5 Facts of Cameroon

The capital of Cameroon is Yaoundé

 

5 Facts You Might Not Know

1

Cameroon has an extremely diverse range of religions amongst its population. Two-thirds of its people are Christian, with one-fifth Muslim and many other religions represented. The West of the country is largely Protestant; the east and south are predominantly Catholic; but there remain southern groups who follow African animist practices, believing in witchcraft, which is outlawed by the government.

2

Cameroon gained its independence from France on 1st January 1960, 2:30am. After 1919, the country had been split into French Cameroun and British Cameroons. This governance was highly controversial, with political resistance put down by French forces. Following independence, on 1st October 1961 British Cameroons was reunited with French Cameroun to create the Federal Republic of Cameroon. Today, the country is governed by a President, who has very wide-ranging powers to form policy, govern agences, issue orders to the army, and arrange treaties. He is elected every seven years by popular vote.

3

Cameroon is home to the world's most endangered language. It became the object of considerable international attention through the efforts of language preservation websites. Busuu, a Southern Bantoid language, has just eight speakers left in the world, and efforts are now being taken to preserve the language for future speakers in the region, as linguists study its structure and grammar. Many more languages in the region are also in danger of disappearing, as the population becomes increasingly colonised by more widely-spoken languages.

4

Cameroon is one of the most geographically various countries in the world. It is larger than the state of California, stretching nearly 500,000 sq km, making it the 53rd largest country in the world. However, unlike other countries of a similar size, it has an extremely diverse geography: coastal, mountainous, rainforest, savanna and grasslands. It exhibits every major climate type, often in extremes.

5

Cameroon is home to the world's second wettest region. Dubuncha, situated at the foot of the Cameroon Mountains. Annual rainfall levels average at 400 inches roughly twenty times that recorded in England.