Chic African Culture Africa Factbook

Did you know?

1. No African country names begin with the letters F, H, I, J, O, P, Q, V, W, X, or Y.

2. Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent.

3. The Republic of the Congo is one of the most urbanized countries in Africa.

Information on Cameroon

Three quick facts about the Republic of Cameroon

Information on Cameroon


Three quick facts about the Republic of Cameroon; Mount Cameroon is the highest mountain in Sub-Saharan West Africa and an active volcano, former French Cameroon and part of British Cameroon merged in 1961 to form the present country, and The Republic of Cameroon has generally enjoyed stability, which has permitted the development of agriculture, roads, and railways, as well as a petroleum industry.


Carrying firewood home in Cameroon
Carrying firewood home in Cameroon 

How Cameroon got its name.

In the 15th century, Portuguese explorers named the area near the mouth of the Wouri River the Rio dos Camaroes (River of Prawns) after the abundant shrimp in the water; over time, the designation became Cameroon in English; this is the only instance where a country is named after a crustacean

 

Nationality

Noun: Cameroonian(s)

Adjective: Cameroonian

 

Life expectancy at birth

Total population: 59.4 years

Male: 58 years

Female: 60.9 years

 

Ethnic groups

Cameroon Highlanders 31%, Equatorial Bantu 19%, Kirdi 11%, Fulani 10%, Northwestern Bantu 8%, Eastern Nigritic 7%, other African 13%, non-African less than 1%

 

Population distribution

The population is concentrated in the west and north, with the interior of the country sparsely populated.

 

Religions

Indigenous beliefs 40%, Christian 40%, Muslim 20%

 

Languages

24 major African language groups, English (official), French (official)

 

Location

Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria

 

Area comparative to US States

Slightly larger than California

 

Border countries

Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Nigeria

 

Climate

Current Weather varies with terrain, from tropical along coast to semiarid and hot in north

 

Terrain

Diverse, with coastal plain in southwest, dissected plateau in center, mountains in west, plains in north

 

Elevation extremes

Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Highest point: Fako 4,095 m (on Mt. Cameroon)

 

Natural hazards

Volcanic activity with periodic releases of poisonous gases from Lake Nyos and Lake Monoun volcanoes

 

Did you know?

Cameroon is also referred to as the hinge of Africa; throughout the country, there are areas of thermal springs and indications of current or prior volcanic activity.


Information on Cameroon
Information on Cameroon

Chic African Culture and The African Gourmet=

Africa is surrounded by water but is not an island, here are a few African Island facts.

Madagascar is the 4th large island in the world and is located in the Indian Ocean supporting a unique biology, about 90% of its plants and animals are found nowhere else on earth.

Composed of 155 islands, Seychelles is Africa's smallest country. By far the largest island is Mahe, home to about 90% of the population and the site of its capital city of Victoria.

Cabo Verde has a strategic location 310 miles or 500 km from the west coast of Africa near major north-south sea routes; important communications station; important sea and air refueling site.

Africa is surrounded by water but by definition Africa is not an island because Africa is a continent. Continents can not be considered islands because of their size and also by historic definition since many people who study geography define islands and continents as two different things.

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African cultures express, encourage, and communicate energy

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Being African in America I have grown up learning about different ethnic cultures. My father and mother are historians of African culture and history and their influence expanded my activities to several best-selling cookbooks, magazine columns, self-branded products, and a popular African culture and food blog.

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