The Republic of Cameroon has an estimated population of 19.9 million (UN, 2010). The capital is Yaounde. Cameroun has an area of 475,442 sq km (183,568 sq miles). The main languages are French, English, Bantu, Semi-Bantu and Sudanic groups.
The Republic of Cameroon was created in 1961 with the merge of the former French Cameroon and British Cameroon. Cameroon is considered to be one of the more stable countries in Sub-Sahara Africa.
The percentage of women in the political institutions of the country remains significantly low, only few women are represented in the government. Violence against women is widespread in Cameroon; an estimated 53% of women experience physical violence, in most of the cases the husbands are the perpetrators.