View source for Geography of Cameroon

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
[[Image:Cameroon Map.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Map of Cameroon]]
[[File:LocationCameroon.svg|thumb|Location of Cameroon]]

At {{convert|475440|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, [[Cameroon]] is the world's 53rd largest country. It is slightly larger than the nation of [[Sweden]] and the US state of [[California]]. It is comparable in size to [[Papua New Guinea]]. Cameroon's landmass is {{convert|472710|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, with {{convert|2730|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}} 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}}
[[File:Down Beach Limbe.jpg|thumb|Night view of Limbe Atlantic Ocean]]
[[File:Mangrove-Wouri 02.jpg|thumb|Mangroves along the banks of Wouri River in Douala]]
Cameroon is one of the wettest parts of Africa and records Africa's second highest concentration of biodiversity.<ref name="Africa">{{cite web |title=Cameroon |url=http://www.wcs.org/where-we-work/africa/cameroon.aspx |access-date=14 February 2013 |publisher=Wildlife Conservation Society}}</ref><ref name="Regional">{{cite web |last1=Wilkie |first1=D. S. |last2=Hakizumwami |first2=E. |last3=Gami |first3=N. |last4=Difara |first4=B. |year=2001 |title=Beyond Boundaries:Regional Overview of Transboundary Natural Resource Management in Central Africa |url=http://www.worldwildlife.org/bsp/publications/africa/125/125/CentralAfrica.htm |access-date=14 February 2013 |work=Table 1 World Wildlife Organization |publisher=World Wildlife Organization}}</ref>  In Cameroon [[forest cover]] is around 43% of the total land area, equivalent to 20,340,480 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, down from 22,500,000 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 20,279,380 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 61,100 hectares (ha). Around 15% of the forest area was found within protected areas, for the year 2015, 100% of the forest area was reported to be under [[State ownership|public ownership]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a6e225da-4a31-4e06-818d-ca3aeadfd635/content |title=Terms and Definitions FRA 2025 Forest Resources Assessment, Working Paper 194 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, Cameroon |url=https://fra-data.fao.org/assessments/fra/2020/CMR/home/overview |website=Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}}</ref> 

Cameroon's coastal plain extends {{convert|10|to|50|mi|km|sigfig=1|order=flip}} 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.  The plain is densely forested including areas of [[Central African mangroves]] especially around [[Douala]] and in the estuary of the [[Cross River (Nigeria)|Cross River]] on the border with [[Nigeria]].

A recent global [[remote sensing]] analysis suggested that there were 643&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> of tidal flats in Cameroon, making it the 39th ranked country in terms of tidal flat area.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Murray |first1=N.J. |last2=Phinn |first2=S.R. |last3=DeWitt |first3=M. |last4=Ferrari |first4=R. |last5=Johnston |first5=R. |last6=Lyons |first6=M.B. |last7=Clinton |first7=N. |last8=Thau |first8=D. |last9=Fuller |first9=R.A. |title=The global distribution and trajectory of tidal flats |journal=Nature |date=2019 |volume=565 |issue=7738 |pages=222–225 |doi=10.1038/s41586-018-0805-8 |pmid=30568300 |s2cid=56481043 |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0805-8|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The low [[South Cameroon Plateau]], rising from the coastal plain and dominated by tropical rain forest, has an average elevation of {{convert|1500|to|2000|ft|m|sigfig=1|order=flip}}. It is less humid than the coast.

In western Cameroon is an irregular chain of mountains, hills, and plateaus that extends from Mount Cameroon almost to [[Lake Chad]] at the northern tip of the country. This region includes 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. This area of tropical forest has been categorised by the [[World Wildlife Fund]] as the [[Cameroonian Highlands forests]] [[ecoregion]] with [[Mount Cameroon and Bioko montane forests|Mount Cameroon]] considered separately because as an active volcano it has a distinct environment from the other mountains.

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 {{convert|3400|ft|m|sigfig=2|abbr=on|order=flip}}.

The southern [[savanna|savanna plain]] extends from the edge of the Adamaoua to Lake Chad. Its characteristic vegetation is scrub and grass. This is region of sparse rainfall and high median temperatures has been included as part of the [[East Sudanian savanna]] ecoregion.

