Did you know

• That Rudolf Duala Manga Bell was organising a colony-wide revolt against the German Empire in Cameroon when he was executed for high treason in 1914?
• That Martin-Paul Samba went from being a favoured German collaborator to a feared rebel leader in colonial Cameroon?
• That the South Cameroon Plateau takes up over half the land area of Cameroon?
• That in the 1890s, Moloundou, was considered "one of the richest rubber areas of Africa"?
• That tourism in Cameroon centers around wildlife such as elephants, giraffes, and gorillas?
• That the Bahá'í Faith is one of only a few non-Christian religions recognised by the government of Cameroon?
• That Cameroon's Western High Plateau Region has a rainy season that lasts nine months?
• That opponents of Cameroon's first president, Ahmadou Ahidjo, danced to show their displeasur?
• That Charles Atangana was the first Ewondo to be baptised a Catholic in Kamerun (German colonial Cameroon)?
• That the Sao civilisation is the earliest to have left clear traces of their presence in the territory of modern Cameroon?
• That in the Sso rite of the Beti of Cameroon, one initiate was designated the ritual butt of the other candidates' jokes?
• That the United Nations Human Rights Committee found that Cameroonian investigative journalist Philip Njaru has faced repeated police brutality since 1997?
• That roughly 300 fish species, three of which are not named, swim in the rivers of Cameroon's Boumba Bek National Park?
• That Cameroonian politician Louis-Paul Aujoulat's thesis was named best in his faculty at the Catholic University?
• That a 20-day study reported by BirdLife International discovered 265 species of birds in Nki National Park?
• That the long jumper Fred Salle originally represented England in international competitions, then changed allegiance to Cameroon before returning to England some years later?
• That the most popular deity worshipped by the Duala peoples of Cameroon is a mermaid called a jengu? (A jengu (plural miengu) is a water spirit and deity in the traditional beliefs of the Sawa ethnic groups of Cameroon, particularly the Duala, Bakweri, and related Sawa peoples)
• That the jihad of Modibo Adama led to the spread of Islam and the Fulani ethnic group across northern Cameroon?
• That Ewale a Mbedi may have been the first Duala leader to trade with Europeans in Cameroon?
• That les Brasseries du Cameroun controls 75 percent of the market for beer and soft drinks in Cameroon?
• That although he was king of the Isubus of Cameroon, Young King William lacked the authority to stop the execution of a man accused of witchcraft?
• That the South Cameroon Plateautakes up over half the land area of Cameroon?
• The country’s 1,200 km length, proximity to the sea and topography give it a varied climate with wide differences in rainfall and vegetation. The maximum rainfall of 10,000 mm occurs in the equatorial climate zone in the south, and the minimum of 500 mm in the extreme north on the edge of the Sahara. The average annual rainfall is about 1,684 mm.
• Agriculture is the backbone of Cameroon’s economy, accounting for about 41% of GDP and 55% of the workforce. Irrigation has contributed substantially to productivity, making cultivation possible during the dry season. In 2000, irrigated area of about 224.5 km2 corresponded to around 8% of the potentially irrigable area.
• Cameroon has a dense network of rivers, most of which arise on the central Adamawa plateau and flow north or south. These provide it with abundant water resources in relation to current demand. The six main basins are Sanaga, Sanaga West, Sanaga South, Benoue, Congo and Lake Chad.
• Average rainfall has been declining since the 1950s. In the last three decades it has decreased by about 5%. Reduced flow rates have been more pronounced in areas with a Sahelian climate, where reductions ranging from 15% to 25% have been recorded. These changes have led to increased desertification in the north and a falling water table due to reduced recharge. In addition, previously permanent wells are drying up late in the dry season.
• Although Cameroon has sufficient water resources, choices in water use have started to affect water availability and ecosystems. For example, plantation of eucalyptus in the western highlands to provide firewood and construction material induced a very high evapotranspiration rate, which has altered the ecosystem and greatly diminished groundwater recharge and the flow rate in the area.
• The country’s estimated hydroelectric potential is 35 GW. Even with only around 2% of this potential developed, hydroelectricity accounts for about 97% of electricity generation in Cameroon
• That Lake Nyoss is considered the most deadly in the world as poisonous gases seep out from the volcano below?
• That the rainforest are one of Africa's most diverse habitats and home to pygmy tribes including the Baka, Bulu, Beti and Bagyeli.
• That Mount Cameroon, an active volcano, is the highest peak in west Africa at over 4000 metres.
• As a sign of respect men often lower their head and avert their eyes when greeting someone superior to them in age or position
• Some Muslims will not shake hands across genders.
• In the Anglophone north, close friends have a unique handshake in which, as they pull their hands back they snap the other person’s middle finger with their thumb.
• Since Cameroon is a hierarchical society, elders are greeted first.
• Many Cameroonians eat with their hands, although foreign guests may be offered cutlery.