Jordan Kornelson
Issues P.1
Cameroon
2 February 2015
In the woods they want to build a palm oil plantation. In order to do that, approximately 70,000
hectares, an area the size of 100 football fields, of Rainforest and small-area of farming
landscape will have to be moved.
Geography
Bordered by Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial
Guinea, and Gabon.

Cultural Factors
French, English, and 24 major African language groups
Indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Islam 20%
Land area of: 183,567 sq mi (475,440 sq km)
Prime Minister: Philemon Yang (2009)
President: Paul Biya (1982)
Population (2014 est.): 23,130,708 (growth rate: 2.6%); birth rate: 36.58/1000; infant mortality
rate: 55.1/1000; life expectancy: 57.35
Capital (2011): Yaound, 2.432 million

Jordan Kornelson
Issues P.1
Cameroon
2 February 2015
Largest city: Douala, 2.449 million
Literacy rate: 75.9% (2011 est.)
Economic summary: (2013 est.): $53.16 billion. Unemployment: 30% (2011 est.). Agriculture:
coffee, cocoa, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, grains, root starches; livestock; timber. Labor
force: 8.426 million; agriculture 70%, industry and commerce 13%, other 17%.
Industries: petroleum production and refining, aluminum production, food processing, light
consumer goods, textiles, lumber, ship repair. Natural resources: petroleum, bauxite, iron ore,
timber, hydropower. Exports: $6.002 billion (2013 est.): crude oil and petroleum products,
lumber, cocoa beans, aluminum, coffee, cotton. Imports: $6.795 billion (2013 est.): machinery,
electrical equipment, transport equipment, fuel, food. Major trading partners: Spain, Italy,
France, U.S., Netherlands, Nigeria, Belgium, China, Portugal (2012).
Transportation: Railways: total: 1,245 km (2011). Highways: total: 51,350 km (2011 est.).
Waterways: (major rivers in the south, such as the Wouri and the Sanaga, are largely nonnavigable; in the north, the Benue, which connects through Nigeria to the Niger River, is
navigable in the rainy season only to the port of Garoua) (2010). Airports: 33 (2013 est.).

Currency: Central African CFA franc

Defense: Rank 97 in Global Firepower. Land Systems: Tanks: 0, Armored Fighting Vehicles:
100, Self-Propelled Guns: 0, Towed Artillery: 0, Multiple Launch Rocket Systems: 0
Airpower: Total Aircrafts: 30, Fighters/Interceptors: 0, Fixed-Wing Attack Aircraft: 5, Transport
Aircraft: 15, Trainer Aircraft: 11, Helicopters: 9, Attack Helicopters: 0
Total Naval Strength: 60, Coastal Defense Craft: 57
Aid: Cameroon receives a large amount of foreign aid and unsurprisingly most of this aid comes
from France.The next highest donor was the European union with an amount of the equivalent of
95 million U.S. dollars.

Jordan Kornelson
Issues P.1
Cameroon
2 February 2015
The government is headed by the prime minister, who is appointed by the president. The
government consists of the 180-seat National Assembly and 100-seat Senate; members of both
serve five-year terms. The Assembly is elected by the people. Seven senators are elected, and the
rest are appointed by the president. The country is divided into 10 regions.
Cameroon Issues
20,000 Nigerians and central African refugees are fleeing from the killings in their countries into
Cameroon, from Boko Haram.
Less than 5% of its people have access to a bank account and estimated that in 2000 48% of the
population had incomes below the poverty line. The unemployment rate is estimated at 30%
Minimum wage in 2005 was $47 per month, the minimum age to work is 14, but not enforced.
Child labor is a problem!
Heath: As of 2004 there are estimates of 7 doctors, 36 nurses and 1 dentist per 100,000 people, in
2005 the average life expectancy was 51 years old. 29% of children under the age of 5 suffer
from malnutrition. There was an estimate of 49,000 deaths from Aids in 2003.
Theres lots of Scams/ Frauds coming from Cameroon, examples: fake charities, child adoptions
(Cameroon does not have adoption agencies), and pet scams. Cameroon is close to pushing
Nigeria into second place for scams.