For pictures from Cameroon, please click on Cameroon-Pictures

Situated on the west coast of Africa, Cameroon is bounded to the west by the Gulf of Guinea, to the northwest by Nigeria, to the northeast by Chad, to the east by the Central African Republic and to the south by Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Cameroon has a total area of 475,442 sq km (183,569 sq mi). Yaoundé is the capital, and Douala is the largest city. Map of Cameroon

Cameroon derives its name from the 15th-century Portuguese sailor Fernando Po's description of the River Wouri: Rio dos Cameroes ('river of shrimps').

The far north of the country is a semi-desert broadening into the vast Maroua Plain, with game reserves and mineral deposits. This is bordered to the west by the lush Mandara Mountains. The Benue River rises here and flows westwards into the Niger. The country to the northwest is very beautiful; volcanic peaks covered by bamboo forest rise to over 2000m (6500ft), with waterfalls and villages scattered over the lower slopes. Further to the south and west are savannah uplands, while dense forest covers the east and south. The coastal strip is tropical and cultivated.

The official languages are French and English. They are given equal importance in the Constitution but French is the more commonly spoken. Spanish is spoken in some urban centres. There are many local African languages.

Douala, or Duala, situated on the Wouri River, 24 km (15 miles) from the sea, is the largest city of Cameroon. Douala is not the capital of Cameroon, but the most significant city by its population, and by its economic role. The city was probably named after the Duala, a black African ethnic group that originally settled in the area. The chief commercial centre, Douala has an airport and extensive docks, and is a terminus for two railway lines extending into the interior.

Industries include the manufacture of aluminium products, beer, soft drinks, textiles, and the processing of timber and cacao beans. Douala's port handles some 95 percent of the country's maritime traffic, and is second only to Kinshasa as Central Africa's largest city. Douala is divided into quarters or quartiers: Akwa, is the center of the city, the Stand Municipal Artisanal, and Bonadjo the administrative district.