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118-504: The Dzanga-Ndoki National Park is located in the southwestern extremity of the Central African Republic . Established in 1990, the national park is 1,143.26 square kilometres (441.42 sq mi). The national park is split into two non-continuous sectors, the northern Dzanga sector (or Dzanga Park) 49,500 ha (122,000 acres) and the southern Ndoki sector (or Ndoki Park) 72,500 ha (179,000 acres). Notable in
236-422: A wet season that lasts from June to September in the northern regions of the country, and from May to October in the south. During the wet season, rainstorms are an almost daily occurrence, and early morning fog is commonplace. Maximum annual precipitation is approximately 1,800 millimetres (71 in) in the upper Ubangi region. The northern areas are hot and humid from February to May, but can be subject to
354-571: A 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 9.28/10, ranking it seventh globally out of 172 countries. In 2008, Central African Republic was the world's least light pollution affected country. The Central African Republic is the focal point of the Bangui Magnetic Anomaly , one of the largest magnetic anomalies on Earth. The climate of the Central African Republic is generally tropical , with
472-739: A U.N. peacekeeping force (MINURCA) . Since 1997, the country has hosted almost a dozen peacekeeping interventions, earning it the title of "world champion of peacekeeping". In 1998, parliamentary elections resulted in Kolingba's RDC winning 20 out of 109 seats. The next year, however, in spite of widespread public anger in urban centers over his corrupt rule, Patassé won a second term in the presidential election. On 28 May 2001, rebels stormed strategic buildings in Bangui in an unsuccessful coup attempt . The army chief of staff, Abel Abrou, and General François N'Djadder Bedaya were killed, but Patassé regained
590-478: A company owned by one of his wives. The government violently suppressed the protests, killing 100 children and teenagers. Bokassa might have been personally involved in some of the killings. In September 1979, France overthrew Bokassa and restored Dacko to power (subsequently restoring the official name of the country and the original government to the Central African Republic). Dacko, in turn,
708-837: A joint letter to the UNHRC defending China 's treatment of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region. The Cameroon Armed Forces (French: Forces armées camerounaises , FAC) consists of the country's army ( Armée de Terre ), the country's navy ( Marine Nationale de la République (MNR), including naval infantry), the Cameroonian Air Force ( Armée de l'Air du Cameroun , AAC), and the Gendarmerie . Males and females who are 18 years of age up to 23 years of age and have graduated high school are eligible for military service. Those who join are obliged to complete four years of service. There
826-431: A land area of about 620,000 square kilometres (240,000 sq mi). As of 2024, it has a population of 5,357,744, and is in the scene of a civil war , which has been ongoing since 2012. As a former French colony , French is the official language, with Sango, a Ngbandi based-creole language as the national and co- official language . The Central African Republic mainly consists of Sudano-Guinean savannas , but
944-930: A member state of the African Union , the United Nations , the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), the Commonwealth of Nations , the Non-Aligned Movement , and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation . Originally, Cameroon was the exonym given by the Portuguese to the Wouri River , which they called Rio dos Camarões meaning 'river of shrimps ' or 'shrimp river', referring to
1062-453: A national cash reserve, pay farmers, and finance major development projects; however, many initiatives failed when Ahidjo appointed unqualified allies to direct them. The national flag was changed on 20 May 1975 with the two stars removed and replaced with a large central star as a symbol of national unity. Ahidjo stepped down on 4 November 1982 and left power to his constitutional successor, Paul Biya . However, Ahidjo remained in control of
1180-605: A new constitution, and announced that he would step down and run for office once the new constitution was approved. In 2004, the Central African Republic Bush War began as forces opposed to Bozizé took up arms against his government. In May 2005, Bozizé won the presidential election, which excluded Patassé, and in 2006 fighting continued between the government and the rebels. In November 2006, Bozizé's government requested French military support to help them repel rebels who had taken control of towns in
1298-780: A new species noted only within Dzanga-Sangha, but further investigation is pending as it may also occur in adjacent parts of Democratic Republic of the Congo , Cameroon and Republic of the Congo . In May 2013, the slaughtering of 26 African forest elephants by poachers in Dzanga Bai, a reserve in the World Heritage Site Sangha Trinational led to worldwide concern by conservationists. Central African Republic The Central African Republic ( CAR ), formerly known as Ubangi-Shari ,
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#17328017208721416-636: A plane crash on 29 March 1959, his cousin, David Dacko , took control of MESAN. Dacko became the country's first president when the Central African Republic formally received independence from France at midnight on 13 August 1960, a date celebrated by the country's Independence Day holiday. Dacko threw out his political rivals, including Abel Goumba , former Prime Minister and leader of Mouvement d'évolution démocratique de l'Afrique centrale (MEDAC), whom he forced into exile in France. With all opposition parties suppressed by November 1962, Dacko declared MESAN as
1534-523: A power-sharing government. The deal later broke down, and the rebels seized the capital in March 2013 and Bozizé fled the country. Michel Djotodia took over as president. Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye requested a UN peacekeeping force from the UN Security Council and on 31 May former President Bozizé was indicted for crimes against humanity and incitement to genocide. By the end of
1652-502: A regimen of forced labour. This economic policy was much criticised by the other colonial powers. With the defeat of Germany in World War I , Kamerun became a League of Nations mandate territory and was split into French Cameroon ( French : Cameroun ) and British Cameroon in 1919. France integrated the economy of Cameroon with that of France and improved the infrastructure with capital investments and skilled workers, modifying
