Cameroon

Formed in 1961 from the merger of British and French colonies, Cameroon's recent history is marred by political corruption and clashes with neighboring Nigeria over oil rights. Authoritarian President Paul Biya (1933–) has ruled the culturally and geographically diverse country since 1982. Despite high rates of poverty, Cameroon enjoys relative political stability and has one of the highest literacy rates in Africa.

A roughly triangularly shaped country in west-central Africa, Cameroon is bordered by Nigeria to the west and northwest, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the southeast, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest. Geographically, Cameroon is a diverse country,...