I.

Introduction

Cameroon, officially Republic of Cameroon, republic in west-central Africa, bounded on the north by Lake Chad; on the east by Chad and the Central African Republic; on the south by the Congo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea; and on the west by the Bight of Bonny (an arm of the Atlantic Ocean) and Nigeria. The country is shaped like an elongated triangle, and forms a bridge between western Africa and central Africa.

From 1961 until 1972 the republic was a federation of East Cameroon, the former French Cameroons, and West Cameroon, part of the former British Cameroons. Following a referendum, Cameroon became a unitary republic on June 2, 1972. The country has a total area of 475,442 sq km (183,569 sq mi). The capital of Cameroon is Yaoundé.