What is the capital of Cameroon?
Country Name | Cameroon |
Full Country Name | Republic of Cameroon |
Local - Long | Republique du Cameroun/Republic of Cameroon |
Local - Short | Cameroun/Cameroon |
Former Name | Kamerun, French Cameroon, British Cameroon, Federal Republic of Cameroon, United Republic of Cameroon |
Etymology- history of name | In the 15th century, Portuguese explorers named the area near the mouth of the Wouri River the Rio dos Camaroes (River of Prawns) after the abundant shrimp in the water; over time the designation became Cameroon in English; this is the only instance where a country is named after a crustacean |
Government Type | Presidential republic |
Capital Name | Yaounde |
Capital - geographic coordinate | 3 52 N, 11 31 E |
Capital Time Difference | UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
Independence | 1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship) |
National Holiday | State Unification Day (National Day), 20 May (1972) |
Constitution |
History: several previous; latest effective 18 January 1996 Amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament; amendment drafts require approval of at least one-third of the membership in either house of Parliament; passage requires an absolute majority vote of the Parliament membership; passage of drafts requested by the president for a second reading in Parliament requires a two-thirds majority vote of its membership; the president can opt to submit drafts to a referendum, in which case passage requires a simple majority; constitutional articles on Cameroon’s unity and territorial integrity and its democratic principles cannot be amended; amended 2008 |
Who is the president of Cameroon?
Executive Branch: |
Chief of State: President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982) Head of Government: Prime Minister Joseph Dion NGUTE (since 4 January 2019); Deputy Prime Minister Amadou ALI (since 2014) Cabinet: Cabinet proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president Elections/Appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (no term limits); election last held on 7 October 2018 (next to be held in October 2025); prime minister appointed by the president Election Results: Paul BIYA reelected president; percent of the vote - Paul BIYA (CPDM) 71.3%, Maurice KAMTO (MRC) 14.2%, Cabral LIBII (Univers) 6.3%, other 8.2% |
Citizenship Criteria: |
Citizenship by Birth: no Citizenship by Descent Only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Cameroon Dual Citizenship Recognized: no Residency Requirement for Naturalization: 5 years |
Legal System: | A mixed legal system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law |
Suffrage: | 20 years of age; universal |
Legislative Branch: |
Description: bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of: Senate or Senat (100 seats; 70 members indirectly elected by regional councils and 30 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms) National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by a simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms) Elections: Senate - last held on 25 March 2018 (next to be held in 2023) National Assembly - last held on 30 September 2013 (next to be held on 9 February 2020, current term extended by President) Election Results: Senate - percent of vote by party - CDPM 81.1%, SDF 8.6%, UNDP 5.8%, UDC 1.16%, other 2.8%; seats by party - CPDM 63, SDF 7; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPDM 148, SDF 18, UNDP 5, UDC 4, UPC 3, other 2; composition - men 74, women 26, percent of women 26% National Assembly - composition - men 124, women 56, percent of women 31.3%; note - total Parliament percent of women 29.3% |
Judicial Branch: |
Highest Court(s): Supreme Court of Cameroon (consists of 9 titular and 6 surrogate judges and organized into judicial, administrative, and audit chambers); Constitutional Council (consists of 11 members) Judge Selection and Term of Office: Supreme Court judges are appointed by the president with the advice of the Higher Judicial Council of Cameroon, a body chaired by the president and includes the minister of justice, selected magistrates, and representatives of the National Assembly; judge term NA; Constitutional Council members appointed by the president for single 9-year terms Subordinate Courts: Parliamentary Court of Justice (jurisdiction limited to cases involving the president and prime minister); appellate and first instance courts; circuit and magistrate's courts |
Regions or States: | 10 regions (regions, singular - region); Adamaoua, Centre, East (Est), Far North (Extreme-Nord), Littoral, North (Nord), North-West (Nord-Ouest), West (Ouest), South (Sud), South-West (Sud-Ouest) |
Political Parties and Leaders: |
Alliance for Democracy and Development Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM [Paul BIYA] Cameroon People's Party or CPP [Edith Kah WALLA] Cameroon Renaissance Movement or MRC [Maurice KAMTO] Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA] Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA] Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [Marcel YONDO] National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA] Progressive Movement or MP [Jean-Jacques EKINDI] Social Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI] Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC [Provisionary Management Bureau] |
International Law Organization Participation: | Accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt |
International Organization Participation: | ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, C, CEMAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Diplomatic Representation in the US: |
Chief of Mission: Ambassador Essomba ETOUNDI (since 27 June 2016) Chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; current temporary address - 3400 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 Telephone: [1] (202) 265-8790 FAX: [1] (202) 387-3826 |
Diplomatic Representation from US: |
Chief of Mission: Ambassador Peter Henry BARLERIN (since 20 December 2017) Embassy: Avenue Rosa Parks, Yaounde Mailing Address: P.O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520 Telephone: [237] 22220 1500; Consular: [237] 22220 1603 FAX: [237] 22220 1500 Ext. 4531; Consular FAX: [237] 22220 1752 Branch Office(s): Douala |