1770-741: A second round of elections were finally held in 1993, again with the help of the international community coordinated by GIBAFOR, Ange-Félix Patassé won in the second round of voting with 53% of the vote while Goumba won 45.6%. Patassé's party, the Mouvement pour la Libération du Peuple Centrafricain (MLPC) or Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People, gained a plurality (relative majority) but not an absolute majority of seats in parliament, which meant Patassé's party required coalition partners. Patassé purged many of
1888-444: A surprise attack against Patassé, who was out of the country. Libyan troops and some 1,000 soldiers of Bemba's Congolese rebel organization failed to stop the rebels and Bozizé's forces succeeded in overthrowing Patassé. François Bozizé suspended the constitution and named a new cabinet, which included most opposition parties. Abel Goumba was named vice-president. Bozizé established a broad-based National Transition Council to draft
2006-568: A territorial dispute over the Bakassi peninsula were resolved. The talks involved President Paul Biya of Cameroon, then President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, and then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan , and resulted in Cameroonian control of the oil-rich peninsula. The northern portion of the territory was formally handed over to the Cameroonian government in August 2006, and the remainder of
2124-490: A treaty with one of the local kings to annex the region for the German emperor. The German Empire claimed the territory as the colony of Kamerun in 1884 and began a steady push inland; the natives resisted. Under the aegis of Germany, commercial companies were local administrations. These concessions used forced labour to run profitable banana, rubber, palm oil, and cocoa plantations. Even infrastructure projects relied on
2242-616: A withdrawal by both countries and denied the request by Cameroon for compensation due to Nigeria's long-term occupation. By 2004, Nigeria had failed to meet the deadline to hand over the peninsula. A UN-mediated summit in June 2006 facilitated an agreement for Nigeria to withdraw from the region and both leaders signed the Greentree Agreement . The withdrawal and handover of control was completed by August 2006. In July 2019, UN ambassadors of 37 countries, including Cameroon, signed
2360-466: Is Mount Cameroon in the Southwest Region . Cameroon's most populous cities are Douala on the Wouri River , its economic capital and main seaport; Yaoundé , its political capital; and Garoua . Limbé in the southwest has a natural seaport. Cameroon is well known for its native music styles, particularly Makossa , Njang, and Bikutsi , and its successful national football team . It is
2478-672: Is a landlocked country in Central Africa . It is bordered by Chad to the north , Sudan to the northeast , South Sudan to the east , the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south , the Republic of the Congo to the southwest , and Cameroon to the west . Bangui is the country's capital and largest city, bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Central African Republic covers
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#17328017208722596-417: Is a member of both the Commonwealth of Nations and La Francophonie . Its foreign policy closely follows that of its main ally, France (one of its former colonial rulers). Cameroon relies heavily on France for its defence, although military spending is high in comparison to other sectors of government. President Biya has engaged in a decades-long clash with the government of Nigeria over possession of
2714-534: Is a member of the United Nations , the African Union , the Economic Community of Central African States , the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie and the Non-Aligned Movement . The name of the Central African Republic is derived from the country's geographical location in the central region of Africa and its republican form of government. From 1976 to 1979, the country was known as
2832-457: Is a mixture of civil law , common law , and customary law . Although nominally independent, the judiciary falls under the authority of the executive's Ministry of Justice . The president appoints judges at all levels. The judiciary is officially divided into tribunals, the court of appeal , and the supreme court . The National Assembly elects the members of a nine-member High Court of Justice that judges high-ranking members of government in
2950-617: Is an open, mixed canopy that is dominated by Sterculiaceae and Ulmaceae ; often associated with it is a dense understorey of Marantaceae and Zingiberaceae . Along the Sangha River , there are stands of Guibourtia demeusii . There are several intact populations of key forest fauna including the western lowland gorilla , African forest elephant , chimpanzee , giant forest hog , red river hog , sitatunga , endangered bongo , African forest buffalo , and six species of duiker . The gorilla density of 1.6 individuals/km within
3068-476: Is argued that the focus of the initial disarmament efforts exclusively on the Seleka inadvertently handed the anti-Balaka the upper hand, leading to the forced displacement of Muslim civilians by anti-Balaka in Bangui and western Central African Republic. On 11 January 2014, Michael Djotodia and Nicolas Tiengaye resigned as part of a deal negotiated at a regional summit in neighboring Chad . Catherine Samba-Panza
3186-444: Is elected and creates policy, administers government agencies, commands the armed forces , negotiates and ratifies treaties, and declares a state of emergency. The president appoints government officials at all levels, from the prime minister (considered the official head of government), to the provincial governors and divisional officers. The president is selected by popular vote every seven years. There have been 2 presidents since
3304-471: Is no conscription in Cameroon, but the government makes periodic calls for volunteers. Human rights organisations accuse police and military forces of mistreating and even torturing criminal suspects, ethnic minorities, homosexuals , and political activists. United Nations figures indicate that more than 21,000 people have fled to neighbouring countries, while 160,000 have been internally displaced by
3422-620: Is on alluvial sands. Along streams, forest clearings can be found with marshy depressions referred to as 'bai'. The Dzanga Bai (translation: "the village of elephants") is a sandy salt lick that measures 250 by 500 m (820 by 1,640 ft). It is traversed through the middle by the Dzanga, a stream. Since 1997, Bai Hokou has the base site of the Primate Habituation Programme where gorilla habituation for tourism has been ongoing, along with research. Logging occurred in
