Portal:Cameroon

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The Cameroon Portal

Flag of Cameroon Coat of arms of Cameroon

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, and its political capital; 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...)

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The Sao civilization (also called So) flourished in Central Africa from ca. the 6th century BCE or 5th century BCE to as late as the 16th century AD. The Sao lived by the Chari River basin in territory that later became part of Cameroon and Chad. They are the earliest civilization to have left clear traces of their presence in the territory of modern Cameroon. Sometime around the 16th century, conversion to Islam changed the cultural identity of the former Sao. Today, several ethnic groups of northern Cameroon and southern Chad, but particularly the Sara and Kotoko, claim descent from the civilization of the Sao. (Full article...)

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... 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?

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...that tourism in Cameroon (bush taxi pictured) centers around wildlife such as elephants, giraffes, and gorillas?

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

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