Formerly a German protectorate, what we know now as present-day Cameroon was divided in 1920 between France and the United Kingdom, originally under a League of Nations mandate and then as a United Nations Trusteeship.
The Republic of Cameroon came into being on 1 October 1961 with the reunification of the French part (which had already achieved independence on 1 January 1960) and the southern part of the British territory. The northern section of the British territory was unified with Nigeria. In 1972, modifications to the original federal organization gave the country a unified structure. Despite the opening up of the political system to multi-party elections (in 1990), the original party of the single party state (CPDM) has maintained a tight grip over the leadership of the country.
In the English-speaking west, there are active secessionist movements; rebel groups in the Bakassi peninsula have been responsible for carrying out armed attacks and kidnappings; in the north, incursions take place by Islamic militants from Nigeria. The president, who enjoys ample executive powers, is elected by direct suffrage for a seven-year term. The Parliament consists of the National Assembly (180 members elected by direct suffrage) and the Senate (70 members elected by the municipal councils and 30 elected by the president), each of which has a five-year term.

Population by age and gender (% - 2020)
	75+ 60-74 45-59 30-44 15-29 0-14
MALE	AGE	FEMALE

Bantu tribes are main inhabitants of the south of the country; Islamized Sudanese groups are spread throughout the centre and centre-north, while small groups of pygmies live in the equatorial forests.

Primary sector.
The principal export crops are cocoa, cotton (from North and Far North regions), bananas, coffee (Nkongsamba area and in the centre-south), and palm oil (South-West, Littoral, Centre). Pineapples, tomatoes and peanuts are also produced. Subsistence agriculture (cassava, bananas, maize, taro, sorghum, yams, beans, rice, potatoes and sweet potatoes) is more widely practiced in inland regions. As a whole, the country has achieved self-sufficiency in terms of food. The forests supply several valuable kinds of wood (ebony, okoumé, mahogany and iroko). The main products of the transformation industry are palm oil and rubber (Dizangué plantation near Edea). The large numbers and variety of animals raised helps to satisfy the demand for food.

Secondary and tertiary sector.

Crude oil is extracted in the Logone-Birni basin and from offshore reserves at Bibundi, Kombo, Boa, Bakassi, Kole, Bavo, Mokoko, Abana and Moudi, and a refinery operates in Limbe.
A 1070 km oil pipeline carries crude oil extracted in Chad to the Cameroonian port of Kribi, which is being expanded. Natural gas, extracted at Douala, Sanaga, Kribi and Moudi, feeds the Kribi power station and the liquefaction terminal off the city. Bauxite deposits are found around Bamileke and Martap, iron ore is found around Kribi, cassiterite around Garoua and Banyo, gold around Bétaré-Oya and Batouri, diamonds around Limokoali and Mobilong. Most of the electricity produced is hydro-electric with dams and power plants at Edea, Song Loulou, Lagdo and Lom Pangar (under construction).
The aluminium industry located in Edea is of importance as are chemicals (in Bonabéri), petrochemicals (in Limbe), the mechanical sector and textile plants (at Doula, Maroua and Garoua) as well tanneries at Ngaoundéré. A hub of technological innovation has been developed in the Buéa area. Other industrial activities have to do with the pressing of oleaginous seeds (at Kaélé), cotton shelling (at Maroua), rubber, cocoa and tobacco processing (at Yaoundé), sugar production (at Mbandjock and Nkoteng), paper mills at Edéa and cement works (at Douala, Figuil and Yaoundé). The country’s main trading partners are the EU member states. The CFA franc is pegged to the Euro at a fixed rate of exchange.

The main rail line is the Trans Cameroon railway which links Douala with Ngaoundéré. The River Benue is an important waterway for trade with Nigeria.