23-518: Mezam is a division of the North West Region of Cameroon. The department covers an area of 1745 km and as of 2005 had a total population of 524,127. The capital of the department lies at Bamenda . The department is divided administratively into 5 communes and in turn into villages. The Abakwa Central district is further divided into 3 sub-districts, namely Bamenda I, Bamenda II and Bamenda III. This Cameroon location article
46-574: A 367 km (228 mi) circular route through Cameroon Highlands . Along this road is Mount Oku 3,000 m (9,800 ft), the Kimbi River Game Reserve , the Menchum River waterfalls , a huge Fon's palace at Bafut , and a pyramidal thatched shrine at Akum (also known as Bagangu). Bamenda has a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen : Aw ), very close to being classified as a tropical monsoon climate ( Am ), with
69-791: A long summer wet season and considerably less rainfall in the winter. According to the World Health Organization , Bamenda is the most polluted city in Africa in terms of PM2.5 particulate matter. The city of Bamenda has many primary and secondary schools which offers both general technical and vocational training. It has a state-owned university, the University of Bamenda , which trains students in all three cycles of education that is, Bachelor's, Master's & Doctorate (BMD) in different fields. Several University Institutes and professional institutions of learning also exist in
92-719: A number of other fields of study. Another institution of higher learning is National Polytechnic Bamenda , formerly National Polytechnic Bambui . Among the places of worship , they are predominantly Christian churches and temples: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bamenda ( Catholic Church ), Evangelical Church of Cameroon ( World Communion of Reformed Churches ), Presbyterian Church in Cameroon ( World Communion of Reformed Churches ), Cameroon Baptist Convention ( Baptist World Alliance ), Full Gospel Mission Cameroon ( Assemblies of God ), and Church of God Ministry of Jesus Christ International . There are also Muslim mosques. Over
115-477: A potential tourist attraction. However, the access road is very rough, and the viewing site is not well maintained. A 2003 guide stated that the road was virtually impassable in the rainy season. On 7 September 2009, Agreenergy and the Government of Cameroon signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a project to build a dam and 90MW hydroelectric power plant on the river. Apart from bringing electricity and jobs,
138-622: A wide variety of local baskets, beads, woodcarvings and bronze statues. In Bamenda, there are cultural sites such; as the Mankon Fon's Palace with its newly constructed museum, and the Bali Fon's palace with its ancient architectural structures. The mountainous terrain around the city affords scenic views such as that from the mountain Sabga over the Ndop plain. Ndop plain stretches from under
161-569: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Bamenda Bamenda , also known as Abakwa and Mankon Town , is a city in northwestern Cameroon and capital of the Northwest Region . The city has a population of about six hundred thousand people and is located 366 km (227 mi) north-west of the Cameroonian capital, Yaoundé . Bamenda is known for its cool climate and scenic hilly location. The origins of
184-605: Is made up of 3 villages; Bamendakwe, Mankon and Nkwen classified as Bamenda I II and III sub-divisions respectively for administrative reasons. However, it is surrounded by other suburban areas and villages like Bambui, Akum, Bafut, Bali, Chombah and Mbatu. These suburban areas and villages are fast growing and sometimes considered as part of Bamenda. The main industries are the processing of agricultural produce such as coffee, elementary food processing, handicraft, cottage industry, education (schools), tourism/hospitality, construction works and transport. The local museum and shops display
207-523: The Cameroon . Many of the city's inhabitants are English-speaking , and Cameroonian Pidgin English is the main language spoken in the shops and on the streets of Bamenda. The Southern Cameroons Liberation Council is a united front consisting of multiple groups of separatists aiming for an independent Ambazonian state, which would include Bamenda. Protests started in 2016 in the city in reaction to
230-626: The Cameroon Government. The university went operational in January 1998. At the request of government, BUST participated and contributed extensively to the drafting of the Law on Private Higher Education in Cameroon. BUST is a 4-year Arts, Science and Technology University. Degrees offered include B.A., BEd, BSc, HND.,SRN., AN., Lab. Tech., and Assist. Lab. Tech. Formalities for Post Graduate Studies have been put in place, to go operational by
253-458: The Oku-Kom highlands, which have an elevation of 2,400 metres (7,900 ft) around Lake Oku , falling to about 800 metres (2,600 ft) at Mbonkissu to the west of Fundong . The highlands, formed by volcanic action, have been dissected by steep valleys carved out by fast-flowing streams. The Menchum Falls, about 20 km south of Wum and 30 km north of Bafut , are impressive and
