Cameroon

Overview

Cameroon is one of the most diverse countries in Africa and oft referred to as "Africa in miniature". Here you"ll find a myriad of ethnic and language groups, extremely varied climatic and geographical conditions, and a fascinating traditional culture and history. From the Sahara desert to the equatorial grasslands or the nature reserves Lobeke , Nki and Boumba-Bek . In Cameroom lays the highest mountain in West Africa and last but not least Cameroon is full of wonderful friendly and warmhearted people.

Limbe is a small picturesque town of the Gulf of Guinee, with beautifull beaches to laydown on and relax under a palmtree, but there's also a traditional market and interesting bars and shops to explore. If you're interested in a beachside holiday the white sand beaches of

Kribi are also an option. Also interesting is

Douala , Cameroon's port city.

Those who like the shade can go on an excursion to a rubber or cocoa plantation near Bafang and Nkongsamba . And everyone should visit the Guneku and the Sultan's Palace in

Foumban , Cameroon's Moslem center.

For an active vacation, you can hike Mt. Cameroon, the tallest mountain in this part of Africa. Also the tropical forest and savannah terrain near

Bamenda , Korup National Park or the Kumbo Highlands belong to the most interesting landscapes of the country.

Geography

Cameroon is a Central African nation on the Gulf of Guinea, bordered by Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. It is about the size of Spain and nearly...more

History

Bantu speakers were among the first groups to settle Cameroon, followed by the Muslim Fulani in the 18th and 19th centuries. The land escaped colonial rule until 1884, when treaties with tribal chiefs brought the area under German domination. After World War I, the League of Nations gave the French a mandate over 80% of the area, and the British 20% adjacent to Nigeria. After World War II, when the country came under a U.N. trusteeship in 1946, self-government was granted, and the Cameroon People's Union emerged as the dominant party by campaigning for reunification of French and British Cameroon and for independence. Accused of being under Communist control, the party waged a campaign of revolutionary terror from 1955 to 1958, when it was crushed. In British Cameroon, unification was also promoted by the leading party, the Kamerun National Democratic Party, led by John Foncha.

France set up Cameroon as an autonomous state in 1957, and the next year its legislative assembly voted for independence by 1960. In 1959 a fully autonomous government of Cameroon was formed under Ahmadou Ahidjo. Cameroon became an independent republic on Jan. 1, 1960. In 1961 the southern part of the British territory joined the new Federal Republic of Cameroon and the northern section voted for unification with Nigeria. The president of Cameroon since independence, Ahmadou Ahidjo, was replaced in 1982 by the prime minister, Paul Biya. Both administrations were characterized by authoritarian rule.

Calls for reform eventually resulted in the adoption of a new constitution in...more