Cameroon Country Outline

Located on the West African coastline, this exotic location is home to diverse landscapes and cultures, from the desert plains in the north to the mountainous central regions and the tropical rainforests in the south. It borders many countries, from Nigeria to the west, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of Congo to the south. The Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Guinea lie to the west of the country. It is also home to around 250 ethnic groups speaking about 270 languages and dialects. West and Central Africa’s highest point is the volcanic, Mount Cameroon, which reaches a height of 4100 metres. The largest cities are Douala, Yaounde and Garoua.

Cameroon is nicknamed ‘Africa in miniature’, because of its geological and cultural diversity. Some natural features include deserts, mountains, beaches, rainforests and savannas. The official languages of Cameroon are English and French. There is a strong native music influence, in particular makossa and bikutsi and football also has a strong influence on locals, due to their successful national football team.

Some of Cameroons earliest inhabitants include the Sao civilisation around Lake Chad and the Baka hunter gatherers in the rainforests in the southeast. In the 15th century the Portuguese explorers arrived on the coastline and named the area ‘Rio dos Camarões’ (‘River of Prawns’), later becoming known as Cameroon. In 1884, Cameroon became a German colony. At the end of the First World War, Cameroon was divided between France and Britain. The country was later divided into 2 sections, one belonging to the French and the other to the English. Then in 1961, the 2 territories merged to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon, which was renamed as the United Republic of Cameroon in 1972 and the Republic of Cameroon in 1984.

Comparatively, as an African country, it is relatively stable politically and socially. This has assisted with the development of agriculture, roads and railways, as well as large petroleum and timber industries. There are still large numbers of locals living in poverty as subsistence farmers.

Volunteering in Cameroon

As such a diverse country in culture and landscape, Cameroon has huge potential for assisting with biodiversity studies and community projects. Our featured volunteer project involves trekking through rainforests collecting vital data and assisting in research projects to conserve the forests species. The focus is collecting research on the western lowland gorillas. This is hugely important as there are only about 300 western lowland gorillas left in the world. We also help with educating local communities about the importance of conservation in this natural paradise. Travel highlights in Cameroon include visits to Limbe’s volcanic beaches or white sandy beaches of Kribi, bird watching in the famous Lebialem Highlands, visits to national parks (some of the best and most unexplored in Central Africa) and experiencing diverse cultures and landscapes along the way.

Cameroon’s oldest park, Korup National Park, is one of the world’s oldest tropical forests. The ancient forests of Korup are home to Africa’s last drill population, Goliath frogs and many endemic bird and reptile species. Cameroon’s only UNESCO site, Dja Wildlife Reserve, is the best place to meet the Baka pygmy tribe, experience great jungle treks and amazing panoramic views from the central point and volcanic rock area. There are also fantastic national parks in the north and aside from this, Rhumsiki is Cameroon’s most beautiful place for panoramic views and one of Africa’s most beautiful natural landscapes. En-route to Rhumsiki, you will find very small Mafa tribe stone and mud villages and lots of colourful markets in a friendly environment.