29 October 1923 (successor state to the Ottoman Empire)
Religions
nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices
Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)
Languages
Spanish 67.6% (official), other 32.4% (includes French (official), Fang, Bubi) (1994 census)
Turkish (official), Kurdish, Dimli (or Zaza), Azeri, Kabardian note: there is also a substantial Gagauz population in the European part of Turkey
Exports
petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa
apparel, foodstuffs, textiles, metal manufactures, transport equipment
External Debt
$1,051,000,000 $
$306,600,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar 441.72 (2008 est.), 481.83 (2007), 522.4 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)
Turkish liras (TRY) per US dollar - 1.3179 (2008 est.), 1.319 (2007), 1.4286 (2006), 1.3436 (2005), 1.4255 (2004) note: on 1 January 2005 the old Turkish lira (TRL) was converted to new Turkish lira (TRY) at a rate of 1,000,000 old to 1 new Turkish lira; on 1 January 2009 the Turkish government dropped the word "new" and the currency is now called simply the Turkish lira
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.100%
5.300%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
8
Location
Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon
Southeastern Europe and Southwestern Asia (that portion of Turkey west of the Bosporus is geographically part of Europe), bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Georgia, and bordering the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, between Greece and Syria
Area
28,051 km sq
783,562 km sq
Coastline
296 km
7,200 km
Climate
tropical; always hot, humid
temperate; hot, dry summers with mild, wet winters; harsher in interior
