Republic of Cameroon
République du Cameroun
|
|
Motto: Paix, Travail, Patrie
(French: Peace, Work, Fatherland) |
| Anthem: Chant de Ralliement |
 |
| Capital |
Yaoundé
3°52′ N 11°31′ E |
| Largest city |
Douala |
| Official language(s) |
French and English |
| Government
|
Paul Biya
Ephraïm Inoni |
Independence
From France & UK |
January 1, 1960 |
Area
• Total
• Water (%) |
475,440 km² (52nd)
183,568 mi²
1.3 |
Population
• July 2005 est.
• 2003 census
• Density |
16,380,005 (59th)
15,746,179
34/km² (138th)
88/mi² |
GDP (PPP)
• Total
• Per capita |
2005 estimate
$32.35 billion (91st)
$2,176 (140th) |
| HDI (2003) |
0.497 (148th) – low |
| Currency |
CFA franc (XAF) |
Time zone
• Summer (DST) |
(UTC+1)
(UTC) |
| Internet TLD |
.cm |
| Calling code |
+237 |
|
The Republic of Cameroon is a unitary republic of central Africa. It borders Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and the Gulf of Guinea. Originally a German colony, it was split after World War I among the French and British. In 1960, French Cameroun became an independent republic, merging with the southern part of British Cameroons in 1961 to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. It was renamed the United Republic of Cameroon in 1972, and the Republic of Cameroon or République du Cameroun in 1984 (its official languages are English and French). Compared to other African countries, Cameroon enjoys relative political and social stability, which has in turn permitted the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as an extensive petroleum industry. Despite movement toward political reform, however, power remains firmly in the hands of an ethnic oligarchy.
History
Main article: History of Cameroon
The first inhabitants of Cameroon were the pygmy Baka people. They were largely replaced and absorbed by Bantu tribes during Bantu migrations.
The first European contact was in the 16th century with the Portuguese, but they did not stay. The Portuguese did however give the would-be country its name. Explorers on the Sanaga River noted the abundance of prawns and gave the land the name camarão, the Portuguese word for prawn. The first permanent colonial settlements were started in the late 1870s, with the German Empire emerging as the major European Power. With the defeat of Germany in World War I, Cameroon became a League of Nations Mandate territory split between French Cameroun and British Cameroons in 1919. These mandates were converted into United Nations Trusteeships in 1946.
In 1960, French Cameroun gained its independence and became The Cameroon Republic. It was joined in 1961 by the southern part of the British Cameroons. The remainder of the British Cameroons became part of Nigeria at the same time. The new coalition government was led by Ahmadou Ahidjo who led a crackdown on rebel groups who had remained since before independence.
Ahidjo stepped down in 1982 and was succeeded by the current president, Paul Biya. Biya has won numerous elections, but the fairness of these elections has been questioned. The last elections were held on October 11, 2004.
Politics
- Main article: Politics of Cameroon
The President of Cameroon holds executive power in the government of Cameroon. This provision was part of the reforms instituted in 1996 to the Constitution, that had been originally written in 1972. The President is given a broad range of powers, and is able to carry them out without consulting the National Assembly. Cameroon is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
The National Assembly consists of 180 delegates and meets three times a year. The main responsibility of the Assembly is to pass laws, but rarely has it changed any laws or blocked the passage of legislation.
The judiciary is subordinate to the executive branch's Ministry of Justice. The Supreme Court may review the constitutionality of a law only at the president's request.
Administrative Divisions
Main articles: Provinces of Cameroon, Departments of Cameroon
Cameroon is divided into 10 provinces and subdivided into 58 departments (départements).
The provinces include: Adamawa Province, Centre Province, East Province, Extreme North Province, Littoral Province, North Province, Northwest Province, West Province, South Province, and Southwest Province.
Departments: see Departments of Cameroon
Geography
- Main article: Geography of Cameroon
Location: Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria
Geographic coordinates: 6° N 12° E
Map references: Africa
Area:
Total: 183,568 square miles (475,440 km²)
Land: 181,252 square miles (469,440 km²)
Water: 2,317 square miles (6,000 km²)
Cameroon can be divided into five geographic zones. These are distinguished by dominant physical, climatic, and vegetative features.
Natural regions
Cameroon's coastal plain extends 10 to 50 miles (15–80 km) inland from the Gulf of Guinea (part of the Atlantic Ocean) to the edge of a plateau. In the former western state, however, the mass of Mt. Cameroon reaches almost to the sea. Exceedingly hot and humid, the coastal belt includes some of the wettest places on earth. For example, Debuncha, at the base of Mt. Cameroon, has recorded annual rainfalls of 400 inches (10,000 mm). The plain is densely forested.
The low southern plateau, rising from the coastal plain and dominated by tropical rain forest, has an average elevation of 1,500 to 2,000 feet (450–600 m). It is less humid than the coast.
In western Cameroon is an irregular chain of mountains, hills, and plateaus that extend from Mt. Cameroon almost to Lake Chad at the northern tip of the country. This region enjoys a pleasant climate, particularly in the Bamenda, Bamiléké, and Mambilla highlands. It also contains some of the country's most fertile soils, notably around volcanic Mt. Cameroon.
From the forested southern plateau the land rises northward to the grassy, rugged Adamaoua (Adamawa) highlands. Stretching across Cameroon from the western mountain area, the Adamaoua forms a barrier between the north and south. Its average elevation is 3,400 feet (1,035 m), and its climate is reasonably pleasant.
