Map of Cameroon
Cameroon is a country in Africa with its capital at Yaoundé, home to about 29.88 million people across 475,442 km². The interactive map below plots 31 cities and towns, 10 rivers, 2 lakes, 4 mountain summits and 3 ports recorded for Cameroon in YearMaps.
- Population
- 29.88 million
- Area
- 475,442 km²
- Capital
- Yaoundé
- Continent
- Africa
Interactive Map of Cameroon
Centred on Yaoundé at 3.8687° N, 11.5147° E. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Its coastline lies on the Bight of Biafra, part of the Gulf of Guinea, and the Atlantic Ocean. Due to its strategic position at the crossroads between West Africa and Central Africa, it has been categorized as being in both geostrategic locations. Cameroon's population of nearly 31 million people speak 250 native languages, in addition to the national tongues of English and French. The capital city of the country is Yaoundé.
Early inhabitants of the territory included the Sao civilisation around Lake Chad and the Baka hunter-gatherers in the southeastern rainforest. Portuguese explorers reached the coast in the 15th century. Fulani soldiers founded the Adamawa Emirate in the north in the 19th century, and various ethnic groups of the west and northwest established powerful chiefdoms and fondoms.
Cameroon became a German colony in 1884 known as Kamerun. After World War I, it was divided between France and the United Kingdom as League of Nations mandates until independence in 1960 and 1961 respectively. The Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC) political party advocated independence but was outlawed by France in the 1950s, leading to a national liberation insurgency between French Armed Forces and the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC) until January 1971. In 1960, the French-administered part of Cameroon became independent, as the Republic of Cameroun, under President Ahmadou Ahidjo. The southern part of British Cameroons federated with it in 1961 to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. The federation was abandoned in 1972. The country was renamed the United Republic of Cameroon in 1972 and back to the Republic of Cameroon in 1984 by a presidential decree by President Paul Biya. Biya, the incumbent president, has led the country since 1982 following Ahidjo's resignation; he previously held office as prime minister from 1975 onward. Cameroon is governed as a unitary presidential republic. Biya is the world's longest-serving non-royal leader, having ruled for over four decades in an authoritarian manner. Consequently, his Cameroon People's Democratic Movement governs the country as a de facto one-party state.
The official languages of Cameroon are French and English.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Cameroon (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Cameroon
Powerful chiefdoms ruled much of the area of present-day Cameroon before it became a German colony known as Kamerun in 1884. After World War I, the territory was divided between France and the UK as League of Nations mandates. French Cameroon became independent in 1960 as the Republic of Cameroon. The following year, the southern portion of neighboring British Cameroon voted to merge with the new country to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. In 1972, a new constitution replaced the federation with a unitary state, the United Republic of Cameroon. The country has generally enjoyed stability, which has enabled the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry. Nonetheless, unrest and violence in the country's two western, English-speaking regions have persisted since 2016. Movement toward democratic reform is slow, and political power remains firmly in the hands of President Paul BIYA.
- Location
- Central Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria.
- Climate
- Varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north.
- Terrain
- Diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north.
- Highest point
- Fako on Mont Cameroun 4,045 m.
- Lowest point
- Atlantic Ocean 0 m.
- Coastline
- 402 km.
- Land borders
- Total: 5,018 km; border countries: Central African Republic 901 km; Chad 1,116 km; Republic of the Congo 494 km; Equatorial Guinea 183 km; Gabon 349 km; Nigeria 1975 km.
- Major lakes
- Fresh water lake(s): Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Niger, Nigeria, and Chad) - 10,360-25,900 sq km note - area varies by season and year to year.
- Natural resources
- Petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 20.9% (2023 est.); arable land: 13.1% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 3.6% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 4.2% (2023 est.); forest: 41% (2023 est.); other: 38.1% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes volcanism: Mt. Cameroon (4,095 m), which last erupted in 2000, is the most frequently active volcano in West Africa; lakes in the Oku volcanic field sometimes release fatal levels of gas, which killed about 1,700 people in 1986.
- Geographic note
- Sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa because of its central location on the continent and its position at the west-south juncture of the Gulf of Guinea; 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.
- Languages
- 24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)
- Religions
- Roman Catholic 33.1%, Muslim 30.6%, Protestant 27.1% other Christian 6.1%, animist 1.3%, other 0.7%, none 1.2% (2022 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- Bamileke-Bamu 22.2%, Biu-Mandara 16.4%, Arab-Choa/Hausa/Kanuri 13.5%, Beti/Bassa, Mbam 13.1%, Grassfields 9.9%, Adamawa-Ubangi, 9.8%, Cotier/Ngoe/Oroko 4.6%, Southwestern Bantu 4.3%, Kako/Meka 2.3%, foreign/other ethnic group 3.8% (2022 est.)
