Cameroun

the First mentions of this ancient land belong to Carthaginian Gannonu who has made marine expedition along the western coast of Africa about 600 years of our era. In 1472 when Portuguese seafarer Ruj di Sikejra first of Europeans has recut equator, this country became known in Europe. The Portuguese seamen, having detected in a mouth of the river Vuri assemblage of shrimps, have entitled to it Rio-dosh-Kamarojsh (the river of shrimps) which then was converted to Cameroon and became a name of all country. From the end of XIX century Cameroon was colony of Germany. After its lesion in the First World War Cameroon has been divided on two mandated territories coping the Great Britain and France. Becoming in 1960 an independent state, Cameroon has saved two official languages - English and French.

The Country is had in the northwest of the Central Africa and drew through from loch Chad in the north to coast of bight of Biafra (a part of gulf of Guinea) in the southwest, occupying the space 475,4  thousand sq. km. The main river of the country - Sanaga - runs into a gulf.

The Climate hot, in the south - wet equatorial, in the north - droughty, subequatorial. In the south monthly average temperatures compound 22-28  °C, and the monsoon brings at coast heavy rainfall - 3000-5000  mm a year (on slopes of a burning mountain Cameroon - to 10000 mm). The dry season practically is absent. On Kamerunsky plateau in intrinsic regions of the country is hardly more cool (average temperatures 23-24  °C). Deposits (1500-1700  mm a year) fall out they during two wet seasons - in September-November and April-June. In the north agency of Sahara is felt. Norths bring heat (monthly average temperatures 26-33  °C), and deposits falls out less 500  mm a year.

The Nature of Cameroon is so diverse, that it sometimes name Africa in a miniature. A country surface as a whole ennobled, with predominance of altitudes to 1000  m, but usual for Africa so-called table forms of a landform (hills or low mounts with abrupt slopes and an extensive flat apex) here are converted by vulcanic activity. Especially brightly it is manifested in the vulcanic block Cameroon towering at ocean coast. Here more than 70 vulcanic craters, one of which - an active burning mountain Cameroon in altitude 4070  m. Its snow apex is almost always occluded by clouds and a fog, and only after tropical showers it becomes clearly visible. Not less picturesquely and the coast known under the name the Kamerunsky palm shore because of coconut palms bordering it. Here the sea bares ancient crystal mucks, and rocky breakages rise on 20  m over an ocean surface. From such terrace the river Lobe collapses with a cataract in ocean.

Over the long-shore lowland which is flowing round a block Cameroon, terraces the Kamerunsky plateau divided by the river Sanaga on South Kamerunsky plateau and mounts Adamava, consisting of a number of hills with exits of the fallen asleep wall and cones of lost volcanoes is lifted. The locality reminds a lunar landscape. In the east the plateau is gradually downgraded to a valley of the river Logone and divided into small ridges; in the north it abrupt terraces terminates to a loch Chad dint where the extensive plain begins. The country Northwest is occupied with the vulcanic blocks, which maximum altitude (mount Bambutos) - 2740  m.

The vegetation of Cameroon is so diverse also. Along oceanic coast wood mangrove family grows, the neritic plain is covered by wet tropical woods with 70-metre arbours. Here it is possible to meet Indiarubber plants, palm trees, messmates, a breadfruit tree, a cashew, an ebony, a Persian parrotia azobe and others. Northward tropical woods (terrains of Cameroon occupying to a third) give way lightly forested and to tall-grass savannahs with predominance of a so-called elephant grass in altitude to 5  m, rare acacias and prickly kustarnikovogo a spurge (aboriginal hunters grease with its toxicant juice arrows). Further northward grasses become all more low and less often, the basic spaces are occupied dry and opustynennymi by savannahs with predominance of shrubs. Only in valleys of the rivers Logones and Shari reigns potherb of marshs and pratums. The mountain landform leaves traces and on character of vegetation: If the inferior parts of slopes of mounts of the south of the country are occupied by thick woods, above 2500  m were above sea level stretched carpets of mountain meadows.

Tropical woods abound with monkeys (the largest here lives kamerunsky subspecies of a gorilla), the rare lemur angvantibo, similar to a teddy bear here dwells. Auks numbers more 750  aspects, the dragon (including a black arboreal snake and the big royal python) is a lot of. Near ponds are a lot of crocodiles and turtles, including huge kamerunskuju. In savannahs - kingdom of hoofed animals (water buffaloes, giraffes, black rhinoceroses, antelopes), predators (lions, leopards), large auks (an ostrich, a marabou, drofy). The alive world of Cameroon is guarded in national parks: the Vase (to the northeast from ãîðîäà  Marva), Bubandzhida (on boundary line with Chad), Dzha, Kampo and others.

The Population of Cameroon (13,1  million persons) refers to in the core to language bunches to a bow in the south, benue-Congolese - in the middle and in the west, chadskoj - in the north. Half of inhabitants adheres to traditional African convictions, the fifth part practises Islam, the others - christians. The people to a bow - the most numerous, they are keepers of ancient crop (especially the people fang) and save till now oral legends, colourful dances, though their handcrafts (a thread on a bone and an arbour) with ward of Europeans have almost died away. Are numerous bamileke benue - Congolese bunch - farmers and skilful handicraftsmen (their carved wood masks, figurines from bronze and copper are known, beadwork). Farmers of the people bamum (figurines from cockleshells kauri, a panel from an arbour and copper, a mask) are so skilful. Pygmies, in an antiquity compounding the basic population of Cameroon, are nowadays very not numerous and live in midwoods, being engaged in the core hunting. Northern part of the country is occupied mainly by breeders fulbe, and also nationalities chadskoj the language bunch, building original konusovidnye the huts daubed by clay.

The country Yaounde Capital is had in the picturesque hilly country, buried in verdure tropical woods. In a city there are government agencies, modern industrial enterprises, university, exploratory institutes. The largest city of Cameroon - Douala (about a half-million of inhabitants). It is large seaport and industrial centre, economic capital of the country. Other rather large cities - Victoria, Tiko, Kumba, Nkongsamba, Bafusam, Garua.