Geography of Cameroon
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[[Image:Cameroon Map.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Map Of Cameroon]]
At 183,568 [[square miles|mi²]] (475,440 [[square kilometre|km²]]), Cameroon is the world's 53rd-largest country. It is comparable in size to [[Papua New Guinea]], and somewhat larger than the [[U.S. state]] of [[California]]. Cameroon's landmass is 181,252 mi² (469,440 km²), with 2,317 mi² (6,000 km²) of water.
The country is located in Central and West Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria.
Cameroon is sometimes described as "Africa in miniature" because it exhibits all the major climates and vegetation of the continent: mountains, desert, rain forest, savanna grassland, and ocean coastland. Cameroon can be divided into five geographic zones. These are distinguished by dominant physical, climatic, and vegetative features.
==Natural regions==
[[Image:Cameroon Topography.png|thumb|Topography of Cameroon]]
{{MapLibrary|Cameroon_sat.png|Cameroon}}
Cameroon's coastal plain extends 10 to 50 [[mile]]s (15–80 [[kilometre|km]]) inland from the [[Gulf of Guinea]] (part of the Atlantic Ocean) to the edge of a plateau. In the former western state, however, the mass of [[Mount Cameroon]] reaches almost to the sea. Exceedingly hot and humid, the coastal belt includes some of the wettest places on earth. For example, Debundscha, at the base of Mt. Cameroon, has an average annual rainfall of 405 [[inch]]es (10,290 [[millimetre|mm]]).<ref>[http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalextremes.html#highpre Highest Average Annual Precipitation Extremes]. Global Measured Extremes of Temperature and Precipitation, [[National Climatic Data Center]]. August 9, 2004. Last accessed November 7, 2006.</ref> The plain is densely forested.
The low [[South Cameroon Plateau]], rising from the coastal plain and dominated by tropical rain forest, has an average elevation of 1,500 to 2,000 [[foot (unit of length)|feet]] (450–600 [[Metre|m]]). It is less humid than the coast.
[[Image:Mount Cameroon craters.jpg|thumb|left|Mount Cameroon craters]]
In western Cameroon is an irregular chain of mountains, hills, and plateaus that extend from Mt. Cameroon almost to [[Lake Chad]] at the northern tip of the country. This region enjoys a pleasant climate, particularly in the [[Bamenda highlands|Bamenda]], [[Bamiléké highlands|Bamiléké]], and [[Mambilla highlands]]. It also contains some of the country's most fertile soils, notably around volcanic Mt. Cameroon.
From the forested southern plateau the land rises northward to the grassy, rugged [[Adamaoua highlands|Adamaoua]] (Adamawa) highlands. Stretching across Cameroon from the western mountain area, the Adamaoua forms a barrier between the north and south. Its average elevation is 3,400 feet (1,035 m), and its climate is reasonably pleasant.
The northern [[savanna|savanna plain]] extends from the edge of the Adamaoua to Lake Chad. Its characteristic vegetation is scrub and grass. This is a region of sparse rainfall and high median temperatures.
== Rivers ==
The country has four patterns of drainage. In the south, the principal rivers—the [[Wouri River|Wouri]], [[Sanaga River|Sanaga]], [[Nyong River|Nyong]], and [[Ntem River|Ntem]]—flow southwestward or westward directly into the [[Gulf of Guinea]]. The [[Dja River|Dja]] and [[Kadei River|Kadeï]], however, drain southeastward into the [[Congo River]]. In northern Cameroon, the [[Benue River|Benoué River]] (Benue) runs north and west, eventually into the Niger, while the [[Logone River]] flows northward into [[Lake Chad]].
Only part of Lake Chad lies within Cameroon. The rest belongs to [[Chad]], Nigeria, and Niger. The lake varies in size according to seasonal rainfall.
Some of the borders of Cameroon follow rivers, including the [[Aïna River]] and [[Ntem River]].
==Data==
'''Location:'''
Western [[Africa]], bordering the [[Bight of Biafra]], between [[Equatorial Guinea]] and [[Nigeria]]
'''Geographic coordinates:'''
{{coor d|6|N|12|E|region:CM_type:country}}
'''Map references:'''
Africa
'''Area:'''
<br>''total:''
475,440 km²
<br>''land:''
469,440 km²
<br>''water:''
6,000 km²
'''Area - comparative:'''
slightly larger than [[California]]
'''Land boundaries:'''
<br>''total:''
4,591 km
<br>''border countries:''
[[Central African Republic]] 797 km, [[Chad]] 1,094 km, [[Republic of the Congo]] 523 km, [[Equatorial Guinea]] 189 km, [[Gabon]] 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 km
'''Coastline:'''
402 km
'''Maritime claims:'''
<br>''territorial sea:''
50 nm
'''Climate:'''
varies with terrain, from tropical along the coast to semiarid and hot in the north
'''Terrain:'''
diverse, with coastal [[plain]] in southwest, dissected [[plateau]] in center, [[mountain]]s in west, plains in north
'''Elevation extremes:'''
<br>''lowest point:''
[[Atlantic Ocean]] 0 m
<br>''highest point:''
[[Fako]](aka. Mt. Cameroon) 4,095 m
'''Natural resources:'''
[[petroleum]], [[bauxite]], [[iron ore]], [[timber]], [[hydropower]]
'''Land use:'''
<br>''arable land:''
13%
<br>''permanent crops:''
2%
<br>''permanent pastures:''
4%
<br>''forests and woodland:''
78%
<br>''other:''
3% (1993 est.)
'''Irrigated land:'''
210 km² (1993 est.)
[[Image:Rhumsiki Peak.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[Rhumsiki]] Peak in Cameroon's [[Far North Province]].]]
'''Natural hazards:'''
Recent [[limnic eruption]]s with release of [[carbon dioxide]]:
*from [[Lake Monoun]], [[August 15]], [[1984]], killing 37
*from [[Lake Nyos]], [[August 21]], [[1986]], killing as many as 1800
'''Environment - current issues:'''
water-borne diseases are prevalent; [[deforestation]]; [[overgrazing]]; [[desertification]]; [[poaching]]; [[overfishing]]
'''Environment - international agreements:'''
<br>''party to:''
[[Biodiversity]], [[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|Climate Change]], Desertification, [[Endangered Species]], [[Law of the Sea]], [[Ozone Layer Protection]], [[Tropical Timber 83]], [[Tropical Timber 94]]
<br>''signed, but not ratified:''
[[Nuclear Test Ban]]
'''Geography - note:'''
sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
== See also ==
{{commonscat|Geography of Cameroon}}
* [[Cameroon]]
{{Geography of Africa}}
[[Category:Geography of Cameroon| ]]
[[es:Geografía de Camerún]]
[[fr:Géographie du Cameroun]]
[[it:Geografia del Camerun]]
[[pl:Geografia Kamerunu]]
[[pt:Geografia dos Camarões]]
[[vec:Giografia del Camerun]]