== Climate ==
 
The climate varies with terrain, from tropical along the coast to semiarid and hot in the north.
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 {{convert|405|in|mm|order=flip}}.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120525195312/http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/globalextremes.html Highest Average Annual Precipitation Extremes]. Global Measured Extremes of Temperature and Precipitation, [[National Climatic Data Center]]. 9 August 2004. Last accessed 7 November 2006.</ref>

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = Yaoundé
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|collapsed = yes
|Jan record high C = 33
|Feb record high C = 33
|Mar record high C = 33
|Apr record high C = 36
|May record high C = 34
|Jun record high C = 32
|Jul record high C = 31
|Aug record high C = 34
|Sep record high C = 31
|Oct record high C = 33
|Nov record high C = 32
|Dec record high C = 32
|year record high C = 36
|Jan high C = 29.6
|Feb high C = 31.0
|Mar high C = 30.4
|Apr high C = 29.6
|May high C = 28.8
|Jun high C = 27.7
|Jul high C = 26.5
|Aug high C = 26.5
|Sep high C = 27.5
|Oct high C = 27.8
|Nov high C = 28.1
|Dec high C = 28.5
|year high C = 28.5
|Jan mean C = 24.6
|Feb mean C = 25.7
|Mar mean C = 25.4
|Apr mean C = 25.0
|May mean C = 24.5
|Jun mean C = 23.8
|Jul mean C = 23.2
|Aug mean C = 22.9
|Sep mean C = 23.4
|Oct mean C = 23.5
|Nov mean C = 23.9
|Dec mean C = 24.0
|year mean C = 24.2
|Jan low C = 19.6
|Feb low C = 20.3
|Mar low C = 20.3
|Apr low C = 20.3
|May low C = 20.2
|Jun low C = 19.9
|Jul low C = 19.9
|Aug low C = 19.3
|Sep low C = 19.3
|Oct low C = 19.2
|Nov low C = 19.6
|Dec low C = 19.5
|year low C = 19.8
|Jan record low C = 14
|Feb record low C = 15
|Mar record low C = 16
|Apr record low C = 15
|May record low C = 16
|Jun record low C = 15
|Jul record low C = 16
|Aug record low C = 16
|Sep record low C = 15
|Oct record low C = 15
|Nov record low C = 17
|Dec record low C = 16
|year record low C = 14
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 19.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 42.8
|Mar precipitation mm = 124.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 171.3
|May precipitation mm = 199.3
|Jun precipitation mm = 157.1
|Jul precipitation mm = 74.2
|Aug precipitation mm = 113.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 232.3
|Oct precipitation mm = 293.6
|Nov precipitation mm = 94.3
|Dec precipitation mm = 18.6
|year precipitation mm = 
|Jan humidity = 79.5
|Feb humidity = 79.5
|Mar humidity = 81.0
|Apr humidity = 82.0
|May humidity = 84.0
|Jun humidity = 85.0
|Jul humidity = 85.5
|Aug humidity = 86.0
|Sep humidity = 85.5
|Oct humidity = 85.0
|Nov humidity = 82.0
|Dec humidity = 79.0
|year humidity = 82.8
|unit precipitation days= 0.1 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 3
|Feb precipitation days = 4
|Mar precipitation days = 12
|Apr precipitation days = 14
|May precipitation days = 17
|Jun precipitation days = 14
|Jul precipitation days = 11
|Aug precipitation days = 12
|Sep precipitation days = 20
|Oct precipitation days = 23
|Nov precipitation days = 11
|Dec precipitation days = 3
|Jan sun = 172.0
|Feb sun = 179.0
|Mar sun = 169.9
|Apr sun = 164.5
|May sun = 166.2
|Jun sun = 126.0
|Jul sun = 96.1
|Aug sun = 86.2
|Sep sun = 102.4
|Oct sun = 130.2
|Nov sun = 167.1
|Dec sun = 181.4
|year sun = 1741.0
|source 1 = [[World Meteorological Organization]]<ref name=WMOYaounde>{{cite web|url=http://worldweather.wmo.int/055/c00257.htm|title=World Weather Information Service - Yaounde|publisher=World Meteorological Organization|access-date=December 7, 2012}}</ref> NOAA (sun 1961–1990)<ref name=NOAA>{{Cite FTP |url=ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/KM/64950.TXT|server=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]|title=Yaounde Climate Normals 1961–1990|access-date=September 10, 2015}}</ref>
|source 2 = BBC Weather<ref name="weather1">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2220957|title=Average Conditions Yaounde, Cameroon|access-date=December 7, 2012|publisher=BBC Weather}}</ref>|date=August 2010}}