3540-498: Is the Sangha River . The precise border between the Central African Republic, Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo is located at 2°13′14″N 16°11′31″E / 2.22056°N 16.19194°E / 2.22056; 16.19194 (in the Sangha River), marking the furthest point of the park to the southwest. The park's altitude ranges from 340 to 615 m (1,115 to 2,018 ft) above sea level . The whole park
3658-463: Is today the Central and East Central African Republic while some Bantu people migrated from the southwest of Cameroon . Bananas arrived in the region during the first millennium BCE and added an important source of carbohydrates to the diet; they were also used in the production of alcoholic beverages . Production of copper , salt , dried fish , and textiles dominated the economic trade in
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3776-693: The Cameroon range extends from Mount Cameroon on the coast—Cameroon's highest point at 4,095 metres (13,435 ft) —almost to Lake Chad at Cameroon's northern border at 13°05'N. This region has a mild climate, particularly on the Western High Plateau , although rainfall is high. Its soils are among Cameroon's most fertile, especially around volcanic Mount Cameroon. Volcanism here has created crater lakes . On 21 August 1986, one of these, Lake Nyos , belched carbon dioxide and killed between 1,700 and 2,000 people. This area has been delineated by
3894-599: The Central African Empire . During the colonial era, the country's name was Ubangi-Shari ( French : Oubangui-Chari ), a name derived from two major rivers and Central African waterways – Ubangi and Chari . Barthélemy Boganda , the country's first prime minister , favored the name "Central African Republic" over Ubangi-Shari, reportedly because he envisioned a larger union of countries in Central Africa . Approximately 10,000 years ago, desertification forced hunter-gatherer societies south into
4012-709: The Congo-Ocean Railway . Through the period of construction until 1934 there was a continual heavy cost in human lives, with total deaths among all workers along the railway estimated in excess of 17,000 of the construction workers, from a combination of both industrial accidents and diseases including malaria . In 1928, a major insurrection, the Kongo-Wara rebellion or 'war of the hoe handle', broke out in Western Ubangi-Shari and continued for several years. The extent of this insurrection, which
4130-674: The Free French Forces in Bangui . In 1946 Barthélemy Boganda was elected with 9,000 votes to the French National Assembly , becoming the first representative of the Central African Republic in the French government. Boganda maintained a political stance against racism and the colonial regime but gradually became disheartened with the French political system and returned to the Central African Republic to establish
4248-493: The Human Development Index (HDI), the country had the third-lowest level of human development, ranking 191 out of 193 countries. The country had the second lowest inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI), ranking 164th out of 165 countries. The Central African Republic is also estimated to be the unhealthiest country as well as the worst country in which to be young. The Central African Republic
4366-672: The Movement for the Social Evolution of Black Africa ( Mouvement pour l'évolution sociale de l'Afrique noire , MESAN) in 1950. In the Ubangi-Shari Territorial Assembly election in 1957, MESAN captured 347,000 out of the total 356,000 votes and won every legislative seat, which led to Boganda being elected president of the Grand Council of French Equatorial Africa and vice-president of
4484-590: The Peace Corps evacuated all its volunteers to neighboring Cameroon. To date, the Peace Corps has not returned to the Central African Republic. The Bangui Agreements , signed in January 1997, provided for the deployment of an inter-African military mission, to the Central African Republic and re-entry of ex-mutineers into the government on 7 April 1997. The inter-African military mission was later replaced by
4602-568: The Republic of Cameroon , is a country in Central Africa . It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea , Gabon , and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Its coastline lies on the Bight of Biafra , part of the Gulf of Guinea , and the Atlantic Ocean . Due to its strategic position at
4720-548: The Southern Cameroons National Council advocated complete secession as the Republic of Ambazonia . The 1992 Labour Code of Cameroon gives workers the freedom to belong to a trade union or not to belong to any trade union at all. It is the choice of a worker to join any trade union in their occupation since there is more than one trade union in each occupation. In June 2006, talks concerning
4838-570: The United Kingdom as League of Nations mandates . France took 4/5 and the United Kingdom 1/5 of the territory and both ruled it under mandate until independence in 1960 and 1961 respectively. The Union des Populations du Cameroun (UPC) political party advocated independence but was outlawed by France in the 1950s, leading to the national liberation insurgency fought between French and UPC militant forces until early 1971. In 1960,
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4956-802: The fall of the Berlin Wall , a pro-democracy movement arose. Pressure from the United States, France, and from a group of locally represented countries and agencies called GIBAFOR (France, the US, Germany, Japan, the EU, the World Bank , and the United Nations ) finally led Kolingba to agree, in principle, to hold free elections in October 1992 with help from the UN Office of Electoral Affairs. After using
5074-613: The wettest places on earth, part of the Cross-Sanaga-Bioko coastal forests . The South Cameroon Plateau rises from the coastal plain to an average elevation of 650 metres (2,133 ft). Equatorial rainforest dominates this region, although its alternation between wet and dry seasons makes it less humid than the coast. This area is part of the Atlantic Equatorial coastal forests ecoregion . An irregular chain of mountains, hills, and plateaus known as
5192-803: The 18th century Bandia-Nzakara Azande peoples established the Bangassou Kingdom along the Ubangi River . In the mid 19th century, the Bobangi people became major slave traders and sold their captives to the Americas using the Ubangi river to reach the coast. In 1875, the Sudanese sultan Rabih az-Zubayr governed Upper-Oubangui, which included present-day Central African Republic. The European invasion of Central African territory began in
