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Introduction
Cameroon (in French, Cameroun; in English, Cameroon; officially, the Republic of Cameroon, République du Cameroun, Republic of Cameroon) is a country located in the center of Africa. It limits the northwest with Nigeria, east with Chad and the Central African Republic, and to the south with Gabon, Congo Y Equatorial Guinea. Its coastline is on the Gulf of Biafra, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean.
Understand
Due to its geographical and cultural diversity, the country has been called "Africa in miniature": on its land it is possible to find beaches, deserts, mountains, forest jungles and savannas. The country is inhabited by more than two hundred different ethnic and linguistic groups, although the predominant language is the French (the English it is used in some areas to sweat).
History
The territory of present-day Cameroon was first colonized during the Neolithic period. Portuguese sailors reached the coast in 1472. During the following centuries, European interests regularized trade with coastal peoples and Christian missionaries advanced inland. In the early 19th century, Modibo Adama led Fulani soldiers in a jihad in the north against non-Muslim and partially Muslim peoples and established the Adamawa Emirate. The settled towns that fled from the Fulani caused a significant redistribution of the population.
The German Empire claimed the territory as the Kamerun colony in 1884 and began a steady advance inland. With the defeat of Germany in World War I, Kamerun became a League of Nations mandate territory and was divided into French Cameroon and British Cameroon in 1919. The French carefully integrated Cameroon's economy with that of France. and they improved the infrastructure with capital investments and specialized workers.
The British administered their territory from neighboring Nigeria. The natives complained that this made them an abandoned "colony of a colony". The League of Nations mandates became United Nations Trusts in 1946, and the question of independence became a pressing issue in French Cameroon. France outlawed the most radical political party, the Union des Populations du Cameroun (UPC), on July 13, 1955. This sparked a long guerrilla war. In British Cameroon, the question was whether to reunite with French Cameroon or to join Nigeria.
On January 1, 1960, French Cameroon became independent from France under the presidency of Ahmadou Ahidjo, and on October 1, 1961, the former British North Cameroon became part of Nigeria, while the former British South Cameroon (now called Ambazonia) was joined by its neighbor the Federal Republic of Cameroon.
Weather
It varies by terrain, from tropical along the coast to semi-arid and warm in the north. If you are going during the summer, plan to have a lot of rain every day. It can be cold in the mountains, especially at night.
Holidays
- January 1st: New Years and also Independence Day
- February 11th: Youth day
- May 1st: Labor Day
- May 20th: National holiday
- August 15th: Assumption
- October 1st: Unification Day
- December 25th: Christmas
Regions
To get
Visa
Most people will need a visa, except for citizens of Mali, Chad, the Central African Republic and Nigeria, and it is strongly recommended to obtain one before you arrive.
There are many types of visa:
- visa from airport transit to airport transit;
- visa as a visitor to visit friends and family in Cameroon;
- business visas for work activities in Cameroon;
- tourist visa for tourist purposes;
- visa as a student to study abroad and learn at universities;
- work visa to start working in Cameroon; Y
- permanent residence visa , which is issued if you marry a Cameroonian.
What is needed to obtain the visa:
For all visas:
- A yellow fever vaccination certificate, regardless of your country of origin. You must also show this to the airport authorities once you arrive in Cameroon.
- The application form and 2 passport-size photographs.
- The application fee (for example, in March 2018, it was US $ 141 for citizens of all countries except the visa-exempt countries mentioned above).
- Your passport with at least six months before its expiration.
Then depending on whether you are applying for a visitor visa or a tourist visa, you will need:
For a visitor visa:
- An invitation letter (for a visitor visa) and a reservation confirmation from your hotel (for a tourist visa). If you need a visitor visa, the person you are visiting needs to create the invitation letter and obtain approval and stamp from the local authorities before it is sent to you. The letter should state that you have a place to stay during your trip (for example, your hosts' home). If you are staying in a hotel, a hotel reservation will suffice.
For a tourist visa:
- A consular letter from your bank indicating your current balance. It must be signed by the bank to be valid.
- A booking confirmation from your hotel.
- Check the website of the Cameroonian Embassy in your country of residence (or the closest one) for more up-to-date information.
- The Cameroon Embassy in London is now asking for £ 100 for a tourist visa.
By plane
The international airports are Douala International Airport (DLAIATA) and Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport (NSIIATA) Douala International Airport Cameroon can be reached via:
- Paris (Air France and Camair-Co)
- Brussels (Brussels Airlines)
- Lagos (Bellview Airlines)
- Nairobi (Kenya Airways)
- Amsterdam (KLM Royal Dutch Airlines)
- Casablanca (Royal Air Maroc)
- Addis Ababa (Ethiopian Airlines)
- Istanbul (Turkish Airlines)
Sometimes airport staff, or just hangers, try to help with luggage to get extra euros / dollars from travelers. They will ask for around 1,000 FCFA.