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = Douala (1971-2000, extremes 1885-present)
|single line = Yes
|metric first = Yes
|collapsed = Yes
|Jan record high C = 35.8
|Feb record high C = 39.8
|Mar record high C = 37.8
|Apr record high C = 36.4
|May record high C = 36.0
|Jun record high C = 39.0
|Jul record high C = 32.5
|Aug record high C = 32.0
|Sep record high C = 33.1
|Oct record high C = 35.0
|Nov record high C = 38.0
|Dec record high C = 38.0
|year record high C = 39.8
|Jan high C = 32.2
|Feb high C = 32.8
|Mar high C = 32.5
|Apr high C = 32.1
|May high C = 31.4
|Jun high C = 29.9
|Jul high C = 28.1
|Aug high C = 27.7
|Sep high C = 29.0
|Oct high C = 29.8
|Nov high C = 30.9
|Dec high C = 31.7
|year high C = 30.7
|Jan mean C = 27.8
|Feb mean C = 28.5
|Mar mean C = 28.2
|Apr mean C = 27.8
|May mean C = 27.3
|Jun mean C = 26.5
|Jul mean C = 25.4
|Aug mean C = 25.3
|Sep mean C = 25.9
|Oct mean C = 26.2
|Nov mean C = 27.1
|Dec mean C = 27.5
|year mean C = 27.0
|Jan low C = 23.4
|Feb low C = 24.1
|Mar low C = 23.9
|Apr low C = 23.5
|May low C = 23.2
|Jun low C = 23.0
|Jul low C = 22.7
|Aug low C = 22.8
|Sep low C = 22.8
|Oct low C = 22.5
|Nov low C = 23.2
|Dec low C = 23.3
|year low C = 23.2
|Jan record low C = 18.0
|Feb record low C = 19.0
|Mar record low C = 18.0
|Apr record low C = 18.3
|May record low C = 16.0
|Jun record low C = 18.2
|Jul record low C = 18.2
|Aug record low C = 19.0
|Sep record low C = 18.5
|Oct record low C = 16.8
|Nov record low C = 18.5
|Dec record low C = 18.0
|year record low C = 16.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 34.2
|Feb precipitation mm = 54.5
|Mar precipitation mm = 155.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 241.2
|May precipitation mm = 276.2
|Jun precipitation mm = 354.1
|Jul precipitation mm = 681.4
|Aug precipitation mm = 687.5
|Sep precipitation mm = 561.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 406.6
|Nov precipitation mm = 123.1
|Dec precipitation mm = 27.5
|year precipitation mm = 3602.7
|Jan humidity = 80
|Feb humidity = 79
|Mar humidity = 80
|Apr humidity = 81
|May humidity = 82
|Jun humidity = 85
|Jul humidity = 87
|Aug humidity = 88
|Sep humidity = 86
|Oct humidity = 84
|Nov humidity = 83
|Dec humidity = 82
|year humidity = 83
|unit precipitation days= 0.1 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 5
|Feb precipitation days = 9
|Mar precipitation days = 15
|Apr precipitation days = 18
|May precipitation days = 21
|Jun precipitation days = 23
|Jul precipitation days = 27
|Aug precipitation days = 30
|Sep precipitation days = 26
|Oct precipitation days = 24
|Nov precipitation days = 12
|Dec precipitation days = 5
|year precipitation days = 215
|Jan sun = 193.3
|Feb sun = 179.1
|Mar sun = 171.9
|Apr sun = 176.5
|May sun = 175.8
|Jun sun = 123.1
|Jul sun = 72.0
|Aug sun = 53.2
|Sep sun = 90.8
|Oct sun = 131.2
|Nov sun = 162.1
|Dec sun = 184.2
|year sun = 1713.2
|source 1 = [[World Meteorological Organization]]<ref name = WMOdouala >
{{cite web
|url = http://worldweather.wmo.int/en/city.html?cityId=1513
|title = World Weather Information Service – Douala
|publisher= World Meteorological Organization
|access-date = 13 June 2016}}</ref> Meteo Climat (record highs and lows)<ref name = doualameteoclimat>
{{cite web 
|url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=1526
|title = Station Douala
|publisher = Meteo Climat 
|language = fr 
|access-date = 13 June 2016}}</ref>
|source 2 = [[Deutscher Wetterdienst]] (humidity, 1957-1990),<ref name = DWDdouala>
{{cite web
|url = http://www.dwd.de/DWD/klima/beratung/ak/ak_649100_kt.pdf
|title = Klimatafel von Douala (Duala), Observatorium / Kamerun
|work = Baseline climate means (1961-1990) from stations all over the world
|publisher = Deutscher Wetterdienst
|language = de
|access-date = 13 June 2016}}</ref> NOAA (sun, 1961-1990)<ref name = NOAADouala>
{{cite web
|url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/KM/64910.TXT
|title = Douala Climate Normals 1961-1990
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200726195601/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/KM/64910.TXT
|archive-date = 2020-07-26
|url-status = dead
|access-date = 13 June 2016}}</ref>
|date=November 2011
}}

