Cameroon has ten provinces, of which two are predominantly English speaking, whereas the other eight are mainly French speaking. The highest mountain in Cameroon is Mount Cameroon, situated in Buea. The capital city is called Yaoundé and the economy capital is Douala. Cameroon has more than two hundred tribal languages and is well known for its Makossa and Bikutsi popular music, as well as the Bottle Dance. Of course, it is difficult to talk about Cameroon without mentioning its world famous national football (soccer) team, ”The Indomitable Lions.”
In the 15th century, the Portuguese explorers arrived at the coast and named it Rio dos Camaroes which eventually evolved to the current name, Cameroon. Later in 1884, Cameroon became a Germany colony, and after World War I, France and Britain took over the country, dividing it into regions which led to the influence of the two official languages. Cameroon gained its independent in 1960; the first President was Ahmadou Ahidjio. The ruling president Paul Biya came to power in 1982.
Compared to other African countries, Cameroon is relatively stable politically and socially, and this has promoted the growth of foreign investment in sectors like agriculture, road and infrastructure development, and natural resource extraction, including minerals, petroleum and timber. However, a large number of Cameroonians still depend on farming for their daily lives, while poverty has become their comfortable bed. The rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer, hoping day and night that the lives of the next generation will improve.
No comments:
Post a Comment