CONTENT
THE COUNTRY
Cameroon is located between West and Central Africa. It borders Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
About 26 million people live in Cameroon (as of 2020). There are more than 200 different ethnic groups.
About 250 different languages are spoken in Cameroon! They can be divided into about 24 different language groups.
Although there are so many different languages, English and French are the official languages of Cameroon. We will explain why in the chapter “History”. Pidgin is also spoken and understood by almost everyone, although it is not an official language.
Cameroon is divided into 10 regions as shown in the map below:
“Africa in miniature”
Due to the cultural diversity as well as the various geographical features such as beaches, deserts, mountains, rainforests and savannahs, Cameroon is sometimes referred to as “Africa in miniature”.
GAME: CITIES in CAMEROON
WITH THIS GAME YOU CAN GET TO KNOW SOME OF CAMEROON’S CITIES BETTER.
SIMPLY DRAG THE NAME OF THE CITY TO THE CORRESPONDING PLACE ON THE MAP.
HISTORY
In the region of Africa where today’s Cameroon is located, there were many different smaller and larger kingdoms over many millennia.
For a long time, the region was inhabited by the Baka. From around 1000 AD, Bantu peoples such as the Ewondo, Bassa and Bulu also settled in the region. They lived from shifting cultivation and cattle breeding.
The Baka were displaced by the Bantu peoples into the impenetrable rainforests in the south of present-day Cameroon.
Small kingdoms arose in the west and north. In 1394, the kingdom of Bamum was established. Around 1500, the kingdom of Mandara was established. Both still exist today with a sultan at their head. The Bamiléké also live in western Cameroon.
In 1884 the so-called Congo Conference took place in Berlin. It was a conference where greedy European heads of state met. They divided almost the entire African continent into different “protectorates” – so-called colonies – and claimed them for themselves.
This is how today’s Cameroon became a German colony. In 1918, after the First World War, Great Britain and France fought over the territory and finally divided it up between themselves.
The European colonial powers ignored the existing kingdoms and arbitrarily drew new borders.
Gradually, the people who were forced to live under colonial rule organised themselves. They fought for independence.
In 1960, they were able to successfully end their long, hard struggle. The French-ruled part of Cameroon became independent. Colonial rule was finally over.
In 1961, the people in the British-ruled region also fought for independence. Part of this region now belongs to Nigeria. The remaining part was annexed to Cameroon.
Because of this annexation, Cameroon is the only state in Africa where two former colonial languages – namely French and English – are now official languages.
How Cameroon got its name…
The Wouri, one of Cameroon’s two largest rivers flows through the Littoral region in the west of the country. It joins the Atlantic Ocean near Douala.
When Portuguese sailors arrived at the mouth of the river in 1472, they noticed that countless shrimps lived in the river and thereupon named the river Rio dos Camarões (River of Shrimps).
The name Cameroon is derived from Camarões.
THE FLAG
Green stands for the rich vegetation of the forests in the south of Cameroon.
The green also stands for hope for a happy future.
Red represents unity and independence.
Yellow represents sunshine. It is also the source of happiness and prosperity.
The yellow star in the middle points to Cameroon as a unitary state.
COLOURING IMAGE : FLAG
HAVE YOU REMEMBERED WHAT THE FLAG LOOKS LIKE? THEN YOU CAN COLOUR IT BELOW!
You are creative and like to colour pictures? Then you can download our colouring images!
CAMEROONIAN CUISINE
In Cameroon there are very different dishes, depending on the region. Meat, fish, vegetables such as beans, tomatoes, spinach, but also rice, yams, millet, plantain and much more are used.
Here we present some of them to you:
DO YOU LIKE MUSIC ? LISTEN!
OUR ADVISOR
My name is Geraldine Mua, I am a social worker and I come from Cameroon. I run an accommodation for refugees.
I am active as a volunteer in several migrant organisations in Potsdam:
African Vision Potsdam ( Chairperson 01.01.2017 – 31.12.2019).
FEM- Forum des Empowerements und Teilhabe für Migranten e.V ( Chairwoman 01.01.2020 until today)
NEMIB e.V ( Deputy Chairperson since 01.01.2021)
I also work with Global New Generation Potsdam/Brandenburg e.V.
As part of my voluntary work, I conduct empowerment seminars for women and refugees. In addition, I give workshops for children and young people in which I present, for example, the different areas of everyday life in Cameroon.
SOURCES
Here we show you where we collected the information.
If you want to see the source page, just click on the link.
FUNDING
This learning content is being supported by Fonds Soziokultur and the Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kultur des Landes Brandenburg.
The subsidised institution is solely responsible for the content of the publications.