{{Weather box|width = auto
|location = Garoua
|collapsed = Yes
|single line = Yes
|metric first = Yes
|Jan high C = 34.4
|Feb high C = 37.3
|Mar high C = 39.8
|Apr high C = 39.5
|May high C = 36.5
|Jun high C = 33.2
|Jul high C = 31.1
|Aug high C = 30.7
|Sep high C = 31.5
|Oct high C = 34.2
|Nov high C = 36.0
|Dec high C = 34.8
|year high C = 34.9
|Jan mean C = 26.0
|Feb mean C = 28.9
|Mar mean C = 32.2
|Apr mean C = 33.0
|May mean C = 30.7
|Jun mean C = 28.2
|Jul mean C = 26.6
|Aug mean C = 26.4
|Sep mean C = 26.7
|Oct mean C = 28.1
|Nov mean C = 27.3
|Dec mean C = 26.0
|year mean C = 28.3
|Jan low C = 17.5
|Feb low C = 20.5
|Mar low C = 24.7
|Apr low C = 26.4
|May low C = 24.9
|Jun low C = 23.2
|Jul low C = 22.2
|Aug low C = 22.0
|Sep low C = 21.9
|Oct low C = 22.2
|Nov low C = 19.2
|Dec low C = 17.3
|year low C = 21.8
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 0.0
|Feb rain mm = 0.0
|Mar rain mm = 2.0
|Apr rain mm = 44.1
|May rain mm = 108.4
|Jun rain mm = 134.8
|Jul rain mm = 205.3
|Aug rain mm = 247.9
|Sep rain mm = 190.0
|Oct rain mm = 63.3
|Nov rain mm = 1.6
|Dec rain mm = 0.0
|unit rain days = 1.0 mm
|Jan rain days = 0
|Feb rain days = 0
|Mar rain days = 1
|Apr rain days = 5
|May rain days = 9
|Jun rain days = 11
|Jul rain days = 14
|Aug rain days = 17
|Sep rain days = 24
|Oct rain days = 6
|Nov rain days = 1
|Dec rain days = 0
|Jan sun = 275.0
|Feb sun = 252.6
|Mar sun = 260.1
|Apr sun = 245.4
|May sun = 256.7
|Jun sun = 224.4
|Jul sun = 194.0
|Aug sun = 187.2
|Sep sun = 204.5
|Oct sun = 261.5
|Nov sun = 279.2
|Dec sun = 286.5
|year sun = 2927.1
|source 1 = NOAA<ref name= NOAAgaroua>{{cite web
| url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/KM/64860.TXT
| title = Garoua Climate Normals 1961–1990
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210303100123/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/KM/64860.TXT
| archive-date = 2021-03-03
| url-status = dead
| access-date = March 8, 2015}}</ref>
|date=November 2011
}}

