Cameroon

Yaoundé serves as the political, cultural and economic heart of Cameroon, positioned in Middle Africa. As the seat of government and often the most populous city, it concentrates the country's main institutions, universities and cultural landmarks. Beyond the capital, major cities include Douala, Garoua, Bamenda — each a hub of regional culture, economy and history. Yaoundé spreads across seven hills in the country's central highlands, its French-language institutions reflecting the colonial legacy of a country that was divided between French and British administration in 1919 — a division that created the anglophone-francophone tension still central to Cameroon's political life.

With a population of approximately 27.2M, Cameroon is a vibrant society with a rich mix of traditions and communities. The principal languages spoken are French, English, which reflect the country's cultural heritage and open doors to a wide international community. Internationally, Cameroon is reached via the dialling code +237. Cameroon is described as 'Africa in miniature' for good reason — its 275 ethnic groups speaking over 280 languages inhabit ecosystems ranging from equatorial rainforest to Saharan semi-desert, with the Pygmy peoples of the south and the Fulani herders of the north representing cultural traditions separated by more than geography.

Cameroon spans 475,442 km², in the Middle Africa subregion of Africa. Geographically centred around 6.0°N, 12.0°E, the country offers a diverse range of landscapes shaped by its location, climate and geology. Road traffic follows the right-hand rule, in line with surrounding Africa convention.

The official currency is the Central African CFA franc (Fr), used for everyday transactions and commerce throughout the country. Cameroon's economy is shaped by its geography, natural resources and trade relationships. Business and daily life operate under UTC+01:00, aligning the country with its regional neighbours.

Football holds a special place in the heart of Cameroon's national identity. Football is Cameroon's most passionate export, and the Indomitable Lions' run to the 1990 World Cup quarter-finals — the first African team to reach that stage — with Roger Milla's corner-flag dance becoming one of the tournament's defining images, remains the reference point against which all subsequent achievements are measured.

The highest point in Cameroon is Mount Cameroon, rising to 4,040 metres above sea level. Mount Cameroon at 4,040 metres is West Africa's highest peak and one of the continent's most active volcanoes, erupting as recently as 2012 — its lower slopes receive among the highest rainfall in Africa, creating a biodiversity hotspot where lowland gorillas and forest elephants still survive in diminishing fragments of ancient forest.