Cameroon
Cameroon, on the Gulf of Guinea, is a country of 25 million that contains diverse landscapes and landmarks. Cameroon comprises the former French Cameroons and the southern part of British Cameroons - and since becoming independent in 1960, the country has grown rapidly. Its inland capital, Yaoundé, and its biggest city, the seaport Douala, are transit points to ecotourism sites as well as beach resorts. The country's interior is home to many unique natural wonders and landscapes - and massive volcanoes like Mount Cameroon tower over Cameroon's Atlantic shoreline. Today we'll be visiting this unique country and exploring it's many wonders.
Our trek across Cameroon begins in the country's far north, where much of the landscape consists of arid scrublands and wide plains. Many of the locals in this area still live in rural settlements consisting of circular mud and brick houses, although in recent years more and more are moving to Cameroon's larger cities.
Due to ancient volcanic activity, many majestic volcanic plugs can be seen towering over the bushlands in this region of Cameroon. The imposing Rhumiski Rock (also known as Kapsiki Peak) stands 4,016 feet tall and is one of the region's most impressive sights.
We travel south and head into the country's capital city of Yaoundé, situated on a hilly, forested plateau between the Nyong and Sanaga rivers in the south-central part of the country. Founded in 1888 during the period of the German protectorate, Yaoundé was occupied by Belgian troops in 1915 and was declared the capital of French Cameroun in 1922. From 1940 to 1946 it was replaced as the capital by Douala, but after independence it became the seat of the government of Cameroon in 1960, of the federal government in 1961, and of the united republic in 1972. The city has grown as an administrative, service, and commercial centre and a communications hub for road, rail, and air transport. Yaoundé contains several small manufacturing and processing industries (a cigarette factory, a brewery, sawmills, and printing presses) and is also the market for one of the richest agricultural areas in the country. In addition, the city is also known for its unique architecture - the Our Lady of Victories Cathedral is perhaps the city's most famous landmark. It's noted for its bold, triangular shape that looms over a crowded square in the heart of the city - as seen below.
Yaounde is also an important financial hub as well - here we see a bustling scene from the heart of the city's downtown.
An aerial overview of Yaounde's sprawling urban area from above.
After embarking from Yaounde, we'll be exploring two more of the country's most famous natural wonders, starting with the deadly Lake Nyos. This crater lake is known for the large amount of carbon dioxide in its waters, which can suddenly and violently erupt large amounts of CO2 into the surrounding air, suffocating neighboring residents. The most deadly occurrence of this happened in 1986, when over 1,700 people and 3,500 people perished overnight - making it one of the world's most deadly natural disasters in decades. Since then however, de-gassing operations have helped to purify the lake and reduce its risk to the surrounding residents.
Our trip concludes with a look at Cameroon's tallest point and most imposing natural feature - Mount Cameroon. This 13,255 ft tall peak is one of the region's largest and most active volcanoes, and is also one of the few volcanoes with dated historic eruptions from BCE. Mount Cameroon is the most active peak on a hot spot chain (the Cameroon Volcanic Line), and on average it erupts every 10-20 years. When it does, it can be one of the continent's most impressive (and deadly) scenes.
Don't forget to comment, like, and follow True Earth if you haven't already! 
-korver
-
16
1 Comment
Recommended Comments
Sign In or register to comment...
To comment in reply, you must be a community member
Sign In
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In NowCreate an Account
Sign up to join our friendly community. It's easy!
Register a New Account