- Economy
- Largest CEMAC economy with many natural resources; recent political instability and terrorism reducing economic output; systemic corruption; poor property rights enforcement; increasing poverty in northern regions.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Cameroon in Numbers
- Population
- 29.88 million
- GDP
- US$58.9 billion
- GDP per person
- US$1,972
- Life expectancy
- 64.0 years
- Population growth
- 2.56% a year
- Population density
- 62 per km²
- Urban population
- 55.7%
- Surface area
- 475,442 km²
- Forest cover
- 40.7%
- Arable land
- 13.1%
- Access to electricity
- 72.0%
- Internet users
- 46.3%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Cameroon in Depth
History
Evidence from archaeological excavations at Shum Laka in the Northwest Region shows human occupation in Cameroon dating back 30,000 years. The longest continuous inhabitants are groups such as the Baka (Pygmies). From there, Bantu migrations into eastern, southern and central Africa are believed to have occurred about 2,000 years ago. The Sao culture arose around Lake Chad, c. 500 CE, and gave way to the Kanem and its successor state, the Bornu Empire. Kingdoms, fondoms, and chiefdoms arose in the west.
Portuguese sailors reached the coast in 1472. They noted an abundance of the ghost shrimp Lepidophthalmus turneranus in the Wouri River and named it Rio dos Camarões (Shrimp River), which became Cameroon in English.
Geography
At 475,442 square kilometres (183,569 sq mi), Cameroon is the world's 53rd-largest country. The country is located in Central Africa and West Africa, on the Bight of Bonny, part of the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. Cameroon lies between latitudes 1° and 13°N, and longitudes 8° and 17°E. Cameroon controls 12 nautical miles of the Atlantic Ocean.
Tourist literature describes Cameroon as "Africa in miniature" because it exhibits all major climates and vegetation of the continent: coast, desert, mountains, rainforest, and savanna. The country's neighbours are Nigeria and the Atlantic Ocean to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo to the south.
Economy and infrastructure
Cameroon's per capita GDP (Purchasing power parity) was estimated at US$5.760 in 2025. Major export markets include the Netherlands, France, China, Belgium, Italy, Algeria, and Malaysia.
Cameroon has its GDP growing at an average of 4% per year. During the 2004–2008 period, public debt was reduced from over 60% of GDP to 10% and official reserves quadrupled to over US$3 billion. Cameroon is part of the Bank of Central African States (of which it is the dominant economy), the Customs and Economic Union of Central Africa (UDEAC) and the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA). Its currency is the CFA franc.
Unemployment was estimated at 3.38% in 2019, and 23.8% of the population was living below the international poverty threshold of US$1.90 a day in 2014.
Demographics
The population of Cameroon was 27,198,628 in 2021, up from 4,466,000 in 1950. The life expectancy was 62.3 years (60.6 years for males and 64 years for females).
Cameroon has slightly more women (50.5%) than men (49.5%). Over 60% of the population is under age 25. People over 65 years of age account for only 3.11% of the total population.
Cameroon's population is almost evenly divided between urban and rural dwellers. Population density is highest in the large urban centres, the western highlands, and the northeastern plain.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Cameroon (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Cameroon: Key Facts
| Currency | Central African CFA franc |
|---|---|
| Official languages | French, English |
| Head of state | Paul Biya |
| Head of government | Joseph Ngute |
| Form of government | republic |
| Calling code | +237 |
| Internet domain | .cm |
| Highest point | Mount Cameroon |
| Lowest point | Bight of Biafra |
| Established | 1 January 1960 |
Facts from Wikidata Q1009 (CC0).