By train
There is currently no international train line to reach Cameroon. However, the extension of the trans-Cameroonian to Chad is being studied.
By car
Entering Cameroon by land is currently considered very dangerous due to an armed conflict, the Federal Foreign Ministry advises against any entry by land. Comparatively harmless is an Equatorial Guinea entry to Eighth Rio Campo (2 ° 20 ′ 23 ″ N 9 ° 49 ′ 16 ″ E) (but virtually impossible due to visa policy there) and Gabon.
When entering the country with your own vehicle, you must have civil liability insurance valid in Cameroon (it is best to also carry proof of payment and a copy of the insurance policy). Standard insurance policies taken out in Europe are generally not valid in Cameroon. It is also recommended
a Passage Card. In general, the importation of right-hand drive vehicles is prohibited.
You must also buy a bullet point, which is 2008, 25,000 or for larger vehicles 100,000 CAF
The rest is standard: the driver's license and the international driver's license, as well as the vehicle registration, as well as a passport / identity card, are regularly required for very frequent checks. Now the presence of a damaged triangle, fire extinguisher and bandages is checked. 2 warning triangles, 1 fire extinguisher (Extenteur) and the first aid kit should also contain paracetamol, 95% alcohol and a yellow bottle of Betadine (Beta-Isadone).
Vehicle registration is only necessary for stays longer than three months.
Also read the section on driving in Yaoundé.
During the rainy season (June to September) many of the unpaved roads are impassable.
Diesel is about 5-10% cheaper than gasoline (leaded). There are enough gas stations in the cities.
By bus
Boat
It is probably possible to travel by boat from the island of Bioko (Equatorial Guinea). In the past there were opportunities to cross from Nigeria through the Gulf of Guinea to the port city of Limbe in Cameroon. Connections were canceled due to the precarious security situation in Nigeria, unofficial carpooling should not be used due to the risk of kidnapping in Nigerian territorial waters.
In the rainy season it should also be possible to reach the city of Garoua via the Benue River, here too the security situation in the neighboring country is considered the biggest obstacle.
Travel
The main modes of transport in Cameroon are buses, taxis, cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Taxis and motorcycles go to individual destinations, buses run from fixed lines.
The price of taxis and motorcycles will be negotiated before departure. The actual price must be known in advance, as Europeans often ask for double the price. Authorized taxis are usually yellow. The first common Peugeots were gradually replaced by small Japanese cars.
For about ten years, Chinese companies have been building numerous new or better roads, which has not yet been reflected on all maps.
By plane
Camair-Co operates as a national airline and on domestic flights.
By train
Rail services operated by Camrail run from the capital Yaoundé to the port city of Douala and the northern city of Ngaoundéré. While the bus service is faster and more reliable to Douala, the night train is the best mode of ground transportation to the north. Check current hours and prices.
By bus
Between the main cities, you can travel in modern and comfortable buses, sometimes with air conditioning. Away from the bigger hubs, you will most likely end up in the ever-present Toyota cabs. These are slightly elongated Toyota minivans that can seat up to 20 people (or more if necessary) along with your luggage stacked on top. Safety can be a concern with dangerous roads, overworked, drunk or hungover drivers and vehicles in poor condition, the norm. However, aside from extending your stay an additional day or two in bad weather, your options are limited.
Buses rarely leave at a certain time. Instead, they wait until they're full and then leave. For buses later in the day, sometimes they never fill up. When this happens, the operator will usually assign a taxi to take you to your destination. If you don't want to take the taxi and are persistent enough, the operator will usually refund your money. The point is that you must allow enough time to reach your destination, because sometimes the wait can take hours and you are never guaranteed a departure.
By car
Rental cars are available although they are very expensive. As paved roads are rare far from the main cities in the west and northwest of the country, a 4 x 4 is a must when traveling east or central Cameroon. Roads in the north are paved between cities and even dirt roads tend to be in good condition due to the lack of rain.
You can rent a private car and have your driver take you to the places of your choice. Expect to pay around USD 60 per day to the driver and pay the gas bill. The driver will also expect you to provide food and accommodation. But you can haggle.
These days, due to bad roads and congestion, motorcycles are a common form of transportation. The driver can take you wherever you want and they can be the only alternative to remote villages that do not have paved roads.
