total: 4,591 km
border countries: Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km,
Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690
km

Coastline: 402 km

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 50 nm

International disputes: demarcation of international boundaries in
vicinity of Lake Chad, the lack of which led to border incidents in
the past, is completed and awaits ratification by Cameroon, Chad,
Niger, and Nigeria; dispute with Nigeria over land and maritime
boundaries in the vicinity of the Bakasi Peninsula has been referred
to the International Court of Justice

Climate: varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to
semiarid and hot in north

Terrain: diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected
plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Fako 4,095 m

Natural resources: petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber,
hydropower potential

Land use:
arable land: 13%
permanent crops: 2%
meadows and pastures: 18%
forest and woodland: 54%
other: 13%

Irrigated land: 280 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: water-borne diseases are prevalent; deforestation;
overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing
natural hazards: recent volcanic activity with release of poisonous
gases
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical
Timber 83; signed, but not ratified - Desertification, Nuclear Test
Ban, Tropical Timber 94

Geographic note: sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa

People
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Population: 14,261,557 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 46% (male 3,295,924; female 3,266,429)
15-64 years: 51% (male 3,602,037; female 3,627,625)
65 years and over: 3% (male 213,176; female 256,366) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.89% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 42.49 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 13.56 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
all ages: 1 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 78.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.6 y