Mamfe

Mamfe (also spelled Mamfé) is a city and capital of the Manyu, a Division of the Southwest Region in Cameroon. It is located 60 km (37 mi) from the border of Nigeria, on the Manyu River. It has a population of 20,300 (2001 estimate). It is known as a centre for traditional religion and traditional medicine. It used to be known for its bad infrastructure, especially the roads, which were recently tarred. The roads leading in and out, however, remain untarred and are difficult to patronize during the rainy season.

The name "Mamfe" historically is said to have originated from the Bayangi language. It was said that, when the Germans first arrived in the area via the Cross River, they greeted a local man called Bayangi who was carrying sand from the shore and tried interrogating him about where he was coming from. The man didn't understand and only said in his dialect, "Mamfie fah( meaning where should I put it)". The Germans heard this as "Mamfe" and named the place as such.

The inhabitants of Mamfe speak a Bayangi language called Kenyang as their mother tongue. Although English is the official language spoken, other dialects spoken are Pidgin, other local dialects, including notable among them, Ejagham. The city is noted to host a high proportion of Nigerians.

Mamfe has an all-female boarding school, the Queen of the Rosary Catholic College. There is also Teacher's training college which happens to be one of the first to be established in Cameroon. There are several other vocational schools here as well. Popular local foods in Mamfe include eru and fu-fu, plantains with ndole, and garri and agusi soup.

As Mamfe is in a river valley, the humidity in this area can be over 90% and temperatures can exceed 120 F (49°C) during the Dry Season from February - April. Temperatures for the rest of the year, remain in the ranges of 80-90s (27°C to 37°C) and it only falls during the Rainy Season, sometimes to 70F (21°C).

The climate can be very uncomfortable for foreigners, but tourism is an emerging trend in this area, though small. Places of interest in the town include, the old German bridge, the Mamfe Cross, the Mamfe River which can be cruised with a boat. There is also a Mamfe Cathedral. There aren’t a lot of Hotels but the existing ones are descent enough to accommodate western travelers.

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