==Biodiversity==
{{Main|Wildlife of Cameroon}}

The wide diversity of climates and natural regions of Cameroon, as coastline, mountains, savanna, deserts, and tropical forests, allows that the country counts with rich biodiversity. Twenty-two million hectares from the [[Congo Basin]] forest ecosystem are located in Cameroon, where 9,000 plant species, 900 bird species, and 320 mammals species live,<ref>{{cite web|title=Cameroon|url=https://www.awf.org/country/cameroon|publisher=Cameroon|access-date=29 September 2020 }}</ref> included 156 [[Endemism|endemic]] plants, eight endemic birds, and 14 endemic mammals. The border with Nigeria has one of the highest concentration of biodiversity in Africa.<ref name="afcn">{{cite web|title=Africa: Cameroon, Nigeria|url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/at0710|access-date=29 September 2020 }}</ref>

As part of the conservation efforts to protect threatened natural resources, Cameroon has established [[List of protected areas of Cameroon|protected areas]] since 1932, included national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, faunal reserves, and one flora sanctuary.<ref name="Cartesia">{{cite web|url=http://www.cartesia.org/geodoc/icc2005/pdf/oral/TEMA10/Session%206/TCHINDJANG%20MESMIN%202.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.cartesia.org/geodoc/icc2005/pdf/oral/TEMA10/Session%206/TCHINDJANG%20MESMIN%202.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |title=Mapping of Protected Areas Evolution in Cameroon from the Beginning to 2000: Lesson to Learn and Perspectives. |author1=Mesmin Tchindjang |author2=Clair Réné Banga |author3=Appolinaire Nankam |author4=Jean Sylvestre Makak |year=2001 |work=Table 1 World Wildlife Organization |access-date=14 February 2013 |publisher=World Wildlife Organization}}</ref>

Cameroon had a 2018 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 8.00/10, ranking it 29th globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity - Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978 |issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507 |pmc=7723057 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Rivers==
[[File:La sanaga4.jpg|thumb|Sanaga River]]
[[File:River Mungo.jpg|thumb|Mungo River with fishing Canoes at the far end of the picture]]
The country has four patterns of drainage. In the south, the principal rivers flow southwestward or westward directly to the [[Gulf of Guinea]] – the [[Wouri River|Wouri]], and lesser [[Dibamba River|Dibamba]], [[Bimbia River|Bimbia]] and [[Mungo River, Cameroon|Mungo]] to the Cameroon [[estuary]] near [[Douala]]; [[Sanaga River|Sanaga]], [[Nyong River|Nyong]], and [[Ntem River|Ntem]] further south along the coast; [[Akwayafe River|Akwayafe]] and [[Manyu River|Manyu]] (which joins Nigerian [[Cross River (Nigeria)|Cross]]), and the lesser [[Ndian River|Ndian]] and [[Meme River|Meme]] north of the coast.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://nest.su.se/mnode/Africa/Cameroon/cameroonintro.htm | access-date = 2012-10-25 | last = Gabche | first = C E | author2 = Smith, S V | title = Cameroon Estuarine Systems | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110823031328/http://nest.su.se/mnode/africa/cameroon/cameroonintro.htm | archive-date = 23 August 2011 | url-status = dead }}</ref> 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]].

Some of the borders of Cameron follow rivers, including the [[Aïna River|Aïna]], Akwayafe, and Ntem or [[Campo River|Campo]].

==Data==
'''Location:'''
Central Africa, bordering the [[Bight of Biafra]], between [[Equatorial Guinea]] and [[Nigeria]]

'''Geographic coordinates:'''
{{coord|6|N|12|E|region:CM_type:country}}

'''Continent:'''
Africa

'''Area:'''
<br>''total:''
{{convert|475,440|km2|abbr=on}}
<br>''land:''
{{convert|472,710|km2|abbr=on}}
<br>''water:''
{{convert|2,730|km2|abbr=on}}
<br>
''country rank in the world: 53rd''