To buy
Money
| CFA Franc Exchange Rates As of January 2020:
Exchange rates fluctuate. Current rates for these and other currencies are available on XE.com |
The country's currency is CFA of Central Africa. Frank, called FCFA (ISO currency code: XAF). It is also used by five other Central African countries. It is interchangeable on a par with the West African CFA franc (XOF), which is used in six countries. Both currencies are fixed at an exchange rate of 1 euro = 655,957 CFA francs.
ATM machines
Master Card and Visa ATM withdrawals are possible at many banks, for example SGBC, which can be found in most major cities. All the Ecobank ATMs in Cameroon they have cash withdrawals with Master Card and Visa cards.
Shopping
Some good ways to spend your money include local crafts in Marche de Fleurs (Douala - Bonapriso neighborhood) and fresh fish and prawns in the village of Youppe near Douala (early morning).
Unless you are in shops and restaurants, you have to haggle for everything. Demand 20-50% of the first requested price.
Eat and drink
Cameroonian cuisine is part of the general West African, which is why yam, corn (also as couscous or polenta), cocoyam, bananas Y foufou meet among staple foods. Also Joloffreis is popular. Peanuts and palm oil are important ingredients in meals.
For him bobolo (without. Cassava Bâton), cassava is crush, it is fermented and then wrapped in a leaf and steamed. It is the traditional accompaniment of Ndolé. This type of stew with slightly bitter leaves comes from the Douala area, but has now become a national dish.
Ikok It is a popular dish especially among the Bantus of the Bassa tribe. The base is formed by species of lianas of the family Gnetum. Yours They are skewers of grilled meat, seasoned in the style of the Hausa tribe who live in the north. A common garnish is the dough,a steamed rice cake. The simmering fire when street vendors cook the meat spreads the tapeworm.
Other frequently available dishes are: Poisson brézè, fish grilled on the charcoal grill. Chicken DG Chicken in Sauce. calluses in tomato or peanut sauce. Arachid sauce, peanut sauce with rice and meat. Skewers, as everywhere in West Africa, wood-grilled shrimp, beef, or liver skewers (mostly roasted in containers of oil). Kilichi, sausage dry and seasoned veal, in the Sahel regions also of the dromedary. Safu or prunes they are roasted or cooked safou fruits.
French bread is popular for breakfast. Street vendors, in particular, sell “ça va se savoir” cakes for 50 CFA francs each.
Bush meat ( Viande de brousse ), for example, the highly appreciated pangolins , the hamster rats Gambian giants, porcupines, chimpanzees and gorillas, still exist, but have become expensive delicacies due to increasing scarcity.
Odontol It is the local fire water made from palm wine and grains, which is very popular for its low price. The bearer of flavor is the essok added ( Garcinia lucida ), a mangosteen. Mainly homemade fusel is offered, the production of which has been banned since 1970, but is tolerated "as a medicine". A few hundred dead or blind annually are victims of whatever methyl it may contain.
Signature dishesDG poulet with fries
- Poisson brézè: barbecued fish
- Ndole: slightly bitter vegetables with peanuts, fish, prawns or beef. Often considered the national dish
- Poulet DG: chicken with sauce
- Guts: tripe in tomato or peanut sauce
- Arachid sauce: peanut sauce with rice and meat
- Skewers: grilled skewers
- Kilichi: dried meat
- Mbol: black vegetable sauce served with kilichi, beef in some other form, or shrimp
- Nkui: brown vegetable sauce eaten with corn couscous
- Bush meat de monte: from monkeys to snakes, perhaps a bit exotic for visitors
- Honey food: corn porridge
garnishes include: fried plantains, fish, onion and miondo
- Koki: white bean dumplings
- Banana: grilled, steamed or fried
- Couscous cassava: cassava couscous
- Corn couscous: corn-based couscous similar to polenta Polentaähnlicher Couscous auf Maisbasis
- Frites de frites: chips
- Pommes: chips
- Bobolo: steamed cassava bars
- Shit: slimmer version of the first
what's more:
- Safou fruits, roasted or boiled
To drink
Always check “best before” when buying a bottle; some drinks are very outdated.
Coca-Cola is available everywhere. For something different, try one of the tasty TOP sodas. They are much sweeter than most European or North American soft drinks, but they are very tasty.
Cameroon is rich in options when it comes to good beer due to its past as a German and later a French colony. Bottled Guinness can be found everywhere, although in the heat, try one of the great lighter beers like Castel, Beaufort, Mützig, Isenbeck, Satzenbrau, or 33. These are inexpensive and great in the heat. Castel Milk Stout is a great option for those who like dark beer. Outside of cities, it will sometimes be difficult to find them refrigerated (due to lack of electricity).
external links
Wikipedia has an article on Cameroon.w: Cameroon
Wikimedia Commons houses multimedia content about Cameroon. Commons