The northern savanna plain extends from the edge of the Adamaoua to Lake Chad. Its characteristic vegetation is scrub and grass. This is a region of sparse rainfall and high median temperatures.
Rivers
The country has four patterns of drainage. In the south, the principal rivers—the Wouri, Sanaga, Nyong, and Ntem-—flow southwestward or westward directly into the Gulf of Guinea. The Dja and Kadei, however, drain southeastward into the Congo River. In northern Cameroon, the Benoué (Benue) runs north and west, eventually into the Niger, while the Logone flows northward into Lake Chad.
Only part of Lake Chad lies within Cameroon. The rest belongs to Chad, Nigeria, and Niger. The lake varies in size according to seasonal rainfall.
Natural Resources
In general, Cameroon's natural resources are better suited to agriculture and forestry than to industry. Soils and climate in the south encourage extensive cultivation of crops such as cocoa, coffee, and bananas. In the north, natural conditions favour crops such as cotton and peanuts. The southern rain forest has vast timber reserves, but large areas of the forest are difficult to reach.
The southern rivers are obstructed by rapids and waterfalls, but these sites offer opportunities for hydroelectric development. The Wouri River estuary provides a harbor for the country's principal seaport city, Douala. In the north the Benoué River is seasonally navigable from Garoua into Nigeria.
Petroleum and natural gas are found offshore, and iron ore in the south near the coast. Northern Cameroon has large deposits of bauxite and limestone.
- See also List of cities in Cameroon.
Economy
- Main article: Economy of Cameroon
For a quarter-century following independence, Cameroon was one of the most prosperous countries in Africa. The drop in commodity prices for its principal exports —petroleum, cocoa, coffee, and cotton — in the mid-1980s, combined with an overvalued currency and economic mismanagement, led to a decade-long recession. Real per capita GDP fell by more than 60% from 1986 to 1994. The current account and fiscal deficits widened, and foreign debt grew. Yet because of its oil resources and favorable agricultural conditions, Cameroon still has one of the best-endowed primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa.
tea bag produced in Cameroon
Despite rapid urbanisation, the single largest economic activity in Cameroon is subsistence agriculture, in which virtually all of the rural population is employed.
Demographics
Yaoundé, capital of Cameroon (2003)
photo from the north of Cameroon
The palace of the sultan of the
Bamun people at
Foumban, West Province
Main article: Demographics of Cameroon
Cameroon's demographic profile is comprised of an estimated 250 distinct ethnic groups, which may be formed into five large regional-cultural divisions:
- western highlanders (Semi-Bantu or grassfielders), including the Bamileke, Bamun (or Bamoun), and many smaller Tikar groups in the Northwest (est. 38% of total population);
- coastal tropical forest peoples, including the Bassa, Duala (or Douala), and many smaller groups in the Southwest (12%);
- southern tropical forest peoples, including the Beti-Pahuin, Bulu (a subgroup of Beti-Pahuin), Fang (subgroup of Beti-Pahuin), Maka-Njem, and Baka pygmies (18%);
- predominantly Islamic peoples of the northern semi-arid regions (the Sahel) and central highlands, including the Fulani (or Peuhl in French) (14%); and
- the "Kirdi", non-Islamic or recently Islamic peoples of the northern desert and central highlands (18%).
Culture
Main article: Culture of Cameroon
The Kirdi and the Matakam of the western mountains produce distinctive types of pottery. The powerful masks of the Bali, which represent elephants' heads, are used in ceremonies for the dead, and the statuettes of the Bamileke are carved in human and animal figures. The Tikar people are famous for beautifully decorated brass pipes, the Ngoutou people for two-faced masks, and the Bamum for smiling masks.
L'Institut Français d'Afrique Noire (French Institute of Black Africa) maintains a library in Douala that specializes in the sociology, ethnology, and history of Africa. Of the several museums, the Diamare and Maroua Museum has anthropological collections relating to the Sudanese peoples, and the
Cameroon Museum of Douala exhibits objects of prehistory and natural history.
Cultural organizations include the Cameroun Cultural Association, the Cameroun Cultural Society, and the Federal Linguistic and Cultural Centre. There are also numerous women's associations, youth organizations, and sporting associations.
In addition, movable holidays include: Christian: Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday Muslim: 'Id al-Fitr and 'Id al-Adha
See also: Music of Cameroon, List of writers from Cameroon
Education
Main article: Education in Cameroon
Two separate systems of education were used in Cameroon after independence. East Cameroon's system was based on the French model, West Cameroon's on the British model. The two systems were merged by 1976. Christian mission schools have been an important part of the educational system.
Cameroon is known for having one of the best education systems in Africa. Primary school is both free and obligatory. Statistics say that 70% of all children aged between 6-12 years go to school, whilst 79% of the Cameroon population as a whole is literate. In the southern areas of the country almost all children of primary-school age are enrolled in classes. However, in the north, which has always been the most isolated part of Cameroon, registration is low. Most students in Cameroon do not go beyond the primary grades.
The country has institutions for teacher training and technical education. At the top of the educational structure is the University of Yaoundé. There is, however, a growing trend for the wealthiest and best-educated students to leave the country in order to study and live abroad, creating a brain drain.
Miscellaneous topics
External links
Maka woman going to fields
a
Tikar family in the north west
Education
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Tourism
The content of this page is retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameroon under GFDL
