CAMEROON
FIFA 2014 World Cup ranking: 56th
Star player: A four-time African Player of the year, Samuel Eto'o is projected to lead Cameroon’s team. This striker led his country to victories at the 2000 and 2002 Africa Cup of Nations and the gold medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. He is also the first and only player to win back-to-back trebles with European clubs FC Barcelona and Internazionale. Pretty impressive.
COUNTRY STATS
GDP: $24.98 billion USD
PPP: $2,400
Current government structure: unitary presidential republic
Maternal mortality rate: 590/100,000 live births
Percentage of girls in school: primary 71% secondary 20%
Percentage of women in parliament: 13.9%
Corruption index: 25
Religious demographics: Indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%
Education: Literacy Rate: 71.3%
Average Years in School: 5.9
Health Barriers: Access to Improved Drinking Water Source: Urban: 88% Rural:47%
Use of Improved Sanitation Facilities: Urban: 58% Rural: 42%.
HIV prevalence rate: 4.3%
Contraceptive Prevalence:50.5%
Development:
Economic downfall in Cameroon began in the late 1970s due to mismanagement and corruption within the government. Consequently, Cameroon experienced a severe economic crisis in the 1980s leading to sharp economic deterioration and increased poverty rates throughout the country.
Thus, despite efforts to progress on Millennium Development Goals today, Cameroon is performing far below the average of other developing countries and appears to not be able achieve the majority of the goals by 2015. They have achieved success in universal education and gender equality but maternal mortality has increased, and infant mortality, overall extreme poverty rates, access to cleanwater, and HIV rates have not improved significantly. Many attribute limited improvement to a poor distribution of economic growth and varying levels of progress in different parts of Cameroon. It is also a result of landgrabbing and continuous conflict over land possession with neighboring Nigeria.
Cameroon’s government has recognized the improbability of achieving the goals by 2015 but is looking beyond 2015 to improve these issues of land grabbing,conflict, corruption, and unemployment to boost the standard of living in the country. Additionally, the Chad- Cameroon oil production and pipeline project has been a promising economic project that could have benefits for the whole country if growth is distributed equally.