20 •
The Lion King
• January - March 2017
Country Focus
Picture by Carsten ten Brink
Downtown Yaounde,
capital of Cameroun
The Bandjoun chefferie.
Bandjoun is of the largest
traditional chiefdom (chefferie)
in Bamiléké country. This
intriguing structure is the
main symbol of Bandjoun.
eral Republic of Cameroun was born.
Evolution through the years has seen
the country become the Republic of
Cameroun as it is known today.
Cameroun enjoys relatively high politi-
cal and social stability. This has permit-
ted the development of agriculture,
roads, railways, and large petroleum
and timber industries.
The country is divided into 10 regions.
A 2013 estimate puts the population
at 22,534,532. Yaoundé is the political
capital and Douala the economic
capital. French and English are the 2
official languages. However, there are
24 major African language groups,
with some 270 indigenous dialects
spoken. Most belong to the Bantu and
Semi-Bantu (or Sudanic) language
groups.
ECONOMY
Modest oil resources and favour-
able agricultural conditions provide
Cameroun with one of the best-
endowed primary commodity econo-
mies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Oil remains
Cameroun’s main export commodity,
and despite falling global oil prices,
still accounts for nearly 40% of export
earnings.
Cameroun’s economy suffers from
factors that often impact underde-
veloped countries, such as stagnant
per capita income, a relatively ineq-
uitable distribution of income, a top-
heavy civil service, endemic corrup-
tion, continuing inefficiencies of a
large parastatal system in key sectors,
and a generally unfavourable climate
for business enterprise.
The country devotes significant
resources to several large infrastruc-
ture projects currently under construc-
tion, including a deep sea port in
Kribi and the Lom Pangar Hydropower
Project. Cameroun’s energy sector
continues to diversify, recently open-
ing a natural gas powered electric-
ity generating plant. Cameroun con-
tinues to seek foreign investment to
improve its inadequate infrastructure,
create jobs, and improve its economic
footprint. Major efforts are being put in
place to encourage foreign investors
