Cameroon – Geography
Cameroon – geography, Cameroon extends over 1200 km from north to south, and there are over 200 ethnic groups from the rainforest belt in the south, which is mainly characterized by Bantu people, to the Sahel belt in the north, populated by, among other things. fulani.
The population is growing by approximately 2% per year. There is considerable migration towards the cities, whose share of the population grew from 14% in 1960 to 55% in 2005. It is especially the port city of Douala (approximately 1.5 million inbound) and the capital Yaoundé that has been the target of the relocation.
- Countryaah: Do you know how many people there are in Cameroon? Check this site to see population pyramid and resident density about this country.
Agriculture employs nearly 3/4 of the population and contributes about 45% of GDP. Cameroon is self-sufficient with most foods. Base crops are millet, corn and root vegetables; in addition, rice production is increasing. The economic crisis in the 1990’s has meant a decline in total production, as government subsidies on fertilizers, etc. have fallen away.
The main export crops are coffee, cocoa and cotton; these goods were crucial until oil production began. Rubber and palm oil as well as bananas are also exported; banana exports are growing strongly under the impression of EU countries’ policies in this area, with imports from Latin America seeking to be replaced by imports from the closer partner countries in Africa.
About half of Cameroon is covered by forest, but commercial forestry is of limited importance and resources are used mainly for local firewood production. The opportunities for fishing from the short coastline are severely limited; The waters off Cameroon are fish-poor and the territorial waters are restricted by the island of Bioko, which belongs to Equatorial Guinea.
Mining and industry. In 1977, a French company initiated oil production from offshore fields near the Nigeria border. The fields were quickly expanded and production has been declining since 1985. Limestone is used in the cement industry, while other mineral resources are not extracted. There are significant bauxite deposits, but the country’s rather large aluminum industry uses Guinea’s bauxite and alumina as a raw material.
The industry contributes approximately 17% of GDP (2005). The sector is dominated by raw material processing, the Edéa aluminum complex being the most important. It was built already during the colonial period (1958) and is based on electric power from a hydropower plant on the Sanaga River. In addition, the industry is built on independence and is mainly aimed at replacing previous imports of consumer goods – except for the cement industry, which has a modest export.
Physical Geography
The southern and central plateaus form a wide transition belt from rainforest to savanna. There are two rainy seasons each year and an annual rainfall of over 1500 mm. To the north, this area is bounded by the Adamaoua massif, whose highest peaks are over 2500 m. Cameroon’s westernmost part is characterized by several extinct and single active volcanoes; The Cameroon mountain (4070 m) is the highest. This is where the country’s most fertile agricultural areas lie, and a large part of the cultivation of coffee and other crops is exported.
The country has several major national parks. North of Adamaoua lies, among other things. Waza, one of Africa’s richest zoos, including elephants, antelopes and cheetahs.
Economy
Until the late 1980’s, Cameroon was considered to be one of Africa’s most economically sound countries. Economic growth was based on agricultural exports, supplemented by oil exports from the late 1970’s. Falling prices of oil, coffee and cocoa after 1986 gave the country still growing financial problems. The debt burden increased, and Cameroon had to comply with the World Bank’s demands for privatization, liberalization and liquidation of government subsidies in order to obtain loans. agriculture. The first years of the new policy further deepened the economic crisis and in 1994 the currency was written down by 50%. A tense relationship with Nigeria did not improve the situation. In 1991, Cameroon occupied nine Nigerian villages in an area where the boundary between the two countries is unclear. In 1993, Nigeria occupied two islands off the Bakassi Peninsula, and in Cameroon, bans were imposed on imports from Nigeria. The conflict was aggravated by the fact that the area is believed to contain significant oil reserves. In 2002, Cameroon got rid ofThe International Court recognized the important area, but only in 2006 did Nigeria finally agree to withdraw its troops from the Bakassi Peninsula. Not least, rising oil prices have given Cameroon new economic growth in recent years. However, the country is plagued by severe corruption problems.
Cameroon – language
Cameroon – languages, English and French are official languages. The country has a total of approximately 275 languages belonging to the Nigerian -Congo languages spoken in the South, and Afro-Asian and Nilo-Saharan spoken in the North. Important trading languages are full south pidgin English and north full. For culture and traditions of Cameroon, please check allunitconverters.
