Cameroon vs. Republic of the Congo
Geography
| Cameroon | Republic of the Congo | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Central Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria | Central Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon |
| Geographic coordinates | 6 00 N, 12 00 E | 1 00 S, 15 00 E |
| Map references | Africa | Africa |
| Area | total: 475,440 sq km land: 472,710 sq km water: 2,730 sq km | total: 342,000 sq km land: 341,500 sq km water: 500 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than California; about four times the size of Pennsylvania | slightly smaller than Montana; about twice the size of Florida |
| Land boundaries | total: 5,018 km border countries (6): Central African Republic 901 km, Chad 1116 km, Republic of the Congo 494 km, Equatorial Guinea 183 km, Gabon 349 km, Nigeria 1975 km | total: 5,554 km border countries (5): Angola 231 km, Cameroon 494 km, Central African Republic 487 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1775 km, Gabon 2567 km |
| Coastline | 402 km | 169 km |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| Climate | varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north | tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); persistent high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator |
| Terrain | diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north | coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Fako on Mont Cameroun 4,045 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 667 m | highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 430 m |
| Natural resources | petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower | petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower |
| Land use | agricultural land: 20.6% (2018 est.) arable land: 13.1% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 3.3% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 4.2% (2018 est.) forest: 41.7% (2018 est.) other: 37.7% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 31.1% (2018 est.) arable land: 1.6% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 29.3% (2018 est.) forest: 65.6% (2018 est.) other: 3.3% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 290 sq km (2012) | 20 sq km (2012) |
| Natural hazards | volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes volcanism: Mt. Cameroon (4,095 m), which last erupted in 2000, is the most frequently active volcano in West Africa; lakes in Oku volcanic field have released fatal levels of gas on occasion, killing some 1,700 people in 1986 | seasonal flooding |
| Environment - current issues | waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation and overgrazing result in erosion, desertification, and reduced quality of pastureland; poaching; overfishing; overhunting | air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation; wildlife protection |
| Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Nuclear Test Ban | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa because of its central location on the continent and its position at the west-south juncture of the Gulf of Guinea; throughout the country there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity; Mount Cameroon, the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan west Africa, is an active volcano | about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them |
| Total renewable water resources | 283.15 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 832 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
| Population distribution | population concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated as shown in this population distribution map | the population is primarily located in the south, in and around the capital of Brazzaville as shown in this population distribution map |
Source: CIA Factbook
