Land area

475,442 sq km

Population

19.1m (IMF estimate for 2009)

Main towns

Population in '000 (2010; World Gazetteer estimates)

Douala: 2,132

Yaoundé (capital): 1,812

Garoua: 574

Bamenda: 546

Maroua: 437

Bafoussam: 383

Ngaoundéré: 314

Bertoua: 297

Loum: 249

Climate

There is a large variation from north to south; the north has seven or eight months of dry season, whereas the equatorial south has a similar period of rain

Weather in Yaoundé (altitude 770 metres)

Hottest months, January-March, 19-29°C; coolest month, August, 18-27°C; driest month, January, 23 mm average rainfall; wettest month, October, 295 mm average rainfall

Language

French and English are the official languages; around 200 local languages are also spoken

Measures

Metric system

Currency

CFA franc; CFAfr100:FFr1; CFAfr655.96:EUR

Fiscal year

January 1st-December 31st (before 2003, July 1st-June 30th)

Time

1 hour ahead of GMT

Public holidays

Fixed: January 1st (New Year's Day); February 11th (Youth Day); May 1st (Labour Day); May 20th (National Day); August 15th (Assumption); December 25th (Christmas Day); Moveable: Eid al-Fitr; Eid al-Adha; Good Friday; Ascension

All Islamic holidays are observed in accordance with the lunar calendar; this may mean that the following dates are approximate: Mawlid al-Nabi (the birthday of the Prophet, February 15th 2011); Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan, August 30th); Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice, November 6th); Islamic New Year (November 26th)