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Cameroon
Africa
Nicknamed "Africa in miniature" for its cultural and geographical diversity, Cameroon has rainforests, savannahs, and an oil-driven economy.
30,000,000
Population
475,442
Area (km²)
Yaoundé
Capital
42
Historical Events
Historical Timeline
Cities
42 Events
September 05, 2025 - Seven soldiers die in a separatist IED attack in Malende, Muyuka; Unity Warriors of Fako claim it. ADF commanders arrested in the US on related charges.
September 01, 2025 - Boko Haram intensifies border attacks, contributing to regional instability ahead of elections.
August 24, 2025 - Cameroon's basketball team finishes fourth at FIBA AfroBasket in Angola, losing the final to Senegal 98-72.
August 13, 2025 - Boko Haram abducts 14 from a bus in Zigague, including Chadians; one dies, others rescued after two weeks, escalating border threats.
August 08, 2025 - French President Macron's letter acknowledges France's actions against Cameroon's independence movement (1945–1971) as a "war."
July 14, 2025 - At 92, Biya announces his bid for an eighth term, extending his 43-year rule.
July 12, 2025 - President Biya sets the presidential election for October, without initially confirming his run.
July 11, 2025 - UNESCO adds Cameroonian sites to its World Heritage list, boosting cultural recognition.
July 09, 2025 - A crash on the Ekona-Muyuka Highway kills 18, with one infant surviving.
July 08, 2025 - Cameroon imposes heavy penalties on telecom firms Orange and MTN for regulatory violations, impacting the sector.
June 18, 2025 - Separatists attack a post in Maloun le Petit, killing three soldiers and injuring two; Bui and Donga Mantung Unity Warriors claim responsibility.
May 19, 2025 - Soccer legend Emmanuel Kundé dies at 68.
May 11, 2025 - Koyo Kouoh, curator of the 2026 Venice Biennale, dies suddenly at 58.
May 05, 2025 - An IED attack in Munyenge kills two soldiers and injures three, highlighting improvised explosives in the Anglophone regions.
April 09, 2025 - ADF kills one officer and injures another in Bamenda, continuing urban guerrilla tactics.
March 14, 2025 - A retired warden is burned alive in Muyuka by separatist "One Man Squad," and a police officer is killed in an ambush in Mbiame.
February 19, 2025 - Separatist leader "General The Only Bro" assaults Bamessing, killing five civilians including a newborn, underscoring civilian toll.
January 02, 2025 - Seven soldiers are killed in attacks by suspected Ambazonia Governing Council militants on a post in Akwaya, Manyu, amid cross-border threats.
December 31, 2024 - Deadly floods affect 459,000 people, displacing thousands along the Chad border amid ethnic clashes over resources.
December 05, 2024 - The government suspends REDHAC and other civil society groups for three months over alleged illicit funding.
November 19, 2024 - The EU grants a €91 million loan to boost Cameroon's energy sector, roads, and links to Chad and Equatorial Guinea.
November 05, 2024 - A landslide on the Dschang-Douala highway kills at least four and leaves 50 missing.
November 03, 2024 - Two men are lynched in Yaoundé by a mob accused of homosexual acts, fueling concerns over anti-LGBTQI+ violence.
October 24, 2024 - Government forces conduct the Bombanda raid in Meme, killing nine separatist commanders, including "Field Marshall Lucifer."
October 09, 2024 - Minister Paul Atanga Nji bans media debates on President Biya's health, deeming it a "security issue" and ordering monitoring of critics.
September 24, 2024 - AGovC leader Ayaba Cho Lucas is arrested in Norway on charges of inciting crimes against humanity; Julius Nyih assumes interim leadership.
May 20, 2024 - On National Day, separatists kill Belo mayor and two others; separate attacks in Njinkom and Mundemba claim additional lives, including a soldier.
May 01, 2024 - Separatists abduct 28 people, including eight children, from the Catholic Church in Bai Panya, Meme Division, with threats of execution.
March 12, 2024 - The government bans two opposition coalitions (APC and APT) as "illegal clandestine movements," further restricting political dissent ahead of elections.
February 14, 2024 - The trial for the 2020 Ngarbuh massacre restarts after delays, with calls for full accountability for the deaths of 21 civilians, mostly children.
February 11, 2024 - An explosion during Youth Day celebrations in Nkambe kills one and injures dozens, including children, attributed to separatists.
January 01, 2024 - Sisiku Julius Ayuk Tabe, Ambazonia's self-proclaimed president, calls for unity among separatist factions from prison, amid leadership rifts.
January 01, 2024 - Cameroon launches the world's first routine malaria vaccine program using the WHO-approved RTS,S vaccine, targeting children in high-risk areas.
November 06, 2023 - Separatists carry out the Egbekaw massacre near Mamfe, killing at least 20 civilians and injuring 10 in revenge for a prior incident, one of the deadliest attacks of the year.
October 09, 2023 - Landslides in Mbankolo, Yaoundé, kill 30 people, highlighting vulnerabilities in urban infrastructure during heavy rains.
July 16, 2023 - Gunmen kill 10 people and injure two at a junction in Bamenda, with separatist leader Ayaba Cho Lucas declaring retaliation against Francophone civilians, broadening the conflict's scope.
June 17, 2023 - At least 10 people are killed in a military offensive in the Anglophone regions, amid ongoing separatist clashes.
June 13, 2023 - John Fru Ndi, leader of the main opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF) and longtime critic of President Paul Biya, dies at age 81.