5310-671: The 1980s in the Dzanga sector but not in the Ndoki which is primary forest. Amis Kamiss wrote in 2006 of having visited fifteen diamond mining sites in the Lobé River region, located in the northwestern part of the national park. There are three types of forest within Dzanga-Ndoki National Park: mainly dryland, a semi-evergreen forest that contains swamp-forest areas along the rivers and, a closed-canopy, monodominant Gilbertiodendron dewevrei forest. The dryland forest
5428-599: The Anglophone region as the Federal Republic of Ambazonia . The government responded with a military offensive, and the insurgency spread across the Northwest and Southwest regions. As of 2019 , fighting between separatist guerillas and government forces continues. During 2020, numerous terrorist attacks—many of them carried out without claims of credit—and government reprisals have led to bloodshed throughout
5546-472: The Atlantic Ocean. Tourist literature describes Cameroon as "Africa in miniature" because it exhibits all major climates and vegetation of the continent: coast, desert, mountains, rainforest, and savanna. The country's neighbours are Nigeria and the Atlantic Ocean to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea , Gabon and the Republic of
5664-686: The British Cameroons, the question was whether to reunify with French Cameroon or join Nigeria; the British ruled out the option of independence. On 1 January 1960, French Cameroun gained independence from France under President Ahmadou Ahidjo as the Republic of Cameroon. On 1 October 1961, the formerly British Southern Cameroons gained independence from the United Kingdom by vote of the UN General Assembly and merged into
5782-428: The CNU and tried to run the country from behind the scenes until Biya and his allies pressured him into resigning. Biya began his administration by moving toward a more democratic government, but a failed coup d'état nudged him toward the leadership style of his predecessor. In 1987, Dja Faunal Reserve , Cameroon's first world heritage site , was inscribed on the list by UNESCO . An economic crisis took effect in
5900-402: The Central African Republic is the world's 44th-largest country . Much of the southern border is formed by tributaries of the Congo River ; the Mbomou River in the east merges with the Uele River to form the Ubangi River , which also comprises portions of the southern border. The Sangha River flows through some of the western regions of the country, while the eastern border lies along
6018-517: The Central African Republic...a 'vassal state' of the Kremlin." The Central African Republic is a landlocked nation within the interior of the African continent. It is bordered by Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo. The country lies between latitudes 2° and 11°N , and longitudes 14° and 28°E . Much of the country consists of flat or rolling plateau savanna approximately 500 metres (1,640 ft) above sea level . In addition to
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#17328017208726136-403: The Central African region. In the 16th and 17th centuries, slave traders began to raid the region as part of the expansion of the Saharan and Nile River slave routes. Their captives were enslaved and shipped to the Mediterranean coast, Europe, Arabia, the Western Hemisphere, or to the slave ports and factories along the West and North Africa or South along the Ubangui and Congo rivers. During
6254-410: The Congo to the south. Cameroon is divided into five major geographic zones distinguished by dominant physical, climatic, and vegetative features. The coastal plain extends 15 to 150 kilometres (9 to 93 mi) inland from the Gulf of Guinea and has an average elevation of 90 metres (295 ft). Exceedingly hot and humid with a short dry season , this belt is densely forested and includes some of
6372-434: The Dzanga sector is a gorilla density of 1.6/km (4.1/sq mi), one of the highest densities ever reported for the western lowland gorilla . Between the two sectors of the national park stretches the Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve 335,900 ha (830,000 acres). The national park and the special reserve, each with its own protective status, are a part of the Dzanga-Sangha Complex of Protected Areas (DSPAC). Along with
6490-454: The Dzanga sector is one of the highest densities ever reported for the western lowland gorilla. The Dzanga-Ndoki National Park has been designated an Important Bird Area (#CF008). The IBA is contiguous with two other IBAs, Lobéké of Cameroon (#CM033) and Nouabalé-Ndoki in Congo (#CG001). Over 350 bird species have been reported at the national park of which at least 260 can be expected to breed. Stiphrornis sanghensis has been described as
6608-656: The English-speaking territories, where politicians have advocated for greater decentralisation and even complete separation or independence (as in the Southern Cameroons National Council ). In 2017, tensions over the creation of an Ambazonian state in the English-speaking territories escalated into open warfare . Large numbers of Cameroonians live as subsistence farmers . The country is often referred to as "Africa in miniature" for its geological, linguistic, and cultural diversity. Its natural features include beaches , deserts , mountains , rainforests , and savannas . Cameroon's highest point, at almost 4,100 metres (13,500 ft),
6726-567: The Fertit Hills in the northeast of the Central African Republic, there are scattered hills in the southwest regions. In the northwest is the Yade Massif, a granite plateau with an altitude of 348 metres (1,143 ft). The Central African Republic contains six terrestrial ecoregions: Northeastern Congolian lowland forests , Northwestern Congolian lowland forests , Western Congolian swamp forests , East Sudanian savanna , Northern Congolian forest-savanna mosaic , and Sahelian Acacia savanna . At 622,984 square kilometres (240,535 sq mi),
6844-442: The French-administered part of Cameroon became independent, as the Republic of Cameroun, under President Ahmadou Ahidjo . The southern part of British Cameroons federated with it in 1961 to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. The federation was abandoned in 1972. The country was renamed the United Republic of Cameroon in 1972 and back to the Republic of Cameroon in 1984 by a presidential decree by President Paul Biya . Biya,
6962-423: The Kanem and its successor state, the Bornu Empire . Kingdoms, fondoms , and chiefdoms arose in the west. Portuguese sailors reached the coast in 1472. They noted an abundance of the ghost shrimp Lepidophthalmus turneranus in the Wouri River and named it Rio dos Camarões ( Shrimp River ), which became Cameroon in English. Over the following few centuries, European interests regularised trade with
