In 1884 however bismarck chose this borderline area for one of his hitandrun african colonies. Thus in almost all countries this part of african history was unexplored. Beginning in 1884, all of presentday cameroon and parts of several of its neighbors became the german colony of kamerun, with a capital first at buea and later at yaounde. Ancient origins articles related to cameroon in the sections of history, archaeology, human origins, unexplained, artifacts, ancient places and myths and legends. Freed slaves from jamaica, ghana, liberia and africans christian converts are settled in victoria limbe, cameroon.
More information cameroon, geography of cameroon, history of cameroon and politics of cameroon. The general history of africa gha is a pioneering corpus, unparalleled in its ambition to cover the history of the entire african continent, since the appearance of human beings to contemporary challenges faced by africans and their diasporas in the world. After world war i, this colony was partitioned between britain and france under a june 28, 1919, league of nations mandate. Are we missing a great cameroon history fact or event. This is the starting point for the chapter that follows, which is devoted to books on the history of africa.
Cameroon cameroon by mackenzie klouda history before. Cameroon, country lying at the junction of western and central africa. The dilemma of the federal system in west cameroon, 1961 1972 joseph b. It now forms part of the independent country of cameroon. By 200 bce, an influx of bantuspeaking tribes into the southern and eastern regions of the country had pushed the. Advanced level cameroon history since 1800 in searchworks. The anglophone problem in cameroon universiteit leiden. They have ruled the country in an authoritarian way since the unification of. When the germans annexed cameroon on july 12, 1884, the hitherto strong, well organized and sovereign ethnic groups were bundled together and brought under strict german administration. I use this natural experiment to investigate colonial legacies in education, using a border discontinuity analysis of historical census microdata from 1976. Both togoland and cameroon are sandwiched between british and french colonies. The coastal peoples in the south traded with portuguese and dutch seafarers beginning in the late fifteenth century.
Cameroun was a league of nations mandate territory in central africa. Stanford libraries official online search tool for books, media, journals, databases, government documents and more. Jade elizabeth lee school of oriental and african studies, university of london1 elizabeth okelly in a mammy chair. Southern cameroons was the southern part of the british mandate territory of british cameroons in west africa. Although british missionaries had been active in the area since 1845, the uk recognized the german protectorate, called kamerun, which included areas that were later. History before colonization, cameroon was a territory of diverse climatic zones populated by a variety of peoples and polities. Cameroon under the french and the british mandates. The muslim states in the north traded with transsaharan merchants and arabic peoples. In the early 19th century there is considerable activity in cameroon by british and american missionaries, but a german connection begins only when the woermann company of hamburg builds a warehouse in 1868 on the estuary of the wouri river. Harmonization of the educational subsystems of cameroon.
Little is known about the early history of cameroon, as the discoverer and later colonizers neither understood nor were interested in the history and traditions of the local peoples. The conference was called to reach agreement on imperial boundaries so as to avoid any future conflict among european powers. This position is untenable because countries like belgium and canada are multicultural and bilingual re spectively. He and his wife, chris woolwinemoen, produced thousands of awardwinning maps that are used all over the world and content that aids students, teachers, travelers and parents with their geography and map. History explains why cameroon is at war with itself over language and culture source.
By early 1916 the british and french are in control of both german colonies. The current cameroon forest and natural resource policy has been in effect since cameroon gained its independence enabling many to claim that, that was the official beginning to forest management. Cameroon presentation columbus international program. Germany was particularly interested in cameroons agricultural potential and entrusted large firms with the task of exploiting and exporting it. Trends in cameroons hdi component indices 19902018 2. Since 1961 it has been part of the republic of cameroon, where it makes up the northwest region and southwest region. What happened to ghana since it gained independence.
April 29, 2017 davis e tabot british southern cameroon, british southern cameroon map, government of southern cameroons, history of southern cameroon, history of southern cameroons national council, map of southern cameroon. Ebune department of history, university of buea, cameroon. Beginning on july 5, 1884, all of presentday cameroon and parts of several of its neighbours became a german colony, kamerun, with a capital first at buea and later at yaounde. Since 1990 more than 170 political parties have been legalized. Cameroon s history can be compared to that of other african countries because although its history goes as far back to prehistoric times, this territory was only discovered.
