Portal:Cameroon

The Cameroon Portal

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 camps. Cameroon's population of nearly 31 million people speak 250 native languages, in addition to the national tongues of English and French, or both. 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...)

Selected article -

Location of East Region within Cameroon

The East Region (French: Région de l'Est) occupies the southeastern portion of the Republic of Cameroon. It is bordered to the east by the Central African Republic, to the south by Congo, to the north by the Adamawa Region, and to the west by the Centre and South Regions. With 109,002 km² of territory, it is the largest region in the nation as well as the most sparsely populated. Historically, the peoples of the East have been settled in Cameroonian territory for longer than any other of the country's many ethnic groups, the first inhabitants being the Baka (or Babinga) pygmies.

The East Region has very little industry, its main commerce consisting of logging, timber, and mining. Instead, the bulk of its inhabitants are subsistence farmers. The region is thus of little political import and is often ignored by Cameroonian politicians. This coupled with the low level of development in the province have led to its being dubbed "the forgotten province".

The southwest region is the most endowed with natural resources like oil, timber and plantain plantation (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Did you know (auto-generated)

... 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 naturalised German Mandenga Diek was denied funds to return to his native Cameroon because he wanted to bring his German wife?
... that the parents of Mathias Nkwenti, the second Cameroonian ever to play in the NFL, initially opposed his football career?

More did you know -

... that in Cameroon, edible caterpillars are cultivated on dwarf red ironwood leaves?

General images -

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

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

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