Cameroon

Cameroon

area:	475,440sq km (183,567sq mi)
population:	15,906,000
capital (population):	Yaoundé (1,122,500)
government:	Multiparty republic
ethnic groups:	Fang 20%, Bamileke and Bamum 19%, Douala, Luanda and Basa 15%, Fulani 10%
languages:	French and English (both official)
religions:	Christianity (Roman Catholic 35%, Protestant 18%), traditional beliefs 25%, Islam 22%
currency:	CFA franc = 100 centimes

Republic in w Africa. Cameroon gets its name from the early Portuguese explorers, who fished for camarões (prawns) along its coast.

Behind narrow coastal plains on the Gulf of Guinea, the land rises in a series of plateaux, home of the capital, Yaoundé. In the n, the land slopes down towards the Lake Chad basin. The mountainous sw region rises to the active volcano, Mount Cameroon at 4070m (13,354ft).

Climate

Cameroon has one of the wettest climates on Earth. Rainfall is heaviest in the hot and humid sw between July and September. The inland plateaux are cooler. Rainfall decreases as you move n and the far n has a hot, dry climate.

Vegetation

Rainforests flourish in the s. Inland, the forests give way to savanna. Here national parks (such as the Waza, n of Maroua) contain protected animal species. The far n is semi-desert.

History and Politics

Cameroon is a diverse nation, with more than 160 ethnic groups. Bantu-speakers predominate in coastal areas, such as Douala. Islam is the dominant force in the n, where major tribal groupings include the Fulani. In 1472, Portuguese explorers (seeking a sea route to Asia) reached the Cameroon coast. From the 17th century, s Cameroon was a centre of the slave trade. In the early nineteenth century slavery was abolished and replaced by the ivory trade, led by Britain.

In 1884, Cameroon became a German protectorate and the Germans developed the port facilities in Douala. In 1916 the country was captured by Allied troops. After World War I Cameroon was divided into two zones, ruled by Britain and France. In 1960, following civil unrest, French Cameroon became an independent republic. In 1961, n British Cameroon voted to join the Cameroon Republic (forming the Federal Republic of Cameroon), while s British Cameroon joined Nigeria.

In 1966 a one-party state was created, and in 1972 the federation became a unitary state. From 1960 to 1982 Ahmadou Ahidjo was the country's president. His successor, Paul Biya, purged the party of Ahidjo's supporters. In 1984 a failed coup led to many executions, and Biya made Cameroon a republic. Biya was re-elected in 1992, amidst charges of electoral malpractice. His autocratic rule was regularly accused of torture and the creation of a police state. In 1995, partly to satisfy its English-speaking community, it became the 52nd member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Economy

Cameroon is one of West Africa's most successful economies (2000 GDP per capita, US$1700). Its wealth, however, is extremely unevenly distributed. Northern Cameroon is impoverished, and heavily dependent on cattle-raising.

Agriculture dominates the economy, employing 79% of the workforce. Cameroon is self-sufficient in foodstuffs. Major crops include cassava, maize, millet and yams. It is the world's 7th largest producer of cocoa. Other commercial plantations grow coffee, bananas, groundnuts and tobacco. Fishing and forestry are other important activities.

Despite shrinking production, oil accounts for nearly 50% of Cameroon's exports. Other mineral resources include gold and bauxite.

Political map

Physical map