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Cameroon - Government
Based on the etymology of Cameroon, it was in the 16th century, Portuguese explorers named an estuary near the mouth of the Wouri River the Rio dos Camaroes (River of Prawns) after the abundant shrimp in the water; the name Camaroes evolved into "Cameroon". The Government system in this country is the presidential republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 10 regions (régions, singular - région); Adamaoua, Centre, East (Est), Far North (Extrême-Nord), Littoral, North (Nord), North-West (Nord-Ouest), West (Ouest), South (Sud), South-West (Sud-Ouest)
National symbols
Lion.
The flag
The National flag of Cameroon has no official description available.
The National Anthem
| Title | N/A |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | N/A |
More about the government of Cameroon
| Date of Independence | 1 January 1960 (from French-administered UN trusteeship) |
|---|---|
| National holiday | State Unification Day (National Day), 20 May (1972) |
| Legal system | mixed system of English common law, French civil law, and customary law |
| International law organization participation | accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; non-party state to the ICCt |
| Constitution | |
| History | Several previous; latest effective 18 January 1996 |
| Amendment process | Proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament; amendment drafts require approval of at least one third of the membership in either house of Parliament; passage requires absolute majority vote of the Parliament membership; passage of drafts requested by the president for a second reading in Parliament requires two-thirds majority vote of its membership; the president can opt to submit drafts to a referendum, in which case passage requires a simple majority; constitutional articles on Cameroon’s unity and territorial integrity and its democratic principles cannot be amended |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Cameroon |
| Dual citizenship recognized | no |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 5 years |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister Joseph NGUTE (since 4 January 2019) |
| Cabinet | Cabinet proposed by the prime minister, appointed by the president |
| Election/appointment process | president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a 7-year term (no term limits); prime minister appointed by the president |
| Most recent election date | 12 October 2025 |
| Election results | 2025- Paul BIYA reelected president; percent of vote - Paul BIYA (CPDM) 53.7%, Issa Tchiroma BAKARY (CNSF) 35.2%, Cabral LIBII (PCRN) 3.4%, Bello Boubou MAIGARI (UNDP)2.4%, other 5.3% 2018: Paul BIYA reelected president; percent of vote - Paul BIYA (CPDM) 71.3%, Maurice KAMTO (MRC) 14.2%, Cabral LIBII (Univers) 6.3%, other 8.2% (2018) |
| Expected date of next election | October 2032 |
| Legislative branch | |
| Legislature name | Parlement - Parliament |
| Legislative structure | Bicameral |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Supreme Court of Cameroon (consists of 9 titular and 6 surrogate judges and organized into judicial, administrative, and audit chambers); Constitutional Council (consists of 11 members) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court judges appointed by the president with the advice of the Higher Judicial Council of Cameroon, a body chaired by the president and includes the minister of justice, selected magistrates, and representatives of the National Assembly; judge term NA; Constitutional Council members appointed by the president for renewable 6-year terms |
| Subordinate courts | Parliamentary Court of Justice (jurisdiction limited to cases involving the president and prime minister); appellate and first instance courts; circuit and magistrates' courts |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Henri ETOUNDI ESSOMBA (since 27 June 2016) |
| Chancery | 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 265-8790 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 387-3826 |
| Email address and website | mail@cameroonembassyusa Cameroon Embassy in Washington DC, USA (cameroonembassyusa.org) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Christopher J. LAMORA (since 21 March 2022) |
| Embassy | Avenue Rosa Parks, Yaoundé |
| Mailing address | 2520 Yaounde Place, Washington, DC 20521-2520 |
| Telephone | [237] 22251-4000 |
| FAX | [237] 22251-4000, Ext. 4531 |
| Email address and website | YaoundeACS@state.gov https://cm.usembassy.gov/ |
| Branch office(s) | Douala |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 3 (two natural and one cultural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Dja Faunal Reserve (n); Sangha Trinational Forest (n); Diy-Gid-Biy Cultural Landscape of the Mandara Mountains (c) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Cameroon
Info
No additional political notes.
International organization participation
All Important Facts about Cameroon
Want to know more about Cameroon? Check all different factbooks for Cameroon below.
