II.

Land and Resources

Cameroon has four distinct topographical regions. In the south is a coastal plain, a region of dense equatorial rainforests. In the centre is the Adamawa Plateau, a region with elevations reaching about 1,370 m (4,500 ft) above sea level. This is a transitional area where forest gives way to the savannah country of the north. In the far north the savannah gradually slopes into the marshland surrounding Lake Chad.

In the west is an area of high, forested mountains of volcanic origin, including Mount Cameroon (4,095 m/13,435 ft), the highest peak in western Africa and an active volcano that last showed signs of life in 2000. The country’s most fertile soils are found in this region.

A.

Rivers and Lakes

In the western mountains, near the Nigerian border, is the volcanic Lake Nyos. The release in 1986 of a noxious mixture of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide, which had collected below the bed of the lake, killed 2,000 people. An operation began in March 1995 to clear the lake of a further build-up of gases.

Among the principal rivers, the Sanaga and Nyong flow generally west to the Atlantic Ocean, and the Mbéré and Logone flow north from the central plateau into Lake Chad. A network of rivers in the Chad Basin, including the River Benue, links the country with the vast system of the River Niger to the east and north.

B.

Climate

Cameroon has a tropical equatorial climate, humid in the south but increasingly dry to the north. On the coast the average annual rainfall is about 3,890 mm (153 in). On the exposed slopes of the Cameroon Mountains in the west, rainfall is almost constant and sometimes reaches 10,160 mm (400 in) a year. In the semi-arid north-west annual rainfall averages about 380 mm (15 in). A dry season in the north lasts from October to April. The average temperature in the south is 25° C (77° F), on the plateau it is 21.1° C (70° F), and in the north it is 32.2° C (90° F).

C.

Natural Resources

Cameroon is dependent primarily on its agricultural and timber resources. High-yield deposits of bauxite exist in northern Cameroon. Natural gas is found near Douala, and offshore oil deposits are exploited, making Cameroon one of the most diversified primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa. A small amount of gold is mined together with tin ore and limestone. Cameroon’s hydroelectric potential is significant; the largest power station is at Edéa, on the Sanaga River. Total production of electricity in 2003 was 3 billion kWh, of which 96.6 per cent was generated by hydroelectric facilities.

D.

Plants and Animals

Cameroon’s valuable rainforests contain a great number of tree species, including oil palms, bamboo, mahogany, teak, ebony, and rubber. Wildlife is diverse and abundant and includes monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas, antelopes, lions, and elephants, as well as numerous species of birds and snakes.

E.

Environmental Concerns

The government of Cameroon has designated 20,970 sq km (8,097 sq mi) as protected areas (1997), including the 5,260 sq km (2,03 sq mi) Dja Faunal Reserve, which was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. The country is so rich in wildlife resources that in its national report to the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), biodiversity was mentioned as one of the few issues not of national concern. Nevertheless, 80 species (1996) in Cameroon are threatened with extinction. In addition, deforestation is of increasing concern: from 1990 to 1995, 646,000 hectares (1,596,000 acres) of forest were lost. About 42 per cent (1995) of Cameroon is forested.

Cameroon's water resources are vast—the country consumes only 0.10 per cent (1980-1997) of available fresh water each year. A very high 97.4 per cent (1998) of the electricity used in Cameroon comes from hydroelectric plants in the country. Although almost all of the population has access to safe water, water-borne diseases such as malaria are serious health care concerns, contributing to a low life expectancy and a high infant mortality rate.

The government has ratified international environmental agreements pertaining to biodiversity, climate change, desertification, endangered species, law of the sea, ozone layer protection, and tropical timber.