Country Information on Cameroon 

Terrain

Cameroon can be split into three distinct geographical regions: in the north there is a narrow lowland area which forms part of the Lake Chad basin; further south, there is the Benoue Valley and the Adamaoua mountain range that rises to an altitude of around 1,400 m. The south and centre of the country are dominated by a highland plateau which reaches 600 m in places and which has numerous valleys and the most fertile soils in Cameroon.

Mount Cameroon (4,095 m) is the highest peak in West Africa. The largest rivers are the Sanaga and the Nyong which flow westwards into the Atlantic. The Mbéré and the Logone flow from the central plateau into Lake Chad. A network of rivers, that includes the Benue River, connects the country with the large river system of the Niger in the east and in the north.

Climate

Cameroon has a rainy equatorial climate. The weather in the south is very humid, but it becomes drier and drier towards the north. The coastal region has an annual precipitation of 3,900 mm. There is constant rainfall along the exposed slopes of the mountainous region in Western Cameroon that reaches up to 10,200 mm a year. The semi-arid area in the north-west of the country, however, has an annual precipitation rate of just 380 mm. The dry season in the north lasts from October to April. The average temperature is around 25°C in the south, 21.1°C in the plateau area, and 32.2°C in the north.

Fauna/Flora

A large variety of trees grow in Cameroon's dense rainforests such as oil palms, bamboo, mahogany, teak, ebony and rubber trees. The country's great variety of wildlife includes monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas, antelope, elephants, lions, and many different species of birds and snakes.

History/Politics

Towards the end of the 15th century, the Portuguese explored the coast and named the area around the river mouth (the Wouri estuary) south of Mount Cameroon "Rio das Camarões" ("River of Prawns"). In the 17th century, European merchants built trading posts along the coast, where they traded in slaves, ivory and rubber. From 1845, British traders and missionaries were especially active in this region. In 1860, the Germans and British began exploring inland and in 1884 a German protectorate was established in the Douala area.

The British, caught unaware, did not resist. In 1918, British and French troops invaded the German colony; the British obtained a quarter of the country (the area bordering eastern Nigeria) and the rest of the country was mandated to the French. The decolonisation of the area began under UN supervision after World War II.

The French-administered area was afflicted by political unrest for several years and over 100 political parties formed between 1948 and 1960. The fight for independence, which was increasingly violent, escalated during the 1950s, until the French agreed to self-administration in 1958. French Cameroon finally became independent on 1 January 1960; French and British Cameroon merged in 1961.

Ahmadou Ahidjo who had been prime minister since 1958, became president and ruled until 1982, when he suddenly stepped down. Ahidjo's successor, former prime minister Paul Biya agreed to hold the first free multiparty elections in 1992 after a period of violent conflicts. The elections were however boycotted by the three leading opposition parties UNDP (National Union for Democracy and Progress), SDF (Social Democratic Front), and UDC (Cameroonian Democratic Union) because they had not been involved in making the political reform. Afterwards, there were allegations of electoral fraud. Biya won the presidential elections in 1997 with 92.6% and he was re-elected president once again in 2004.

Economy

Cameroon experienced considerable economic growth in the early 1980s. However, the drop in oil prices in 1986 (the country's most important export product) resulted in economic stagnation and a decrease in growth rates. Drops in coffee and cocoa prices (products of economic importance) made matters worse.

The early 1990s saw an improvement in the situation, but the country was still in a state of crisis as a result of high national debt and a high unemployment rate. Since it is predicted that crude oil reserves will be exhausted in the near future, the country is concentrating on promoting and developing alternative branches of industry. In 2003, the unemployment rate was 2.8% and the unemployment rate was 30%.

Culture

Cameroon boasts an active and flourishing music scene that is mainly based on pop music. It can be divided into two distinctive and idiosyncratic musical styles, bikutsi and makossa, which have gained international acclaim. The modern embodiment of bikutsi dates back in the sixties but has its roots in the old styles of the Bulu Beti tribe. It is based on texts about sex or politics. Like bikutsi, makossa has its roots in folk music and has mainly developed into a form of urban music. It is a popular form of dance music that tends to be amplified electronically. Some musicians are even known internationally.