Cameroon
Africa Β· Capital: YaoundΓ©
How it is run: Cameroon is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Cameroon is home to 29.9 million people in Middle Africa, where people speak English, French.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
29.9 million people
That is 0.4% of everybody alive (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
475,442 kmΒ²
Bigger than Texas β a long road trip from one side to the other.
ποΈ How crowded
About 63 people per square kilometre β a comfortable mix of cities and open land.
π Size in its region
17th most people in Africa
24th largest by land in Africa.
π£οΈ Official languages
English, French
More than one language is used for official business.
π° Money
Central African CFA franc (Fr)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
64 years on average
Doctors, clean water and food supply all change this number over time.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$1,972
A lower-income country: money for schools, clinics and roads has to stretch a very long way.
π’ Living in cities
55.7% of people
Many people still live in villages and farming towns.
π Kids under 15
41.1% of the population
A very young country β schools have to be built quickly.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+237
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.cm
π§ People here are called
Cameroonian
π·οΈ Name at home
Cameroon Β· Cameroun
Also written: Republic of Cameroon, RΓ©publique du Cameroun.
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
African Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders π€
Cameroon touches 6 neighbours by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
CamerΓΊn
French
Cameroun
Arabic
Ψ§ΩΩΨ§Ω ΩΨ±ΩΩ
Chinese
ειΊ¦ι
Japanese
γ«γ‘γ«γΌγ³
Russian
ΠΠ°ΠΌΠ΅ΡΡΠ½
Portuguese
CamarΓ΅es
German
Kamerun
Put it in perspective π
- Nigeria β the most populated country in Africa β has about 7.9Γ as many people as Cameroon.
- Cameroon covers roughly 4,528 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Cameroon lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 14,940 km.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: Cameroon is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
π·οΈ Official name
Republic of Cameroon
ποΈ Capital
YaoundΓ©
π Region
Africa Β· Middle Africa
π€ Country code
CM
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about Cameroon π
π§ Where on the map
6.0Β° N, 12.0Β° E
π Half of the world
Northern & Eastern hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC+1 β when it is noon in London it is about 13:00 in YaoundΓ©.
- π¨π² is the flag of Cameroon. Its country code β the short name used on the internet and at the Olympics β is CM.
- Cameroon is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly β the same as every other member, big or small.
- Cameroon is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
- Cameroon lies in the tropics, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, so the sun gets very high overhead.
- Cameroon sits in Middle Africa, in the northern and eastern half of the globe.
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- Cameroon has 2 official languages. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Cameroon can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Cameroon spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Cameroon?
YaoundΓ©
Which money do people spend in Cameroon?
Central African CFA franc (Fr)
How many countries share a land border with Cameroon?
6 β Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria.
Roughly how many people live in Cameroon?
29.9 million people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.