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Location:
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Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
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Geographic coordinates:
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6 00 N, 12 00 E
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Map references:
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Africa
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Area:
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total: 475,440 sq km
water: 6,000 sq km
land: 469,440 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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slightly larger than California
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Land boundaries:
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total: 4,591 km
border countries: Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km, Republic of the Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 km
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Coastline:
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402 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 50 NM
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Climate:
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varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north
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Terrain:
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diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Fako (on Cameroon Mountain) 4,095 m
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower
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Land use:
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arable land: 12.81%
permanent crops: 2.58%
other: 84.61% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated land:
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330 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural hazards:
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volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes
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Environment - current issues:
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water-borne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban
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Geography - note:
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sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughout the country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano
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