7080-508: The Kolingba elements from the government and Kolingba supporters accused Patassé's government of conducting a " witch hunt " against the Yakoma. A new constitution was approved on 28 December 1994 but had little impact on the country's politics. In 1996–1997, reflecting steadily decreasing public confidence in the government's erratic behavior, three mutinies against Patassé's administration were accompanied by widespread destruction of property and heightened ethnic tension. During this time (1996),
7198-412: The Republic of Cameroon to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. The federal republic was composed of two federated states, East Cameroon and West Cameroon , each with their own legislatures, governments, and prime ministers. 1 October is now observed as Unification Day , a public holiday . Ahidjo used the ongoing war with the UPC to concentrate power in the presidency, continuing with this even after
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#17328017208727316-461: The Sahel regions of northern Central Africa, where some groups settled. Farming began as part of the Neolithic Revolution . Initial farming of white yam progressed into millet and sorghum , and before 3000 BCE the domestication of African oil palm improved the groups' nutrition and allowed for expansion of the local populations. This agricultural revolution, combined with a "Fish-stew Revolution", in which fishing began to take place and
7434-414: The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said 417 of the country's 436 mosques had been destroyed, and Muslim women were so scared of going out in public they were giving birth in their homes instead of going to the hospital. On 14 December 2015, Séléka rebel leaders declared an independent Republic of Logone . Presidential elections were held in December 2015. As no candidate received more than 50% of
7552-413: The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein expressed deep concern about reports of violations and abuses in the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions of Cameroon. According to OCHA, more than 1.7 million people require humanitarian assistance in the northwest and southwest regions. OCHA also estimates that at least 628,000 people have been internally displaced by violence in
7670-425: The Ubangi-Shari Government Council. Within a year, he declared the establishment of the Central African Republic and served as the country's first prime minister. MESAN continued to exist, but its role was limited. The Central African Republic was granted autonomy within the French Community on 1 December 1958, a status which meant it was still counted as part of the French Empire in Africa. After Boganda's death in
7788-432: The adjacent Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in Republic of the Congo and Lobéké National Park in Cameroon , Dzanga-Ndoki National Park forms the Sangha Trinational protected area, which was awarded World Heritage Site -status in 2012 The Dzanga-Sangha National Park is located in the extreme southwest of the Central African Republic in a triangular-shaped part of the country. The main river running through this region
7906-444: The administration of an elected Regional Council . Each region is headed by a presidentially appointed governor. These leaders are charged with implementing the will of the president, reporting on the general mood and conditions of the regions, administering the civil service, keeping the peace, and overseeing the heads of the smaller administrative units. Governors have broad powers: they may order propaganda in their area and call in
8024-580: The army, gendarmes , and police. All local government officials are employees of the central government's Ministry of Territorial Administration, from which local governments also get most of their budgets. The regions are subdivided into 58 divisions (French départements ). These are headed by presidentially appointed divisional officers ( préfets ). The divisions are further split into sub-divisions ( arrondissements ), headed by assistant divisional officers ( sous-prefets ). The districts, administered by district heads ( chefs de district ), are
8142-422: The coast in the 15th century and named the area Rio dos Camarões ( Shrimp River ), which became Cameroon in English. Fulani soldiers founded the Adamawa Emirate in the north in the 19th century, and various ethnic groups of the west and northwest established powerful chiefdoms and fondoms . Cameroon became a German colony in 1884 known as Kamerun . After World War I , it was divided between France and
8260-462: The coast, and the North-West ( Nord-Ouest ) and West ( Ouest ) regions are in the western grassfields. At 475,442 square kilometres (183,569 sq mi), Cameroon is the world's 53rd-largest country. The country is located in Central Africa , on the Bight of Bonny , part of the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. Cameroon lies between latitudes 1° and 13°N , and longitudes 8° and 17°E . Cameroon controls 12 nautical miles of
8378-434: The coastal peoples, and Christian missionaries pushed inland. In 1896, Sultan Ibrahim Njoya created the Bamum script , or Shu Mom, for the Bamum language . It is taught in Cameroon today by the Bamum Scripts and Archives Project . Germany began to establish roots in Cameroon in 1868 when the Woermann Company of Hamburg built a warehouse. It was built on the estuary of the Wouri River. Later, Gustav Nachtigal made
8496-416: The colonial system of forced labour. The British administered their territory from neighbouring Nigeria . Natives complained that this made them a neglected "colony of a colony". Nigerian migrant workers flocked to Southern Cameroons, ending forced labour altogether but angering the local natives, who felt swamped. The League of Nations mandates were converted into United Nations Trusteeships in 1946, and
8614-548: The country also includes a Sahelo - Sudanian zone in the north and an equatorial forest zone in the south. Two-thirds of the country is within the Ubangi River basin (which flows into the Congo ), while the remaining third lies in the basin of the Chari , which flows into Lake Chad . What is today the Central African Republic has been inhabited since at least 8,000 BCE. The country's borders were established by France, which ruled
8732-408: The country as a colony starting in the late 19th century. After gaining independence from France in 1960, the Central African Republic was ruled by a series of autocratic leaders, including an abortive attempt at a monarchy under the regime of Jean-Bedel Bokassa . By the 1990s, calls for democracy led to the first multi-party democratic elections in 1993. Ange-Félix Patassé became president, but
