Portal:Cameroon

The Cameroon Portal

Flag of Cameroon Coat of arms of Cameroon

Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Its coastline lies on the Bight of Biafra, part of the Gulf of Guinea, and the Atlantic Ocean. Due to its strategic position at the crossroads between West Africa and Central Africa, it has been categorized as being in both geostrategic locations. Cameroon's population of nearly 31 million people speak 250 native languages, in addition to the national tongues of English and French. Early inhabitants of the territory included the Sao civilisation around Lake Chad and the Baka hunter-gatherers in the southeastern rainforest. Portuguese explorers reached the coast in the 15th century and named the area Rio dos Camarões (Shrimp River), which became Cameroon in English. Fulani soldiers founded the Adamawa Emirate in the north in the 19th century, and various ethnic groups of the west and northwest established powerful chiefdoms and fondoms.

The official languages of Cameroon are French and English, the official languages of former French Cameroons and British Cameroons. Christianity is the majority religion in Cameroon, with significant minorities practising Islam and traditional faiths. It has experienced tensions from the English-speaking territories, where politicians have advocated for greater decentralisation and even complete separation or independence (as in the Southern Cameroons National Council). In 2017, tensions over the creation of an Ambazonian state in the English-speaking territories escalated into open warfare. Large numbers of Cameroonians live as subsistence farmers. The country is often referred to as "Africa in miniature" for its geological, linguistic, and cultural diversity. Its natural features include beaches, deserts, mountains, rainforests, and savannas. Cameroon's highest point, at almost 4,100 metres (13,500 ft), is Mount Cameroon in the Southwest Region.

Cameroon's most populous cities are Douala on the Wouri River, its economic capital and main seaport; Yaoundé, its political capital; and Garoua. Limbé in the southwest has a natural seaport. Cameroon is well known for its native music styles, particularly Makossa, Njang, and Bikutsi, and its successful national football team. It is a member state of the African Union, the United Nations, the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), the Commonwealth of Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. (Full article...)

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Yaoundé skyline

Yaoundé (UK: /jɑːˈʊndeɪ, -ˈuːn-/; US: /ˌjɑːʊnˈdeɪ/, French pronunciation: [ja.unde]) is the capital city of Cameroon. It has a population of more than 2.8 million, which makes it the second-largest city in the country after the port city Douala. It lies in the Centre Region of the nation at an elevation of about 750 metres (2,500 ft) above sea level.

The outpost of Epsumb or Jeundo was founded between the Nyong and Sanaga rivers at the northern edge of the area's forests in 1887 by German explorers as a trading base for rubber and ivory. A military garrison was built in 1895 which enabled further colonization. After Imperial Germany's defeat in World War I, France held eastern Cameroon as a mandate, and Yaoundé was chosen to become the capital of the colony in 1922.

Douala remained the more important settlement, but Yaoundé saw rapid growth and continued as the seat of government for the Republic of Cameroon upon its independence in 1960. Most of Yaoundé's economy is still centred on the administrative structure but major industries in Yaoundé include tobacco, dairy products, beer, clay, glass goods and timber. The city has many striking monuments and buildings, such as the Presidential Palace and Palais des Congrès. (Full article...)

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Did you know (auto-generated)

... that the naturalised German Mandenga Diek was denied funds to return to his native Cameroon because he wanted to bring his German wife?
... that Cameroonian-born Joel Embiid opted to play for the 2024 U.S. Olympic basketball team instead of France in part because his son is American?
... that the parents of Mathias Nkwenti, the second Cameroonian ever to play in the NFL, initially opposed his football career?

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...that the Sao civilisation is the earliest to have left clear traces of their presence in the territory of modern Cameroon?

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The following are images from various Cameroon-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Paul Biya has ruled the country since 1982. (from Cameroon)
Image 2Plantains and "Bobolo" (made from cassava) served with Ndolè (meat and shrimp) (from Cameroon)
Image 3Our Lady of Victories Cathedral, a Catholic Church in Yaoundé (from Cameroon)
Image 4Former president Ahmadou Ahidjo ruled from 1960 until 1982. (from Cameroon)
Image 5A woman weaves a basket near Lake Ossa, Littoral Region. Cameroonians practise such handicrafts throughout the country. (from Cameroon)
Image 6Bamum script is a writing system developed by King Njoya in the late 19th century. (from Cameroon)
Image 7Hippopotamus at the Benoue National Park (from Tourism in Cameroon)
Image 8Flag of the Federal Republic of Cameroon (from Cameroon)
Image 9Unity Palace – Cameroon Presidency (from Cameroon)
Image 10Kribi Beach (from Tourism in Cameroon)
Image 11Giraffes in Waza National Park (from Tourism in Cameroon)
Image 12Military vehicles during a parade (from Cameroon)
Image 13Cameroonian fashion is varied and often mixes modern and traditional elements. Note the wearing of sun glasses, Monk shoes, sandals, and a Smartwatch. (from Culture of Cameroon)
Image 14National Museum, Yaounde (from Tourism in Cameroon)
Image 15Volcanic plugs dot the landscape near Rhumsiki, Far North Region. (from Cameroon)
Image 16Douala seaport (from Cameroon)
Image 17Leaders of the pro-independence UPC (from Cameroon)
Image 18Reunification Monument, Yaounde (from Tourism in Cameroon)
Image 19President Paul Biya with U.S. President Barack Obama in 2014 (from Cameroon)
Image 20Cameroonian fashion is varied and often mixes modern and traditional elements. Note the wearing of sun glasses, monk shoes, sandals, and a Smartwatch. (from Cameroon)
Image 21Cameroon facing Germany at Zentralstadion in Leipzig, 17 November 2004 (from Cameroon)
Image 22Cameroonian women on Women's Day Celebration, 2015 (from Cameroon)
Image 23Chimpanzee at Mefou primate sanctuary (from Tourism in Cameroon)
Image 24Dutch bulls and cows at Wallya community during the rainy season in Cameroon (from Cameroon)
Image 25Elephants in Waza National Park (from Cameroon)
Image 26A statue of a chief in Bana, West Region (from Cameroon)
Image 27Limbe Beach with people engaging in various activities (from Tourism in Cameroon)
Image 28The homes of the Musgum, in the Far North Region, made of earth and grass (from Cameroon)
Image 29Map of the region's indigenous languages (from Cameroon)
Image 30Dancers greet visitors to the East Region, 2006. (from Cameroon)
Image 31A musician plays traditional African music during the closing ceremony of French RECAMP-concept (reinforcement of African peacekeeping capacities) in Douala, November 23, 2006 (from Culture of Cameroon)
Image 32School children in Cameroon in 2014 (from Cameroon)
Image 33Cameroon is divided into 10 regions. (from Cameroon)
Image 34Gorilla at Mefou primate sanctuary (from Tourism in Cameroon)
Image 35Life expectancy in Cameroon (from Cameroon)