Education is free in state schools and compulsory between ages 6 and 12. Government funds are available to mission and private schools. Most secondary schools have been made bilingual, with instruction in both French and English. Working alongside the public schools are the missionary schools, which have been extremely important in the history of Cameroonian education. As of 1999, public expenditure on education was estimated at 2.6% of GDP.
At 475,440 km2 (183,570 sq mi), Cameroon is the world's 54th largest country. It is slightly larger than the nation of Sweden and state of California. It is comparable in size to Papua New Guinea. Cameroon's landmass is 472,710 km2 (182,510 sq mi), with 2,730 km2 (1,050 sq mi) of water.
Yaounde is the capital city, green and hilly, with chaotic traffic and meandering roads common to most capital cities spilling over with people.