8850-604: The country's northern regions. Though the initial public details of the agreement pertained to logistics and intelligence, by December the French assistance included airstrikes by Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters against rebel positions. The Syrte Agreement in February and the Birao Peace Agreement in April 2007 called for a cessation of hostilities, the billeting of FDPC fighters and their integration with FACA,
8968-542: The country. Some 800 of the country's polling stations, or 14% of the total, were closed due to violence. Three Burundian peacekeepers were killed and an additional two were wounded during the run-up to the election. President Faustin-Archange Touadéra was reelected in the first round of the election in December 2020. Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group have supported President Faustin-Archange Touadéra in
9086-580: The country. Since 2016, more than 450,000 people have fled their homes. The conflict indirectly led to an upsurge in Boko Haram attacks, as the Cameroonian military largely withdrew from the north to focus on fighting the Ambazonian separatists. More than 30,000 people in northern Cameroon fled to Chad after ethnic clashes over access to water between Musgum fishermen and ethnic Arab Choa herders in December 2021. The President of Cameroon
9204-595: The country. On 18 February 2014, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the UN Security Council to immediately deploy 3,000 troops to the country, bolstering the 6,000 African Union soldiers and 2,000 French troops already in the country, to combat civilians being murdered in large numbers. The Séléka government was said to be divided, and in September 2013, Djotodia officially disbanded Seleka, but many rebels refused to disarm, becoming known as ex-Seleka, and veered further out of government control. It
9322-529: The crossroads between West Africa and Central Africa, it has been categorized as being in both camps. Cameroon's population of nearly 31 million people speak 250 native languages, in addition to the national tongues of English and French, or both. Early inhabitants of the territory included the Sao civilisation around Lake Chad and the Baka hunter-gatherers in the southeastern rainforest. Portuguese explorers reached
9440-527: The direction of the National Anti-Corruption Observatory . There are several high corruption risk areas in Cameroon, for instance, customs, public health sector and public procurement. However, the corruption has gotten worse, regardless of the existing anti-corruption bureaus, as Transparency International ranked Cameroon 152 on a list of 180 countries in 2018. President Biya's Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM)
9558-471: The edge of the Nile River watershed . It has been estimated that up to 8% of the country is covered by forest, with the densest parts generally located in the southern regions. The forests are highly diverse and include commercially important species of Ayous , Sapelli , and Sipo . The deforestation rate is about 0.4% per annum, and lumber poaching is commonplace. The Central African Republic had
9676-459: The event they are charged with high treason or harming national security. Cameroon is viewed as rife with corruption at all levels of government. In 1997, Cameroon established anti-corruption bureaus in 29 ministries, but only 25% became operational, and in 2012, Transparency International placed Cameroon at number 144 on a list of 176 countries ranked from least to most corrupt. On 18 January 2006, Biya initiated an anti-corruption drive under
9794-407: The excuse of alleged irregularities to suspend the results of the elections as a pretext for holding on to power, President Kolingba came under intense pressure from GIBAFOR to establish a "Conseil National Politique Provisoire de la République" (Provisional National Political Council, CNPPR) and to set up a "Mixed Electoral Commission", which included representatives from all political parties. When
9912-529: The fears of widespread violence were ultimately unfounded, and the African Union regarded the elections as successful. Touadéra was sworn in on 30 March 2016. No representatives of the Seleka rebel group or the "anti-balaka" militias were included in the subsequently formed government. After the end of Touadéra's first term, presidential elections were held on 27 December 2020 with a possible second round planned for 14 February 2021. Former president François Bozizé announced his candidacy on 25 July 2020 but
10030-477: The fight against rebels. Russia's Wagner group has been accused of harassing and intimidating civilians. In December 2022, Roger Cohen wrote in The New York Times , " Wagner shock troops form a Praetorian Guard for Mr. Touadéra, who is also protected by Rwandan forces, in return for an untaxed license to exploit and export the Central African Republic's resources" and "one Western ambassador called
10148-763: The government suppresses the freedoms of opposition groups by preventing demonstrations, disrupting meetings, and arresting opposition leaders and journalists. In particular, English-speaking people are discriminated against; protests often escalate into violent clashes and killings. In 2017, President Biya shut down the Internet in the English-speaking region for 94 days, at the cost of hampering five million people, including Silicon Mountain startups. Freedom House ranks Cameroon as "not free" in terms of political rights and civil liberties. The last parliamentary elections were held on 9 February 2020. Cameroon
10266-546: The hot, dry, and dusty trade wind known as the Harmattan . The southern regions have a more equatorial climate, but they are subject to desertification , while the extreme northeast regions of the country are a steppe . In the southwest, the Dzanga-Sangha National Park is located in a rain forest area. The country is noted for its population of forest elephants and western lowland gorillas . In
10384-513: The incumbent president, has led the country since 1982 following Ahidjo's resignation; he previously held office as prime minister from 1975 onward. Cameroon is governed as a unitary presidential republic . The official languages of Cameroon are French and English, the official languages of former French Cameroons and British Cameroons . Christianity is the majority religion in Cameroon , with significant minorities practising Islam and traditional faiths . It has experienced tensions from
10502-521: The independence of Cameroon. The National Assembly makes legislation. The body consists of 180 members who are elected for five-year terms and meet three times per year. Laws are passed on a majority vote. The 1996 constitution establishes a second house of parliament, the 100-seat Senate . The government recognises the authority of traditional chiefs, fons, and lamibe to govern at the local level and to resolve disputes as long as such rulings do not conflict with national law. Cameroon's legal system
