Country Summary
This page presents high-level information for Cameroon's climate zones and its seasonal cycle for mean temperature and precipitation for the latest climatology, 1991-2020. Climate zone classifications are derived from the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system, which divides climates into five main climate groups divided based on seasonal precipitation and temperature patterns. The five main groups are A (tropical), B (dry), C (temperate), D (continental), and E (polar). All climates except for those in the E group are assigned a seasonal precipitation sub-group (second letter). Climate classifications are identified by hovering your mouse over the legend. A narrative overview of Cameroon's country context and climate is provided following the visualizations.
Cameroon is a lower-middle income country situated on the western central coast of Africa along the Gulf of Guinea, extending north to Lake Chad. Cameroon’s geography is quite diverse with low-lying coastal plains rising inland to high plateaus, and mountain ranges stretching along its northwestern border with Nigeria. This variety affords Cameroon with three main climatic regions: southern equatorial forests, central grasslands, and the northern semi-arid, Sahelian region. It boasts an array of natural resources: oil, gas, high value timber species, minerals, and agricultural products (e.g. coffee, cotton, cocoa, maize, and cassava). Population is over 26 million (2020). Cameroon’s market-based, diversified economy features oil and gas, timber, aluminum, agriculture, mining and the service sector. Agriculture employs about 60% of the population and remains the predominant sector of the national economy, both in terms of contribution to GDP at 23% (2015) and the effect it has on other sectors. Cameroon is vulnerable to climate change which constitutes a serious threat to its natural resources which is in turn the source of livelihood for the majority of its population.