Geography

Cameroon has an area of 183,569 square miles (475,444 square kilometers). It is bordered by Nigeria on the northwest, Chad on the northeast, the Central African Republic on the east, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea on the south, and the Atlantic Ocean on the west.

Cameroon has four geographic regions. The southern region, which consists of coastal plains and a densely forested plateau, extends from the southern border to the Sanaga River. The central region extends north from the Sanaga River to the Bénoué River and includes the Adamawa Plateau. In the northern region grasslands slope down toward the basin of Lake Chad. Finally, to the north and west, along the border with Nigeria, the landscape is mountainous. The volcanic peak of Mount Cameroon, which rises to a height of 13,435 feet (4,095 meters), is located on the northwestern coast. It is still active and last erupted in 1959. The side of the mountain facing the ocean is one of the wettest places in the world. It has an average annual rainfall of more than 400 inches (10,000 millimeters).

Cameroon's main rivers are the Sanaga, which drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and the Bénoué, which flows into the Niger River basin in Nigeria.

Cameroon lies wholly in the tropics and thus has hot temperatures year-round. The average annual temperatures range from 70° F to 82° F (21° C to 28° C). The lower temperatures are at the higher elevations.

Plants and animals

More than half of Cameroon is forested. Rain forests in the south include mahogany, ebony, obeche, dibetu, and sapelli trees, as well as orchids and ferns. Mangroves are found along the coasts and river mouths. The forests of the central region include semi-deciduous trees, which means that some trees lose their leaves at some point during the year. The north is largely wooded grassland.

Cameroon has a varied wildlife. The rain forests hold monkeys, chimpanzees, and mandrills. There are some elephants in the grasslands, as well as baboons and antelopes. Several animals, including lions and leopards, are protected in the Waza National Park. Bird life is abundant throughout the country.

People and culture

More than 200 different ethnic groups live in Cameroon. The major groups include the Fang, Bamileke, Duala, and Fulani. Pygmy groups, known locally as Baguielli and Babinga, live in the southern forests. Almost half of Cameroon's population lives in cities, most of which are concentrated in the south.

Each major ethnic group in Cameroon has developed its own culture. In the Adamawa area the Muslim Fulani produce elaborately worked leather goods and ornate calabashes (gourd shells used as containers). The Kirdi and the Matakam of the western mountains produce distinctive types of pottery. The Bali make ceremonial masks in the shape of elephants' heads. The Tikar are known for beautifully decorated brass pipes, the Ngoutou for two-faced masks, and the Bamum for smiling masks.

English and French are the official languages of Cameroon, but many other languages are also spoken. Christianity was introduced during the colonial period, and a substantial part of the population is now Christian. More than half of the people, however, follow traditional religions. Most of the people in the north of the country are Muslim.

Economy

Cameroon's economy continues to be based largely on agriculture, even though less than one fifth of the land is used to grow crops. Staple crops include corn, beans, peanuts, millet, and sorghum. Coffee, cocoa, cotton, and bananas are produced for export, mostly by small farmers, while cash crops of rubber and palm oil are produced on large farms called plantations. Cameroon ranks as one of the world's largest producers of cocoa.

Cameroon began exploiting its many mineral resources in the late 1970s. Oil was discovered in 1976, and production began in 1977. Since 1980 crude petroleum has been the country's most important export. Timber production is also important. Most manufacturing is centered on the processing of raw materials and produces pulp and paper, wood products, and fertilizer.

History

From archaeological evidence it is known that humans have inhabited the area that is now Cameroon for at least 50,000 years. Eventually Bantu people from equatorial Africa invaded the area, settling in the south and then in the west. The Fulani arrived from the Niger basin in the 18th and 19th centuries and settled in the north.

The first Europeans to arrive in Cameroon, in the early 1470s, were the Portuguese. They established sugar plantations and a prosperous slave trade. In the mid-19th century the British began settling there. In the late 19th century the Germans persuaded local chiefs to sign treaties with Germany instead of Britain and thus gained control over Cameroon. In 1919, after the Germans were forced out of the area during World War I, Cameroon was divided into French and British administrative zones.

In 1960 the French section became the independent republic of Cameroon. In 1961 the southern part of British Cameroons voted for union with the republic and thus became a part of the new state. The northern part of the British territory voted for union with Nigeria. For the first three decades of independence the country had only two presidents. In the 1990s president Paul Biya yielded to calls for democracy and allowed multiparty elections for the first time. Population (2000 estimate), 15,422,000.