Journal of history and cultures 5 2015 issn 2051221x 84 elizabeth okellys unpublished book eleven exciting years as a colonial officer in pre independence cameroon. Although british missionaries had been active in the area since 1845, the uk recognized the german protectorate, called kamerun, which included areas that were later to become british cameroons and french cameroun. In 1884 therefore, chancellor bismark, in search of a colonial empire for germany, sent dr. John moen is a cartographer who along with his wife are the orignal founders of. Nachtigal negotiated and signed treaties with the kings of douala, bimbia and batanga, thus declaring kamerun a german protectorate. The germans moved inland over the years, extending their control and their claims. Cameroon, like most other african nations, is a colonial construction. The history of cameroon pretty much followed the usual course over the subsequent centuries with slavery and trade being the main focus of the lands contact with the west. The arguments advanced are that cameroon is a bicultural country and it is impossible to have one system of educa tion. Cameroons legacy of ethnic diversity dates back to 8,000 bce with the migration of the baka people into the countrys modernday borders. Part one the state and sovereignty article one 1 the united republic of cameroon shall, with effect from the date of entry into force of this law, be known as republic of cameroon law no 841 of 4 february 1984. The research problem is an analysis of the political evolution of cameroon from a colony in 1884 to an independent state in 1961. Cameroon is often known as africa in miniature because of its geographical and cultural diversity. Return from cameroon history from 1600 ce to 1700ce to cameroon facts or to cameroon.
History of cameroon global conscience initiative salus. But many discovered stones testify that the country was inhabited since prehistoric eras. Cameroons history, from colonisation, annexation, german. Elizabeth okellys unpublished book eleven exciting years. Cameroon history cameroon history timeline colonial. In spite of the predominant role of the british along the coast, in 1884 the germans claimed the region as kamerun. The dilemma of the federal system in west cameroon, 1961. The explorer gustav nachtigal arrived in july 1884 to annex the douala coast. All foreign arrivals to australia to selfisolate, cruise ships banned to curb covid19 abc news duration. History explains why cameroon is at war with itself over. Since then, the literature on the history of africa has grown considerably in both scope and quality, and many new themes have appeared. The anglophone problem and the secession option in cameroon 1 eric ebolo elong is a doctoral student in political science, school of humanities vrije free universit y of brussels. Many persons think that the harmonization of the educational subsystems in cameroon is not possible.
The number of german traders in the area was an indicator of its marginality in the trade of the dominant british interest. Cameroons history can be compared to that of other african countries because although its history goes as far back to prehistoric times, this territory was only discovered. The american state since its independence has provided. In 1884, cameroon became a german protectorate kamerun. What is known today as the republic of cameroon was created by germany, which, as part of the scramble for africa european colonial project, occupied the area in 1884 after having entered into a treaty with local rulers. The two allies divide togo and cameroon between them, administering the regions adjacent to their own colonies. The british reluctance to annex cameroon made the german traders of the woermann and jantzen and thormaehlen firms to pressure their home government for the annexation of cameroon. The anglophone problem and the secession option in cameroon. Within weeks of the start of the war military action begins on the borders.
By 1912, the germans drew the first map of cameroon and a new nation was born called kamerun. Its ethnically diverse population is among the most urban in western africa. Cameroon was partitioned between france and the united kingdom after wwi and then reunited after independence. The modern history of cameroon began in 1884, when the territory came under german rule after the explorer gustav nachtigal negotiated protectorate treaties with the local chiefs. Chiefs and the crisis of transition from german to british. It relates the turbulent history of cameroon through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and over 600 cross. Since 1994, pressure groups in the territory claim there was no legal document treaty of union in accordance to unga res 1608xv paragraph 5, and are seeking to. The political evolution of cameroon, 18841961 by victor. Prior to signing this famous germanoduala treaty of 12th july 1884, the duala kings had the german consul sign a pretreaty in which their rights were preserved. The central african country has one of the highest literacy rates on the continent, but its.
Little did they know that none of these clauses will be respected by the german party afterwards. Brief history of cameroon the earliest inhabitants of cameroon were probably the bakas pygmies the early european presence in cameroon was primarily devoted to coastal trade and the acquisition of slaves beginning in 1884, all of presentday cameroon and parts of several of its neighbors became the german colony of. Presidential, legislative and municipal elections take place regularly by universal suffrage and organized by elections cameroon elecam president elected for 7 years national assembly 180 members of. Germany was particularly interested in cameroons agricultural potential and entrusted large.