Cameroon

Discover Cameroon

Fun Foods

Ndolé, Poulet DG, Achu Soup, Puff Puff

Mount Cameroon is an active volcano that could erupt tomorrow, next year, or a century from now. Nobody knows when. This 13,255-foot giant is West Africa's highest peak and sits in Cameroon, a country where over 250 different ethnic groups speak more than 200 languages.

Germany grabbed Cameroon in 1884 and called it Kamerun, treating it like property they owned. After World War I, France and Britain carved up the territory like slicing a cake. France got 80 percent, Britain got 20 percent, and Cameroonians got nothing to say about it.

In 1960, French Cameroon finally kicked out the colonizers and became independent under President Ahmadou Ahidjo. The next year, British Cameroon held a vote. The northern part joined Nigeria. The southern part joined Cameroon, creating a country with both French and English as official languages.

This split still causes tension today. The English-speaking regions feel ignored by the French-speaking majority, leading to protests and conflict that families living there deal with constantly.

Despite these challenges, Cameroon's natural wonders remain worth exploring. Climb Mount Cameroon from the town of Buea, though the trek takes three to four days and isn't easy with small kids.

Waza National Park in the far north has lions and elephants. Bouba Ndjidah National Park once sheltered the West African black rhino, but it's now extinct.

Korup National Park protects Africa's oldest rainforest, where drill monkeys swing through trees.

Limbe has Atlantic beaches with black volcanic sand, while Kribi offers light-sand beaches and waterfalls near the coast.

Cameroon earned the nickname "Africa in Miniature" because it packs deserts, rainforests, mountains, savannas, and beaches into one country. Over 250 ethnic groups means every region has different traditions, music, and dances.

Ndolé is the national dish that recently earned recognition from the World Intellectual Property Organization. It's bitterleaf stew cooked with peanuts, meat or fish, and spices. The government even declared 2024 the "Year of Ndolé" to celebrate.

Try Poulet DG, chicken cooked with plantains and vegetables. Suya consists of spicy grilled meat skewers sold by street vendors. Achu soup pairs pounded cocoyam with yellow soup.

Cameroonians play makossa music at celebrations, a style that influenced music across Africa. The country produces some of the world's best cocoa and coffee.