Geography
Cameroon is a Central African nation on the Gulf of Guinea, bordered by Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. It is nearly twice the size of Oregon. Mount Cameroon (13,350 ft; 4,069 m), near the coast, is the highest elevation in the country. The main rivers are the Benue, Nyong, and Sanaga.
Republic of Cameroon
President: Paul Biya (1982)
Prime Minister: Philemon Yang (2009)
Land area: 181,251 sq mi (469,440 sq km); total area: 183,567 sq mi (475,440 sq km)
Population (2014 est.): 23,130,708
Capital (2011): Yaoundé, 2.432 million
Monetary unit: CFA Franc
History
Bantu speakers were among the first groups to settle Cameroon, followed by the Muslim
Fulani in the 18th and 19th centuries. The land escaped colonial rule until 1884,
when treaties with tribal chiefs brought the area under German domination. After World
War I, the League of Nations gave the French a mandate over 80% of the area, and the
British 20% adjacent to Nigeria. After World War II, when the country came under a UN
trusteeship in 1946, self-government was granted, and the Cameroon People's Union
emerged as the dominant party by campaigning for reunification of French and British
Cameroon and for independence. Accused of being under Communist control, the party
waged a campaign of revolutionary terror from 1955 to 1958, when it was crushed. In
British Cameroon, unification was also promoted by the leading party, the Kamerun
National Democratic Party, led by John Foncha.
Cameroon Map
People
Over 250 ethnic groups live in Cameroon's 10 provinces. Across the different regions, communities have an allegiance to local chiefs as well as being ruled by central government.
As might be expected from the large number of ethnic groups, Cameroon’s people follow different religions. Around half are Christian (Catholics and Protestant), mostly in the south.
In the North, Muslims dominate, accounting for nearly a quarter of the population. The remaining 25% of the population follow variations of traditional animist beliefs, paying homage to the spirits of ancestors.
With so many cultures and traditions, there is general tolerance between groups. Cameroonians tend to be more conscious of a person's region, than their religion. And in some aspects of life, particularly in sport and football, Cameroonians think nationally!
Cultural diversity
The different populations of Cameroon can roughly be categorised into groups of the south, west and north.
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