Cameroon Overview

GENERAL

Official name of the state

Republic of Cameroon.

Capital

Yaoundé.

Douala is the economic capital.

Geography

As a country located in Africa according to ehistorylib, Cameroon borders the Gulf of Guinea in the west, Nigeria in the northwest, Chad in the northeast, the Central African Republic in the east and the Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in the south. The semi-desert in the north merges into the hilly Adamaoua savannah. In this region, which borders the lush green Mandara Mountains to the west, there are numerous animal sanctuaries and mineral deposits. The Benue River rises in the Mandara Mountains and flows into the Niger in the west. Waterfalls and volcanic peaks up to 2000 m high, overgrown with bamboo, are located in the northwest. On the agriculturally used coast there are mangrove swamps, behind which a wide forest belt rises to the savannah highlands.

Government

Presidential republic (in the Commonwealth) since 1972. Constitution of 1972, last amendment 1996. Parliament with 180 members is elected for 5 years. Independent since January 1960 (Eastern Cameroon; former French mandate), since October 1961 (West Cameroon; former British mandate).

Head of state

Paul Biya, since 1982.

Head of government

Ephraïm Inoni, since 2004.

Electricity

220 V, 50 Hz.

Time zone

West Africa Time: CET +2

MONEY

Currency

1 Comunauté Financiaire Africaine) Franc * = 100 centimes. Currency abbreviation: CFA Fr, XAF (ISO code). Banknotes are in circulation to the value of 10,000, 5000, 2000, 1000, 500 CFA Fr. There are coins in denominations of 500, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5, 2 and 1 CFA Fr.

Note: [*] Is issued by the Banque des Etats de l’Afrique Centrale (BEAC, State Bank of the Central African States) and used by Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Cameroon, Congo, Chad and the Central African Republic. The CFA Franc (XOF) issued by the Banque des Etats de l’Afrique de l’Ouest (BCEAO, State Bank of West African States) is not legal tender in Cameroon. The CFA Franc is pegged to the Euro.

Credit cards

American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are only partially accepted. Details from the issuer of the credit card in question. There are a few ATMs in Yaoundé and Douala where, if they work, you can withdraw money with the Visa card. However, the fees for this service can be relatively high.

ATMs

ec / Maestro card / Sparcard

EC cards with the Maestro symbol are accepted worldwide. Since some machines are not functional or empty, you should stock up on enough cash if possible.

Attention: Travelers who pay with their bank card abroad and want to withdraw money should find out about the possibilities of using their card from their bank before starting their journey.

Bank opening times

Mo-Fr 07.30 / 08.00-11.30 / 12.30, e.g. Sometimes also until 3 p.m.

Foreign exchange regulations

The import and export of local currency is limited to 20,000 CFA Fr for tourist purposes and to 450,000 CFA Fr for business purposes. Unrestricted import of foreign currencies; Obligation to declare from an equivalent value of approx. 1 million FCFA (approx. 1524.50 euros). Export of foreign currencies up to the amount declared, minus the exchange amounts.

Currency Exchange

Euros or US dollars recommended. An exchange with street vendors is strongly discouraged. Currency exchange at banks is usually free of charge. A recommendation is to only swap when necessary, as a high exchange rate loss must be taken into account when swapping back.

LANGUAGE

Overview

The official languages are English (20%) and French (80%). According to the constitution, both languages are given the same status. Bantu, Semibantu, and other African languages are in use.

ECONOMY

Business etiquette

Business trips are best placed between July and September. English is spoken mainly in cities.

Business hours:
Mon-Fri 7.30 a.m.-3.30 p.m.

Economy

Commercial department of the Embassy of Cameroon
Kurfürstendamm 136, D-10711 Berlin
Tel: (030) 89 06 80 90.
Internet: www.ambacam.de

Chambre de Commerce, d’Industrie et des Mines du Cameroun (Chamber of Industry and Commerce)
BP 4011, CM-Douala
Tel: 42 68 55.

Business contacts

Commercial department of the Embassy of Cameroon
Kurfürstendamm 136, D-10711 Berlin
Tel: (030) 89 06 80 90.
Internet: www.ambacam.de

Chambre de Commerce, d’Industrie et des Mines du Cameroun (Chamber of Industry and Commerce)
BP 4011, CM-Douala
Tel: 42 68 55.

COMMUNICATION

Phone

International direct dialing. No area codes. The larger cities can be selected directly. The national telephone connections are often poor. Telephones are available in post offices and restaurants, and there are telephone booths in the larger towns. International phone calls can be made from Intelcam offices (Internet: http://www.camnet.cm/intelcam1/). There are phone cards.

Cellphone

GSM 900. Cellular companies include MTN Cameroon Ltd, Mobilis and Orange Cameroun SA (Internet: www.orange.cm). Roaming contracts exist with Germany, Austria and Switzerland, among others.

Internet

Main provider: Camnet (Internet: www.camnet.cm). There are more and more internet cafes in the bigger cities. Outside of Yaoundé and Douala, internet fees are often much higher.

Post Office

Postage stamps are only available from post offices. Airmail to Europe takes about a week. Post office opening times: Mon-Fri 7.30am-6pm.

Radio

Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.

CULTURE

Religion

40% Christians, 40% followers of natural religions, 20% Muslims.

Social rules of conduct

You shake hands in greeting. There are many Muslims living in the north and visitors should respect their customs and traditions. Stone prayer circles may not be entered. Traditional beliefs can be found in the country, which visitors should also approach with tact and openness. Taking photos: In rural areas you should be careful when taking photos. Permission should always be asked before anyone is photographed. Airports, official buildings or military installations should not be photographed. Tip: Porters and hotel staff receive around 10%. Usually the service charge is included in the invoice.

CLIMATE

Best travel time

In the south it is very dry from November to February. Some rain falls between March and June; Main rainy season July – October. Temperatures in the north vary between cool and very hot. On the Adamaoua plateau it gets quite cold at night; Rainy season May – October. Regular rainfall in the inland plains.

COUNTRY DATA

Area code +237 Area (sqkm) 475442 Population 23739218 Population density (per sqkm) 50 Population in 2015 Member of the EU No main emergency number 112

Cameroon Overview