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Population: 25.25 million (2018),Capital: Yaounde Population approx. 1.3 million (2020)
Official Languages French,English. Further LanguagesThe nation strives toward bilingualism, but in reality, very few Cameroonians speak both French and English, and many speak neither. The government has established several bilingual schools in an effort to teach both languages more evenly. Cameroon is a member of both the Commonwealth of Nations and La Francophonie. Capital Regions : Douala, Bafoussam, Ebolowa, and Bertoua. Area: 183,569 mi² |
——————————————————————————————————————————- Beaches Limbe is a great beach and port city. Previously known as Victoria, it is located on the slopes of Mount Cameroon, where Lava from the great mountain flows directly into the Atlantic Ocean. Currency: CFA franc |
Crime & Security: |
Economy Education in Cameroon Agriculture: Agriculture is the main pillar of Cameroon’s economy. It accounts for 43 % of GDP, employs 70 % of the working population and generates more than one third of total export earnings (Fresh Produce Journal 2004). Main agricultural products include plantains, cattle meat, cocoa beans, taro, bananas, maize, fresh vegetables and groundnuts. Cameroon’s primary export crops are cocoa, cotton, coffee, bananas, rubber and palm oil (FAO, 14.07.2006). The country’s main export partner is the European Union. However, still the bigger part of agricultural activity is confined to subsistence level farming. The most important cash crops are cocoa, coffee, cotton, bananas, rubber, palm oil and kernels, and peanuts. The main food crops are plantains, cassava, corn, millet, and sugarcane. Palm oil production has shown signs of strength, but the product is not marketed internationally. Cameroon bananas are sold internationally, and the sector was reorganized and privatized in 1987. Similarly, rubber output has grown in spite of Asian competition. Cameroon is among the world’s largest cocoa producers; 130,000 tons of cocoa beans were produced in 2004. Two types of coffee, robusta and arabica, are grown; production was 60,000 tons in 2004. About 85,000 hectares (210,000 acres) are allocated to cotton plantations. Some cotton is exported, while the remainder is processed by local textile plants. Total cotton output was 109,000 tons in 2004. Bananas are grown mainly in the southwest; 2004 estimated production was 630,000 tons. The output of rubber, also grown in the southwest, was 45,892 tons in 2004. Estimated production in 2004 of palm kernels and oil was 64,000 and 1,200,000 tons, respectively. For peanuts (in the shell) the figure was 200,000 tons. Small amounts of tobacco, tea, and pineapples are also grown. Health With a severe shortage of medical professionals – there are fewer than two doctors for every 10,000 people – the Cameroonian health system struggles to offer a high level of care. Malaria Prevention Malaria is endemic in Cameroon, where it is the leading cause of morbidity (41%) and mortality (43%). According to the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), malaria accounts for 50–56% of morbidity and 40% of deaths among children less than five years of age. Fifty-nine percent of hospitalizations during pregnancy are due to malaria, and can result in adverse birth outcomes and maternal death. Government Climate The climate varies with terrain, from tropical along the coast to semiarid and hot in the north. Exceedingly hot and humid, the coastal belt includes some of the wettest places on earth. For example, Debundscha, at the base of Mt. Cameroon, has an average annual rainfall of 10,300 millimetres (405 in). Religion Christian churches and Muslim centres of various denominations operate freely throughout Cameroon. Approximately 70 percent of the population is at least nominally Christian, 20 percent is nominally Muslim and 6 percent practise traditional indigenous religious beliefs. Public Transport The main international airport is the Douala International Airport and a secondary international airport at Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport. As of May 2014 Cameroon had regular international air connections with nearly every major international airport in West and Southwest Africa as well as several connections to Europe and East Africa. Languages Both English and French are official languages, although French is by far the most understood language (more than 80%). German, the language of the original colonisers, has long since been displaced by French and English. Cameroonian Pidgin English is the lingua franca in the formerly British-administered territories. A mixture of English, French, and Pidgin called Camfranglais has been gaining popularity in urban centres since the mid-1970s. The government encourages bilingualism in English and French, and as such, official government documents, new legislation, ballots, among others, are written and provided in both languages. As part of the initiative to encourage bilingualism in Cameroon, six of the eight universities in the country are entirely bilingual. In addition to the colonial languages, there are approximately 250 other languages spoken by nearly 20 million Cameroonians.It is because of this that Cameroon is considered one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world. In 2017 there were language protests by the anglophone population against perceived oppression by the francophone. The military was deployed against the protesters and people have been killed, hundreds imprisoned and thousands fled the country. |