History of Cameroon: Empires and States
The atlas records 9 polities whose mapped territory included part of Cameroon, from Sokoto Caliphate in 1809 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| Sokoto Caliphate | 1809–1904 CE | A small part |
| German Africa | 1885–1915 CE | Nearly all |
| French Third Republic | 1915–1939 CE | Most |
| French Africa | 1915–1957 CE | Most |
| The French Colonial Empire | 1915–1957 CE | Most |
| The British Empire | 1916–1960 CE | A small part |
| British Gold Coast | 1916–1960 CE | A small part |
| French Fourth Republic | 1945–1957 CE | Most |
| Republic of Cameroon | 1960–2024 CE | Nearly all |
Historical Maps of Cameroon
Cameroon on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Cameroon
Cameroon (French: Cameroun) is a country in Central Africa. Known as "Africa in miniature", the country is known for its geological, linguistic, artistic, and cultural diversity: some 250 languages are spoken in this mid-sized country. Cameroon was colonised by three European countries — Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Cameroon (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Cameroon
31 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Douala | 1.91 million | Littoral | Populated place |
| 2 | Yaounde | 1.61 million | Centre | National capital |
| 3 | Bamenda | 445,299 | Nord-Ouest | Admin-1 capital |
| 4 | Garoua | 436,899 | Nord | Admin-1 capital |
| 5 | Maroua | 319,941 | Extrême-Nord | Admin-1 capital |
| 6 | Bafoussam | 290,768 | Ouest | Admin-1 capital |
| 7 | Ngaoundéré | 231,357 | Adamaoua | Admin-1 capital |
| 8 | Bertoua | 218,111 | Est | Admin-1 capital |
| 9 | Limbe | 212,474 | Sud-Ouest | Populated place |
| 10 | Edéa | 203,149 | Littoral | Populated place |
| 11 | Kumba | 144,413 | Sud-Ouest | Populated place |
| 12 | Kumbo | 125,486 | Nord-Ouest | Populated place |
| 13 | Nkongsamba | 117,063 | Littoral | Populated place |
| 14 | Bafang | 93,145 | Ouest | Populated place |
| 15 | Foumban | 92,673 | Ouest | Populated place |
| 16 | Buea | 90,088 | Sud-Ouest | Admin-1 capital |
| 17 | Ebolowa | 87,875 | Sud | Admin-1 capital |
| 18 | Guider | 84,647 | Nord | Populated place |
| 19 | Mbalmayo | 80,206 | Centre | Populated place |
| 20 | Meiganga | 80,100 | Adamaoua | Populated place |
| 21 | Bafia | 69,270 | Centre | Populated place |
| 22 | Wum | 68,836 | Nord-Ouest | Populated place |
| 23 | Kribi | 55,224 | Sud | Populated place |
| 24 | Batouri | 43,821 | Est | Populated place |
| 25 | Tibati | 35,589 | Adamaoua | Populated place |
The other 6 (population, region, role)
- Bélabo · 22,553 · Est · Populated place
- Eséka · 22,221 · Centre · Populated place
- Abong Mbang · 14,661 · Est · Populated place
- Kontcha · 8,018 · Adamaoua · Populated place
- Eyumojok · 5,798 · Sud-Ouest · Populated place
- Mbe · 3,950 · Nord · Populated place
Highest Mountains in Cameroon
4 mountains recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mont Cameroun | 4,040 m | 13,255 ft | Africa |
| 2 | Mount Oku | 3,011 m | 9,879 ft | Africa |
| 3 | Chappal Wadi | 2,419 m | 7,936 ft | Africa |
| 4 | Mont Ngaoui | 1,410 m | 4,626 ft | Africa |
Largest Lakes in Cameroon
2 lakes recorded. Ranked by mapped surface area. A lake on a border is listed under each country it lies in, with the area of the whole lake.
| # | Name | Surface Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Chad | 1,293 km² | Lake |
| 2 | M'Bakaou Reservoir | 413 km² | Reservoir |
Lake Chad
Lake · 1,293 km²
Lake Chad is a lake in Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger, with a mapped surface area of about 1,293 km². About 27% of its surface lies in Cameroon, and the rest in Chad, Nigeria and Niger.
Lake Chad (Arabic: بحيرة تشاد, Kanuri: Sádǝ, French: Lac Tchad) is an endorheic freshwater lake located at the junction of four countries: Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, in western and central Africa respectively, with a catchment area in excess of 1,000,000 km2 (390,000 sq mi). It is an important wetland ecosystem in West-Central Africa. The lake is rich in aquatic resources and is one of the important freshwater fish- producing areas in Africa.
Lake Chad is divided into deeper southern parts and shallower northern parts. The lake's main source of water is the Chari River which has many tributaries. The water level varies greatly seasonally, and the area of the lake also changes dramatically. In the 19th century, it still had an area of 28,000 km2 (11,000 sq mi). However, due to climate change and human water diversion, the lake shrunk significantly between 1960 and 1990, the open water area decreasing from 25,000 km2 in 1960 to just 2000 km2 in 1980. The lake is now no longer estimated to be shrinking, as rainfall recovery has partially occurred. Despite the stabilisation of the lake's water volume, Lake Chad is still under threat from climate change.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Chad (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Surface area
- 1,293 km²
- Area rank
- #156 of 756 indexed
- Type
- Lake
- Countries
- Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger
- Coordinates
- 13.1037°, 14.5204°
Among the 756 water bodies with a mapped extent in YearMaps, Lake Chad ranks #156 by surface area, after Lake Bienville (1,303 km²) and ahead of Ust-Ilimsk Reservoir (1,293 km²). Areas are computed from the mapped outline and are approximate.