10620-666: The late 19th century during the Scramble for Africa . Europeans, primarily the French, Germans , and Belgians , arrived in the area in 1885. France seized and colonized Ubangi-Shari territory in 1894. In 1911 at the Treaty of Fez , France ceded a nearly 300,000 km portion of the Sangha and Lobaye basins to the German Empire which ceded a smaller area (in present-day Chad ) to France. After World War I France again annexed
10738-456: The liberation of political prisoners, the integration of FDPC into government, an amnesty for the UFDR , its recognition as a political party, and the integration of its fighters into the national army. Several groups continued to fight but other groups signed on to the agreement or similar agreements with the government (e.g., UFR on 15 December 2008). The only major group not to sign an agreement at
10856-409: The mid-1980s to late 1990s as a result of international economic conditions, drought, falling petroleum prices, and years of corruption, mismanagement, and cronyism . Cameroon turned to foreign aid, cut government spending, and privatised industries. With the reintroduction of multi-party politics in December 1990, the former British Southern Cameroons pressure groups called for greater autonomy, and
10974-604: The north, the Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park is well-populated with wildlife, including leopards , lions , cheetahs and rhinos , and the Bamingui-Bangoran National Park is located in the northeast of the Central African Republic. The parks have been seriously affected by the activities of poachers, particularly those from Sudan , over the past two decades. Cameroon Cameroon , officially
11092-724: The official party of the state. On 31 December 1965, Dacko was overthrown in the Saint-Sylvestre coup d'état by Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa , who suspended the constitution and dissolved the National Assembly. President Bokassa declared himself President for Life in 1972 and named himself Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire (as the country was renamed) on 4 December 1976. A year later, Emperor Bokassa crowned himself in an expensive ceremony. In April 1979, young students protested against Bokassa's decree that all school pupils were required to buy uniforms from
11210-713: The oil-rich Bakassi peninsula. Cameroon and Nigeria share a 1,000-mile (1,600 km) border and have disputed the sovereignty of the Bakassi peninsula. In 1994 Cameroon petitioned the International Court of Justice to resolve the dispute. The two countries attempted to establish a cease-fire in 1996; however, fighting continued for years. In 2002, the ICJ ruled that the Anglo-German Agreement of 1913 gave sovereignty to Cameroon. The ruling called for
11328-575: The peninsula was left to Cameroon two years later, in 2008. The boundary change triggered a local separatist insurgency , as many Bakassians refused to accept Cameroonian rule. While most militants laid down their arms in November 2009, some carried on fighting for years. In February 2008, Cameroon experienced its worst violence in 15 years when a transport union strike in Douala escalated into violent protests in 31 municipal areas. In May 2014, in
11446-468: The predominantly English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions of the country have been campaigning for continued use of the English language in schools and courts. People were killed and hundreds were jailed as a result of these protests. In 2017, Biya's government blocked the regions' access to the Internet for three months. In September, separatists started a guerilla war for the independence of
11564-442: The press and freedom of movement. Despite its significant mineral deposits and other resources, such as uranium reserves, crude oil , gold , diamonds , cobalt , lumber , and hydropower , as well as significant quantities of arable land , the Central African Republic is among the ten poorest countries in the world, with the lowest GDP per capita at purchasing power parity in the world as of 2017. As of 2022 , according to
11682-648: The question of independence became a pressing issue in French Cameroon. France outlawed the pro-independence political party, the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon ( French : Union des Populations du Cameroun , UPC), on 13 July 1955. This prompted a long guerrilla war waged by the UPC and the assassination of several of the party's leaders, including Ruben Um Nyobè , Félix-Roland Moumié and Ernest Ouandie . In
11800-678: The smallest administrative units. The three northernmost regions are the Far North ( Extrême Nord ), North ( Nord ), and Adamawa ( Adamaoua ). Directly south of them are the Centre ( Centre ) and East ( Est ). The South Province ( Sud ) lies on the Gulf of Guinea and the southern border. Cameroon's western region is split into four smaller regions: the Littoral ( Littoral ) and South-West ( Sud-Ouest ) regions are on
11918-610: The suppression of the UPC in 1971. Ahidjo's political party, the Cameroon National Union (CNU), became the sole legal political party on 1 September 1966, and on 20 May 1972, a referendum was passed to abolish the federal system of government in favour of a United Republic of Cameroon, headed from Yaoundé . This day is now the country's National Day , a public holiday. Ahidjo pursued an economic policy of planned liberalism , prioritising cash crops and petroleum development. The government used oil money to create
12036-474: The territory. Modeled on King Leopold 's Congo Free State , concessions were doled out to private companies that endeavored to strip the region's assets as quickly and cheaply as possible before depositing a percentage of their profits into the French treasury. The concessionary companies forced local people to harvest rubber, coffee, and other commodities without pay and held their families hostage until they met their quotas. In 1920, French Equatorial Africa
12154-589: The then abundant Cameroon ghost shrimp . Today the country's name in Portuguese remains Camarões . Evidence from digs at Shum Laka in the Northwest Region shows human occupation in Cameroon dating back 30,000 years. The longest continuous inhabitants are groups such as the Baka ( Pygmies ). From there, Bantu migrations into eastern, southern and central Africa are believed to have occurred about 2,000 years ago. The Sao culture arose around Lake Chad , c. 500 CE , and gave way to