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#1732779749049276-634: The Sabga mountain or hill Bamali, Bali Kumbat, Bamessing, Bamikumbit and many more sounding villages. One cannot oversee the Ngoketunjia mountain that dominates the Ndop central. Ngoketunjia means, a rock without heads. The city of Bamenda has road links to Yaoundé and Douala , as well as an airport, Bamenda Airport , located in Bafut subdivision. North of the city is the Bamenda Ring Road,
299-547: The academic year 2010/2011. Its main national affiliate is the University of Buéa , though other partnership arrangements are under way with the University of Dschang . The Bamenda University of Science and Technology is affiliated to the University of Osnabrück (Germany) and the University of Wales at Bangor . It trains college teachers, medical doctors etc. and graduates in Accountancy, management, marketing, and
322-412: The appointment of French-speaking judges in the area. Starting in 2017 as a continuation of the protests, the ongoing Anglophone crisis has heavily impacted the city, both through the actions of separatists and responses from the government. In September 2020, Cameroon launched Operation Bamenda Clean to expel separatist militias from the city. The operation has resulted in civilian deaths. The city
345-509: The city are related to the settlement of the Tikar people who culturally forged and maintained relations with the Kingdom of Bamum in the 1700s. In 1884, the city was colonized by Germany until 1916 when it became a colony administered by Great Britain and France . In 1919, the administration of Northwest Region and thus the city of Bamenda became only British. In 1961, the region joined
368-458: The city of Bamenda. These institutions are mostly privately owned or owned by religious denominations. The Bamenda University of Science and Technology (BUST) is a brain child of The Industrial and Educational Development Company Ltd (INDECO). It was incorporated on 12 October 1995. INDECO and the university (BUST) were founded by the Late Rt. Hon. John Ngu Foncha , with the encouragement of
391-479: The home of its leader, John Fru Ndi . There is a large military presence throughout the city. On 26 May 1990, a group of Bamenda elites launched the party in Ntarikon Bamenda, despite a heavy police presence. However, the launching did not end without casualty as six civilians were killed. Bamenda is also the birthplace of The Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), a group that has been asking for
414-609: The people of the Southern Cameroons. The Cameroon government failed to respond to the Bamenda Declaration and since then, the SCNC has categorically maintained that it now considers the restoration of the independence of the Southern Cameroons to be final and irrevocable. The artist Libianca refers to herself as being "from Bamenda" in her song titled People . Andy Allo , Singer-songwriter and Actress
437-522: The project would involve surfacing the road. On 8 December 2010 President Paul Biya announced plans to construct a dam on the Menchum Falls. The Menchum Falls have political significance in the ongoing Anglophone Crisis . Ambazonian separatist movements plan on damming the Menchum Falls after independence to not only gain electricity self-sufficiency for their new country, but also to export to Cameroon and Nigeria. The rich volcanic soils in
460-679: The restoration of the former Southern Cameroons , a territory that covers the English-speaking provinces of North West and South West. The SCNC was born in Bamenda in 1994, after the All Anglophone Conference (AAC2) issued the Bamenda Declaration in which it had asked the government of President Paul Biya to respond to all anglophone grievances stated in the Buea Declaration of 1993, or face the wrath of
483-544: The top division after a slump to the third tier for almost 20 years. They won their first Elite One title in the 2019-20 season . The other club from Bamenda in the professional league at the moment is Yong Sports Academy . They won the Cameroonian Cup in 2013. Bamenda is the founding place and seat of the largest opposition political party in Cameroon, the Social Democratic Front (SDF), and
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#1732779749049506-489: The years, Bamenda has had two football teams that played in the First Division Championship. In the 1970s, it was PWD Bamenda and later in the 1980s, it was Camark Bamenda . With the fall in the influence and budgeting of public works department and National Produce Marketing Board (NPMB), both teams fell from the limelight. Presently Camark Bamenda is out of existence, while PWD Bamenda are back in
529-700: Was born in Bamenda [REDACTED] Media related to Bamenda at Wikimedia Commons Menchum River The Menchum River and its tributaries drains a large area of the Northwest Region of Cameroon . It in turn is a tributary of the Benue River in Nigeria . The Menchum, Donga and Katsina Ala rivers all flow west from the Northeast Region to join the Benue in Nigeria. The Menchum drains
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