- Watercourses:
- Komadugu Yobe (River), Chari (River)
More about Lake Chad
Geography
The Chad Basin includes Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, Sudan, and the Central African Republic. It is an extensional fault depression type rift basin, which can be divided into four secondary structural units: southern depression, northern depression, central uplift, and eastern slope. The southern depression of the basin is characterized by an asymmetric fault depression composite rift with steep slopes in the east and gentle slopes in the west on the profile, and is distributed in an NNW direction on the plane. There are two large basin‐bounding normal faults developed on both sides of the basin, with a graben style fault and depression in the middle. The east and west sides are outward dipping low angle gentle slope areas.
Hydrology
The Chad Basin covers an area of about 1×10^6 km2 (390,000 sq mi), and is injected by the Chari, Logone, and Yobe Rivers. The water supply of the lake is seasonal. Most of the precipitation comes from the Adamawa Plateau in the south of the basin, which is transported to the lake basin through the Chari River and the Logone River. The two contribute 95% of the total inflow of Lake Chad, while the Yobe River only contributes less than 2.5%. The lake seeps through the underground to the lowest point of the Chad Basin, the Bodélé Depression, approximately 480 km (300 mi) northeast of Lake Chad, with the deepest point reaching an elevation of only 155 m (509 ft) above sea level. This takes away most of the salinity and maintains the low salinity of Lake Chad.
Prehistory and history
The Chad Basin was formed by the depression of the African Shield. The floor of the basin is made of Precambrian bedrock covered by more than 3,600 m (11,800 ft) of sedimentary deposits. For most of the Quaternary, the basin had abundant water sources. Towards the end of this period, the climate became drier. Around 20,000–40,000 years ago, eolianite sand dunes began to form in the north of the basin. The area of Lake Chad experienced four heydays between 39,000 BC and 300 BC, leaving thick diatomaceous earth and lacustrine deposits in the strata. This has been called Mega-Chad.
Ecology
Part of the Chad Basin is located within the Chad Basin National Park in Nigeria, and the country and Cameroon have established the Lake Chad Ramsar Wetland with a total area of 8,225 km2 (3,176 sq mi).
The wetland plants in the south mainly include cyperus papyrus, etc. Reeds mainly grow in the north where the salinity is high, and the floating plant pistia sometimes covers large areas of open water. Changing patterns of land use and progressive degradation have reduced diversity and resulted in a more open woodland increasingly composed of species adapted to reduced moisture. Plants such as hyparrhenia rufa grow on the shores of lakes with long floods in the south.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Lake Chad (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Lake Chad: Key Facts
| Surface area | 1,540 km² |
|---|---|
| Maximum depth | 10.5 m |
| Volume | 6.3 km³ |
| Surface elevation | 100 m |
| Inflows | Chari River, Yobe River, Ngadda River |
| Drainage system | Chad Basin |
Facts from Wikidata Q125309 (CC0).
Rivers in Cameroon
10 rivers recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.
Ports in Cameroon
3 ports recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ebome Marine Terminal | 5.5 m | Very Small | Atlantic Coast of Africa | medium vessels |
| 2 | Moudi Marine Terminal | — | Very Small | Atlantic Coast of Africa | medium vessels |
| 3 | Kole Oil Terminal | — | Very Small | Atlantic Coast of Africa | medium vessels |
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Cameroon
2 World Heritage Sites recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.
| # | Name | Inscribed | Type | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dja Faunal Reserve | 1987 | Natural | (ix) (x) |
| 2 | Diy-Gid-Biy | 2025 | Cultural | (iii) |
Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Cameroon
4 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.
| # | Name | Area | Type | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Africa | 29.41M km² | Continent | Africa |
| 2 | Congo Basin | 3.11M km² | Basin | Africa |
| 3 | Sahel | 1.02M km² | Plain | Africa |
| 4 | Adamawa Plateau | 244,004 km² | Plateau | Africa |
States and Provinces of Cameroon
4 first-level divisions with their own map.
Countries Bordering Cameroon
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Africa
Cameroon: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Cameroon?
- The capital of Cameroon is Yaoundé.
- What is the population of Cameroon?
- Cameroon has a population of about 29.88 million, the #51 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Cameroon?
- Cameroon covers 475,442 km², ranking #54 by area, with about 63 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Cameroon in?
- Cameroon is in Africa.
- Which countries border Cameroon?
- Cameroon shares a land or maritime border with Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria.
- What is the largest city in Cameroon?
- Douala is the largest city in Cameroon, with a metropolitan population of about 1.91 million.
- What is the highest mountain in Cameroon?
- The highest summit recorded for Cameroon in YearMaps is Mont Cameroun at 4,040 m (13,255 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.
- What is the largest lake in Cameroon?
- The largest lake recorded in or bordering Cameroon is Lake Chad, at roughly 1,293 km².