Official name
République du Cameroun
Form of state
Unitary republic
Legal system
Based on English common law and the Napoleonic Code
National legislature
National Assembly with 180 members; elected by universal suffrage; members sit three times a year, in March, June and November, and serve a term of five years
National elections
October 2004 (presidential) and July 2007 (legislative); next elections due in October 2011 (presidential) and July 2012 (legislative)
Head of state
President; elected by universal suffrage
National government
Consists of the prime minister and Council of Ministers; includes representatives of the RDPC, the UDC and the UNDP; the cabinet was last reshuffled in June 2009
Main political parties
Rassemblement démocratique du peuple camerounais (RDPC), 153 seats in the National Assembly; Social Democratic Front (SDF), 16 seats; Union démocratique du Cameroun (UDC), six seats; Union nationale pour la démocratie et le progrès (UNDP), four seats; and Mouvement progressiste (MP), one seat
President: Paul Biya
Prime minister: Philemon Yang
Deputy prime minister & minister of justice: Amadou Ali
Deputy prime minister & minister of agriculture & rural development: Jean Nkuete
Ministers of state
Post & telecommunications: Jean Pierre Biyiti Bi Essam
Presidency: Laurent Esso
Territorial administration & decentralisation: Marafa Hamidou Yaya
Urban development & housing: Clobert Tchatat
Key ministers
Communications: Issa Tchiroma Bakary
Defence: Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo'o
Economy, planning & regional development: Louis Paul Motaze
Energy & water: Michael Tomdjio Ngako
Environment: Pierre Hele
External relations: Henri Eyebe Ayissi
Finance: Lazare Essimi Menye
Health: André Mama Fouda
Higher education: Jacques Fame Ndongo
Industry, mining & technology: Ndanga Ndinga Badel
Livestock & fisheries: Aboubakary Sarki
Primary education: Youssouf née Adjidja Alim
Public works: Bernard Messengue Avom
Tourism: Baba Hamadou
Trade: Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana
Transport: Maïgari Bello Bouba
Governor of Banque des Etats de l'Afrique centrale
Lucas Abaga Nchama