2. Mount Cameroon is the tallest mountain in Sub-Saharan Africa and the most active volcano
Mount Cameroon in Douala, Cameroon is 4,095 meters high and has erupted seven times since 1900. The last eruption in 2012 saw lava flows from Mount Cameroon’s western flank. Mount Cameroon attracts 2,000 climbers annually.
Lake Nyos, 250 km northeast of Mount Cameroon, released a CO2 cloud on August 21, 1986, killing 1,746 people and 3,500 livestock in nearby villages. Engineers installed degassing pipes in 2001 to prevent future limnic eruptions.
Visit Africa’s tallest mountain
3. Lobé Waterfalls in Cameroon is one of only three waterfalls that drop directly into the Atlantic Ocean
The Lobé Waterfalls forms 4 cascades that drop 8 meters into the Atlantic. The surrounding 3,300-hectare Lobé Waterfall Protected Area hosts 300 plant species and endangered manatee populations.
![A shot of the lobe waterfall in cameroon]()
The Lobé Waterfall Protected Area hosts 300 plant species and endangered manatee populations. (Blaizo 237, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
4. Cameroon’s eight World Cup appearances is the top in Africa
Cameroon’s national football team has eight World Cup appearances, ahead of Morocco, Nigeria and Tunisia with six each. The Cameroonian Indomitable Lions reached FIFA World Cup quarterfinals in 1990, becoming the first African team to advance that far.
In 2000, the Lions earned Africa’s first Olympic football gold medal, when they defeated Spain 5-3 in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
![A Cameroon vs Brazil football match]()
Cameroon’s national football team has eight World Cup appearances. copa2014.gov.br, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
5. Korup Forest in Cameroon is Africa’s oldest rainforest at 60 million years old
Korup National Park in southwestern Cameroon preserves 126,000 hectares of Africa’s oldest rainforest, containing tree species dating to the Paleocene age. Korup boasts 620 tree species per hectare, setting a regional diversity record.
The park supports 1,100 identified plant species including 480 medicinal plants. Scientists from 25 countries have permits to conduct research in the forest.
![A bridge crosses a river in Cameroon's Korup Forest.]()
Korup National Park in southwestern Cameroon preserves 126,000 hectares of Africa’s oldest rainforest. (Dabie Meboua Cécilia LaRose, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
6. Debundscha Point’s 10 meters of annual rainfall places it among Earth’s 6 wettest locations
The coastal point’s extreme precipitation contrasts with Cameroon’s northern regions, where annual rainfall drops to 60cm.
Two distinct climate zones split Cameroon’s agriculture: tropical south grows cocoa and cassava while arid north produces maize and sorghum. The southern rainy season spans three quarters from March to November, while northern rains last a mere three months.
Cameroon’s northern region loses one kilometer of land per year to desertification.
7. The world’s largest frog, the 3.3kg Goliath frog, lives in Cameroon
Goliath frogs in southern Cameroon reach 33cm in length and 3.3kg in weight. Males move 2kg stones to construct breeding pools up to 1 meter wide.
The world’s largest frog inhabits 45km of river systems between Cameroon’s Sanaga River and Equatorial Guinea’s southern border. However, the Goliath frog population fell 50% from 2010 to 2020 due to hunting and habitat loss.
8. Germany lost control of its colony in Cameroon during World War I
Portuguese explorers originally named the area near the mouth of the Wouri River the Rio dos Camaroes (River of Prawns).
Cameroon was a German colony from 1884 until 1916, when British and French forces took control and split the country into two territories after the first Great War. French Cameroon declared independence on January 1, 1960, followed by British Cameroon joining via referendum on October 1, 1961.
The Federal Republic of Cameroon unified French Cameroon and British Cameroon in 1961, then centralized as the United Republic of Cameroon in 1972.
| Colonizer/Influence |
Period |
Details |
| Portugal |
15th century |
First Europeans to explore the region |
| Germany |
1884–1916 |
Declared a German protectorate |
| Britain and France |
1916–1960 |
Split after Germany’s defeat in World War I |
| France (Territory) |
1919–1960 |
Administered as a League of Nations and later UN mandate. |
| Britain (Territory) |
1919–1961 |
Administered smaller regions adjacent to Nigeria. |
| Independence |
1960 (French Cameroon) |
French Cameroon gained independence on January 1, 1960. British Southern Cameroons joined in 1961 after a referendum. |
![The former flag of Cameroon]()
The former flag of Cameroon had two stars.
9. As two countries became one in 1975, Cameroon evolved its flag from two stars to one
The Republic of Cameroon adopted its tricolor flag in 1961, with 2 gold stars representing French and British territories. The 1975 design replaced dual stars with 1 central star in the red stripe.
Three equal vertical bands measure 20cm x 30cm in official designs: green for southern forests, red for unity and yellow for northern savannas.
10. 279 languages coexist in Cameroon — though French is the main official language, spoken by 80% of Cameroonians
French dominates Cameroon’s 8 administrative regions while English prevails in 2 western regions, reflecting the 1916 colonial partition. Cameroonian Pidgin English is used by half of Cameroonians as a trade language.
279 indigenous languages form 3 major families: Afro-Asiatic, Nilo-Saharan and Niger-Congo. 36 languages face extinction with fewer than 1,000 speakers each.
Cameroon’s 279 languages underscore its internal diversity, making national integration challenging compared to linguistically homogeneous countries like Botswana.
11. President Biya’s 41-year rule ranks as Africa’s second-longest presidency
Paul Biya assumed Cameroon’s presidency on November 6, 1982, winning 7 subsequent elections with vote shares exceeding 70%. His Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement party holds 152 of 180 parliamentary seats in the national assembly.
Before becoming Cameroon’s second president, Paul Biya was its fifth prime minister.
![A photo of Cameroon's President Biya.]()
President Biya’s 41-year rule ranks as Africa’s second-longest presidency
12. Six countries share a currency called the Central African CFA franc, which is pegged at 655.957 CFA francs to 1 euro
The CFA franc has served as Cameroon’s currency since 1945. The countries of Central Africa that use it are Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Cameroon relies on France to guarantee the currency’s convertibility. The CFA franc has kept a fixed exchange rate of 655.957 CFA francs to 1 euro since 1999.
Note: West Africa, with its eight countries, has its own CFA franc. Currently both its and Central Africa’s CFA franc are the same value. West Africa plans to replace the CFA franc with a currency called the Eco, which has yet to launch due to COVID and other delays.
13. Cameroon’s digital economy is growing 18% year over year since 2018 and currently stands at 5% of GDP
Cameroon’s more prominent exports include 200,000 barrels of oil per day and 250,000 metric tons of cocoa annually. Natural gas reserves total 4.8 trillion cubic feet according to 2024 data from the US Department of Trade. Timber exports generate $873 million annually from 18 million hectares of forest area.
Cameroon has stagnated over the past 20 years, with approximately 4 in 10 Cameroonians living below the national poverty line.
14. Attacks from Boko Haram have displaced 322,000 Cameroonians since 2014
Boko Haram militants launched 89 attacks in Cameroon’s Far North Region during 2023, displacing 322,000 citizens across 52 communities. Government deployed 12,000 troops to the 17,690-square-kilometer border region.
Cameroon has 2,450 security checkpoints across its northern border.
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