The Equatorial Area: Characterized by abundant rain fall, high and stable temperatures and degrading vegetation as we move away from the Equator. The central highlands and south are distinguished with four well-marked seasons: the rainy season (March to June), short dry season (July and August). Rainy season (September to November), large dry season (December to February).
The Occidental Area: (Coastal mountains of southwest and western highlands) with excessive rainfall occurring during 9 straight months (from March to November).
The tropical Area: With high temperatures and low rainfall type or Sudanese (a rainy season from May to October and a dry season from November to April) or Sahelian, is marked by very irregular rainfall, but absent from December to March.
Cameroon climate is highly on the geographical location of the country. The geographical coordinates of the country are 6.00 N and 12.00 E. The climate of Cameroon also depends on the physical geography of the country.
The climate of the coastal region is different from that of the mountains. The two distinct climatic area of this country are the northern and the southern regions.
Cameroon Climate shows that the average temperature of the coastal plain ranges from 22 degree to 29 degrees Celsius. The coastal area receive 250 to 400 cm rainfall, while the inland area receives 150 to 250 cm rainfall. The Mt. Cameroon receives 600 to 900 cm rainfall in a year.
According to the climate in Cameroon, the southern part has got two dry seasons from November to March and June to August. The climate of the northern part is comparatively comfortable. The temperature varies from 23 degrees to 26 degrees Celsius. This central plateau receives 150 cm to 60 cm rainfall a year. The dry season of this region continues from October to March.
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES OF SOME MAJOR CITIES:
Yaounde (Center Region)
The table below displays average monthly climate indicators in YAOUNDE based on 8 years of historical weather readings.
Temperature by: Fahrenheit / Centigrade
YAOUNDE 3.83 N, 11.51 E, 2,493 feet (760 meters) above sea level.
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|||
|
75 |
77 |
76 |
75 |
76 |
73 |
72 |
71 |
71 |
72 |
73 |
74 |
||
|
84 |
85 |
85 |
83 |
82 |
79 |
77 |
77 |
78 |
80 |
81 |
83 |
||
|
68 |
70 |
68 |
69 |
69 |
68 |
67 |
67 |
66 |
66 |
67 |
68 |
||
|
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
||
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Douala (Coastal region)
The table below displays average monthly climate indicators in DOUALA based on 8 years of historical weather readings.
Temperature by: Fahrenheit / Centigrade
DOUALA 4.0 N, 9.73 E, 29 feet (9 meters) above sea level.
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|||
|
81 |
82 |
82 |
81 |
80 |
79 |
77 |
76 |
77 |
78 |
80 |
80 |
||
|
90 |
91 |
91 |
89 |
89 |
86 |
83 |
82 |
84 |
86 |
88 |
89 |
||
|
75 |
76 |
75 |
74 |
74 |
73 |
72 |
73 |
73 |
73 |
74 |
74 |
||
|
1 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
7 |
8 |
12 |
14 |
12 |
9 |
3 |
0 |
||
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Ngaoundere (North Region)
The table below displays average monthly climate indicators in NGAOUNDERE based on 8 years of historical weather readings.
Temperature by: Fahrenheit / Centigrade
NGAOUNDERE 7.35 N, 13.56 E, 3,622 feet (1104 meters) above sea level.
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|||
|
70 |
72 |
76 |
74 |
72 |
71 |
70 |
69 |
69 |
70 |
69 |
69 |
||
|
86 |
88 |
90 |
87 |
83 |
82 |
79 |
79 |
80 |
82 |
85 |
85 |
||
|
52 |
55 |
61 |
65 |
64 |
63 |
63 |
63 |
62 |
61 |
53 |
50 |
||
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
11 |
10 |
6 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Maroua (Extreme North Region)
The table below displays average monthly climate indicators in MAROUA-SALAK based on eight years of historical weather readings.
Temperature by: Fahrenheit / Centigrade
MAROUA 10.45 N, 14.25 E, 1,384 feet (422 meters) above sea level.
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|||
|
77 |
81 |
89 |
92 |
90 |
84 |
81 |
79 |
79 |
84 |
82 |
78 |
||
|
89 |
93 |
101 |
102 |
100 |
93 |
88 |
86 |
89 |
95 |
94 |
90 |
||
|
64 |
68 |
76 |
79 |
79 |
75 |
72 |
71 |
71 |
72 |
68 |
64 |
||
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
||
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
TO REMEMBER
Location: Central Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
Geographic coordinates: 6.00 N, 12.00 E
Area
Total: 475,440 sq km
Land: 472,710 sq km
Water: 2,730 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than California
Land boundaries
Total: 4,591 km
Border countries: Central African Republic 797 km, Chad 1,094 km, Republic of the Congo 523 km, Equatorial Guinea 189 km, Gabon 298 km, Nigeria 1,690 km
Coastline: 402 km
Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Climate: varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north
Terrain: diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, and plains in north.
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Fako 4,095 m (on Mt. Cameroon)
Natural resources: petroleum, bauxite, iron ore, timber, hydropower
Land use:
Arable land: 13.04%
Permanent crops: 2.94%
Other: 84.01% (2011)
Irrigated land: 256.5 sq. km (2003)
Total renewable water resources: 285.5 cu km (2011)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Total: 0.97 cu km/yr. (23%/10%/68%)
Per capita: 58.9 cu m/yr. (2005)
Natural hazards: volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes
Volcanism: Mt. Cameroon (elev. 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 gases on occasion, killing some 1,700 people in 1986.
Environment - current issues: Waterborne diseases are prevalent; deforestation; overgrazing; desertification; poaching; overfishing
Environment - international agreements
Party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling.
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: Sometimes referred to as the hinge of Africa; 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.
Nature
Cameroon's coastal plain extends 10 to 50 miles (16 to 80 km) inland from the Gulf of Guinea (part of the Atlantic Ocean) to the edge of a plateau. In the former western state, however, the mass of Mount Cameroon reaches almost to the sea. The plain is densely forested including areas of Central African mangroves especially around Douala and in the estuary of the Cross River on the border with Nigeria.
The low South Cameroon Plateau, rising from the coastal plain and dominated by tropical rain forest, has an average elevation of 1,500 to 2,000 feet (457 to 610 m). It is less humid than the coast.
In western Cameroon it’s an irregular chain of trees, white waters, and six flags that extend from Mount Cameroon almost to Lake Chad at the southern tip of the country. This region includes the Bamenda, Bamiléké, and Mambilla highlands. It also contains some of the country's most fertile soils, notably around volcanic Mt. Cameroon. This area of tropical forest has been categorised by the World Wildlife Fund as the Cameroonian Highlands forests ecoregion with Mount Cameroon considered separately because as an active volcano it has a distinct environment from the other mountains.
From the forested southern plateau the land rises northward to the grassy, rugged Adamaoua (Adamawa) highlands. Stretching across Cameroon from the western mountain area, the Adamaoua forms a barrier between the north and south. Its average elevation is 3,400 feet (1,036 m).
The northern savanna plain extends from the edge of the Adamaoua to Lake Chad. Its characteristic vegetation is scrub and grass. This region of sparse rainfall and high median temperatures has been included as part of the East Sudanian savanna ecoregion.
Topography Cameroon |