12272-486: The time was the CPJP , which continued its activities and signed a peace agreement with the government on 25 August 2012. In 2011, Bozizé was reelected in an election which was widely considered fraudulent. In November 2012, Séléka , a coalition of rebel groups, took over towns in the northern and central regions of the country. These groups eventually reached a peace deal with Bozizé's government in January 2013, involving
12390-539: The two regions, while more than 87,000 have fled to Nigeria. Same-sex sexual acts are banned by section 347-1 of the penal code with a penalty of from 6 months up to 5 years imprisonment. Since December 2020, Human Rights Watch claimed that Islamist armed group Boko Haram has stepped up attacks and killed at least 80 civilians in towns and villages in the Far North region of Cameroon. The constitution divides Cameroon into 10 semi-autonomous regions, each under
12508-579: The upper hand by bringing in at least 300 troops of the Congolese rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba and Libyan soldiers. In the aftermath of the failed coup , militias loyal to Patassé sought revenge against rebels in many neighborhoods of Bangui and incited unrest including the murder of many political opponents. Eventually, Patassé came to suspect that General François Bozizé was involved in another coup attempt against him, which led Bozizé to flee with loyal troops to Chad. In March 2003, Bozizé launched
12626-410: The use of boats, allowed for the transportation of goods. Products were often moved in ceramic pots. The Bouar Megaliths in the western region of the country indicate an advanced level of habitation dating back to the very late Neolithic Era ( c. 3500–2700 BCE ). Ironwork developed in the region around 1000 BCE. The Ubangian people settled along the Ubangi River in what
12744-424: The violence, many reportedly hiding in forests. Prisons are overcrowded with little access to adequate food and medical facilities, and prisons run by traditional rulers in the north are charged with holding political opponents at the behest of the government. However, since the first decade of the 21st century, an increasing number of police and gendarmes have been prosecuted for improper conduct. On 25 July 2018,
12862-457: The vote, a second round of elections was held on 14 February 2016 with run-offs on 31 March 2016. In the second round of voting, former Prime Minister Faustin-Archange Touadéra was declared the winner with 63% of the vote, defeating Union for Central African Renewal candidate Anicet-Georges Dologuélé , another former Prime Minister. While the elections suffered from many potential voters being absent as they had taken refuge in other countries,
12980-593: The wake of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping , presidents Paul Biya of Cameroon and Idriss Déby of Chad announced they were waging war on Boko Haram , and deployed troops to the Nigerian border. Boko Haram launched several attacks into Cameroon, killing 84 civilians in a December 2014 raid , but suffering a heavy defeat in a raid in January 2015 . Cameroon declared victory over Boko Haram on Cameroonian territory in September 2018. Since November 2016, protesters from
13098-438: The year, there were international warnings of a "genocide" and fighting was largely reprisal attacks on civilians by Seleka's predominantly Muslim fighters and Christian militias called " anti-balaka ". By August 2013, there were reports of over 200,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). French President François Hollande called on the UN Security Council and the African Union to increase their efforts to stabilize
13216-655: Was again overthrown in a coup by General André Kolingba on 1 September 1981. Kolingba suspended the constitution and ruled with a military junta until 1985. He introduced a new constitution in 1986 which was adopted by a nationwide referendum. Membership in his new party, the Rassemblement Démocratique Centrafricain (RDC), was voluntary. In 1987 and 1988, semi-free elections to parliament were held, but Kolingba's two major political opponents, Abel Goumba and Ange-Félix Patassé , were not allowed to participate. By 1990, inspired by
13334-573: Was elected interim president by the National Transitional Council, becoming the first ever female Central African president. On 23 July 2014, following Congolese mediation efforts, Séléka and anti-balaka representatives signed a ceasefire agreement in Brazzaville . By the end of 2014, the country was de facto partitioned with the anti-Balaka in the southwest and ex-Seleka in the northeast. In March 2015, Samantha Power ,
13452-414: Was established and Ubangi-Shari was administered from Brazzaville . During the 1920s and 1930s the French introduced a policy of mandatory cotton cultivation, a network of roads were built, attempts were made to combat sleeping sickness , and Protestant missions were established to spread Christianity. New forms of forced labour were also introduced and a large number of Ubangians were sent to work on
13570-438: Was later removed by General François Bozizé in a 2003 coup . The Central African Republic Bush War began in 2004 and, despite a peace treaty in 2007 and another in 2011, civil war resumed in 2012. The civil war perpetuated the country's poor human rights record : it was characterized by widespread and increasing abuses by various participating armed groups, such as arbitrary imprisonment, torture, and restrictions on freedom of
13688-678: Was perhaps the largest anti-colonial rebellion in Africa during the interwar years, was carefully hidden from the French public because it provided evidence of strong opposition to French colonial rule and forced labour. French colonization in Oubangui-Chari is considered to be the most brutal of the French colonial Empire. In September 1940, during the Second World War , pro-Gaullist French officers took control of Ubangi-Shari and General Leclerc established his headquarters for
13806-478: Was rejected by the Constitutional Court of the country, which held that Bozizé did not satisfy the "good morality" requirement for candidates because of an international warrant and United Nations sanctions against him for alleged assassinations, torture and other crimes. As large parts of the country were at the time controlled by armed groups, the election could not be conducted in many areas of
13924-518: Was the only legal political party until December 1990. Numerous regional political groups have since formed. The primary opposition is the Social Democratic Front (SDF), based largely in the Anglophone region of the country and headed by John Fru Ndi . Biya and his party have maintained control of the presidency and the National Assembly in national elections, which rivals contend were unfair. Human rights organisations allege that
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