Cameroon

Zak KlehrAG Navarro

History

• Early inhabitants = Bakas (Pygmies)

• Fulani- Islamic people of the western Sahel- conquered most of northern Cameroon

• Portuguese on coast but hindered by malaria

• Important part of Muslim slave trade network

History• Christian missions established

a presence in the late 19th century and continue to play a role in Cameroonian life

• Colonized by Germany as Kamerun(capital Buea and later Yaounde)– Partitioned between Britain and

France (larger portion) after WWI• Union of the People of

Cameroon rebel against French—tens of thousands to hundreds of thousand deaths– Independence in 1960 as the

Republic of Cameroon

Government

• Chief of state: President Paul Biya (since 6 November 1982)

• Head of government: Prime Minister Philemon Yang(since 30 June 2009)• Appointed by

president• Cabinet appointed

by the president from proposals submitted by the prime minister

Population• 250 Ethnic groups– Form 5 large regional-cultural groups

» Western highlanders (grassfielders) (38% of population)

» Coastal tropical forest peoples (12%)

» Southern tropical forest people (18%)

» Predominantly Islamic people (14%)

» “Kirdi”—non-islamic or recently ismamic people of the northern desert and central highlands

Language Religion

• Although previous British & French colony, few speak both and many speak neither

• home to 230 languages– 55 Afro-Asiatic

languages– 2 Nilo-Saharan

languages– 173 Niger-Congo

languages• 1 West Atlantic

language (Fulfulde)• 32 Adamawa-Ubangui

languages• 142 Benue-Congo

languages (130 of which are Bantu languages)

• Freedom of religion is guaranteed by constitution– 40% Indigenous– 40% Christian– 20% Muslim

Greetings• When greeting

someone superior in age or position, men often lower their head or avert their heads

• Elders greeted first• Greeting not fast;

slow and ask about family

Customs & Etiquette

• Dress well but no talking of business during social functions

• Home is a private place, no asking for a tour

• Good table manners: Men eat first, then women, then children. Invited women eat with the men

• Eldest get food first and then others.

• Only eat with the right hand

• Chicken gizzard is the most prized meal

Current Issues

Human Trafficking• Boys and girls

for child labor• Slave labor at

sweatshops, bars, restaurants, tea and cocoa plantations, etc.

• Women and girls for sexual exploitation

• Government does nothing to counter the situation

Works Cited• https://

www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cm.html

• http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/cameroon.html