May 01, 2023 - Separatist fighters attack a checkpoint in Matouke, killing five soldiers or police and one civilian, and seizing weapons—less than 40 km from economic hub Douala.
February 25, 2023 - Nineteen athletes are wounded in multiple explosions during the Mount Cameroon Race of Hope, with the Ambazonia Defence Forces (ADF) claiming responsibility as a strike against elite forces.
January 23, 2023 - The mutilated body of prominent journalist Martinez Zogo is found after his abduction five days earlier, sparking outrage over media freedoms and government accountability.
January 14, 2023 - Separatist forces attack and destroy a military base near the Mamfe bridge, killing one soldier and seizing weapons, escalating the Anglophone Crisis.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cameroon
100 Questions
Cameroon is in Central Africa, bordered by Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and the Atlantic Ocean.
The capital is Yaoundé, while Douala is the largest city and economic hub.
Around 30 million people as of 2025 estimates.
French and English are official languages; over 200 local languages are also spoken.
Varied: tropical along the coast, semi-arid in the north, temperate in the highlands.
The Central African CFA franc (XAF).
Vertical stripes of green, red, and yellow with a yellow star in the center.
Douala, Yaoundé, Garoua, Bamenda, and Maroua.
French Cameroon gained independence on January 1, 1960; British Southern Cameroons joined in 1961.
Colonized by Germany, later divided between Britain and France after WWI.
Ahmadou Ahidjo.
Paul Biya (since 1982, as of 2025).
A unitary presidential republic.
“Africa in Miniature” because of its diverse geography and cultures.
Over 250 groups, including Bamiléké, Fulani, Bamoun, and Beti.
Christianity and Islam, with traditional beliefs also present.
Around $50 billion in 2025 estimates.
Around $1,700.
Around 77%.
About 61 years.
Around 4.5 children per woman.
Over 60% are under 25 years old.
Oil, timber, cocoa, coffee, bananas, and cotton.
Machinery, fuel, foodstuffs, and manufactured goods.
Oil, gas, timber, bauxite, iron ore, and fertile land.
An active volcano and the highest mountain in West Africa (4,095 m).
A volcanic lake that released deadly COâ‚‚ gas in 1986, killing 1,700 people.
Sanaga, Benue, and Wouri.
West Africa Time (WAT), UTC +1.
Cassava, maize, millet, yams, rice, plantains, and peanuts.
A national dish made with bitter leaves, peanuts, and meat or fish.
A traditional dish from the northwest made with cocoyams and spices.
A stew of leafy greens, waterleaf, and meat.
Football (soccer), boxing, and athletics.
Yes, five times (1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017).
Yes, eight times; they reached the quarterfinals in 1990.
Samuel Eto’o, one of Africa’s greatest strikers.
The nickname for Cameroon’s national football team.
Makossa, bikutsi, Afrobeat, and modern pop.
A world-famous Cameroonian saxophonist known for “Soul Makossa.”
Colorful robes like kabba and toghu.
Over 250 ethnic groups with unique languages, traditions, and arts.
Central in markets, farming, and increasingly politics.
Around 72%, lower than men.
Around 82%.
Around 10–12%, but higher for youth.
Moderate, tied to the CFA franc.
About 60%, with growing cities like Douala and Yaoundé.
Mostly dependent on farming and fishing.
Camair-Co.
It is the main port and commercial capital.
It is the political capital.
University of Yaoundé, University of Douala, University of Buea.
Limited, with better access in urban areas than rural.
Malaria, HIV/AIDS, cholera, and TB.
High, but improving slowly.
“O Cameroon, Cradle of Our Forefathers.”
“Peace, Work, Fatherland.”
The lion.
The African grey parrot.
Ndolé.
Ngondo Festival, Bamoun Nguon Festival, and Cameroon Fashion Week.
An annual celebration by the Sawa people on the banks of the Wouri River.
Active member in peacekeeping and diplomacy.
It has served on the UN Security Council and contributes peacekeepers.
It is the largest economy in the Central African Economic and Monetary Community.
Around 85%.
Around $1,700 annually.
Gradually declining.
Hydropower and oil.
Strong in hydropower, solar, and biomass.
Dependence on oil, agriculture, and corruption.
Cocoa.
One of the world’s top 5 cocoa producers.
It is an important cash crop.
Moderate, linked to global fuel and food prices.
Medium, with increasing borrowing for infrastructure.
Communities in France, U.S., and other African countries.
They send remittances and contribute to culture and politics.
Rural illiteracy and gender inequality.
Mount Cameroon, Adamawa Plateau highlands.
A highland region known as the “water tower” of Cameroon.
Gorillas, elephants, chimpanzees, lions, and antelopes.
Waza, Korup, Dja Faunal Reserve (UNESCO), and Lobéké.
A UNESCO World Heritage rainforest rich in biodiversity.
One of Africa’s oldest rainforests.
A savannah reserve known for elephants and lions.
Cocoa, bananas, cotton, and timber.
Cassava, plantains, maize, and yams.
Makossa dance, bikutsi dance, and grassfields dances.
Important player in Central and West African stability.
A conflict in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions since 2016.
Protests over marginalization by the French-speaking majority.
A self-declared state by separatists in English-speaking Cameroon.
Resolving the Anglophone crisis and improving governance.
Leveraging natural resources and youth population.
Much lower than men, around 55%.
Reducing malaria, maternal mortality, and HIV/AIDS.
A blend of African, French, English, and indigenous traditions.
It is a diverse, resource-rich nation and a key player in Central Africa.