'''Area – comparative:'''
:* Australia comparative: slightly more than twice the size of [[Victoria (state)|Victoria]]
:* Canada comparative: slightly smaller than the [[Yukon]]
:* United Kingdom comparative: slightly less than twice the size of the United Kingdom
:* United States comparative: slightly more than {{sfrac|1|10}} larger than [[California]]
:* [[European Union|EU]] comparative: slightly smaller than [[Spain]]; slightly larger than [[Sweden]]

'''Land boundaries:'''
<br>''total:''
5,018&nbsp;km
<br>''border countries:''
[[Central African Republic]] 901&nbsp;km, [[Chad]] 1,116&nbsp;km, [[Republic of the Congo]] 494&nbsp;km, [[Equatorial Guinea]] 183&nbsp;km, [[Gabon]] 349&nbsp;km, Nigeria 1,975&nbsp;km

'''Coastline:'''
402&nbsp;km

'''Maritime claims:'''
<br>''territorial sea:''
{{convert|12|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on|lk=in}}

'''Terrain:'''
diverse, with coastal [[plain]] in southwest, dissected [[plateau]] in center, mountains in west, plains in north

'''Elevation extremes:'''
<br>''lowest point:''
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
<br>''highest point:''
[[Fako]] (on. [[Mt. Cameroon]]) 4,095 m

'''Natural resources:'''
petroleum, [[bauxite]], iron ore, timber, [[hydropower]]

[[Image:Mount Cameroon craters.jpg|thumb|left|Mount Cameroon craters]]

'''Land use:'''
<br>''arable land:''
13.12%
<br>''permanent crops:''
3.28%
<br>''other:''
83.61% (2012)

'''Irrigated land:'''
256.5&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (2003)

[[Image:Rhumsiki Peak.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[Rhumsiki]] Peak in Cameroon's [[Far North Province]].]]

'''Total renewable water resources:'''
285.5&nbsp;km<sup>3</sup> (2011)

'''Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):'''
<br>''total:''
0.97&nbsp;km<sup>3</sup>/yr (23%/10%/68%)
<br>''per capita:''
58.9 m<sup>3</sup>/yr (2005)

'''Natural hazards:'''
Recent [[limnic eruption]]s with release of [[carbon dioxide]]:
*from [[Lake Monoun]], 15 August 1984, killing 37
*from [[Lake Nyos]], 21 August 1986, killing as many as 1,800

{{anchor|Environmental issues}}'''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]], Hazardous Wastes, [[Law of the Sea]], [[Ozone Layer Protection]], [[Tropical Timber 83]], [[Tropical Timber 94]], Wetlands, Whaling
<br>''signed, but not ratified:''
[[Nuclear Test Ban]]

'''Geography – note:'''
sometimes referred to as 'the hinge of Africa;' throughout the country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano
[[File:Landscape of Mount Cameroon.jpg|thumb|Mount Cameroon Landscape|alt=|220x220px]]

== Extreme points ==

This is a list of the extreme points of [[Cameroon]], the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location.

* Northernmost point – unnamed [[peninsula]] jutting into [[Lake Chad]], [[Far North Province|Far North Region]]
* Easternmost point – unnamed location on the border with the [[Republic of Congo]] in the [[Sangha River]] opposite the Congolese town of [[Bomassa]], [[East Region (Cameroon)|East Region]]
* Southernmost point – unnamed headland at the [[confluence]] on the Sangha River and the [[Ngoko River]] immediately north of the Congolese town of [[Ouesso]], [[East Region (Cameroon)|East Region]]
* Westernmost point – unnamed point on [[Akwabana Island]], [[Southwest region (Cameroon)|Southwest Region]]

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Koppen-Geiger Map CMR present.svg|Cameroon map of Köppen climate classification.
File:Hills near Ngaoundal.jpg|Countryside near [[Ngaoundal]] in Cameroon's [[Adamawa Region]].
File:Berges du Wouri 05.jpg|A view of Wouri River with a transport vessel in the Littoral Region of Cameroon
</gallery>

==See also==
{{commons category|Geography of Cameroon}}
*[[Cameroon]]
*[[Geology of Cameroon]]
*[[List of volcanoes in Cameroon]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
{{CIA World Factbook}}

{{Cameroon topics}}
{{Geography of Africa}}
{{Africa topic|Climate of}}

[[Category:Geography of Cameroon| ]]