Cameroon is located in central Africa on the western coast.  It is the 54^th largest country in the world at 183,570 sq. mi, it is moderately bigger than Sweden and California. [1] Cameroon is bordered by Nigeria and the Atlantic Ocean to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic in the east; and Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, and Equatorial Guinea to the south. [2] The capital city of Cameroon is Yaoundé but the economic capital and main seaport is Douala on the Wouri River. [3] The population of Cameroon is over twenty million people and the main languages are French and English. [4]

One of the unique features of Cameroon is that it contains all of the considerable climates (coast, mountains, savanna, rainforest, and desert) and all of the major vegetation found on the continent. [5] Some of the geographic features located in Cameroon are part of Lake Chad, the Wouri River, and Mount Cameroon.  Mount Cameroon is over 4,000m (over 13,000 feet) and is the tallest point in Western Africa and is still an active volcano. [6]

The variety of climates and natural features in Cameroon have been both a help and a hindrance.  They have help by allowing agriculture to grow in areas and economic growth.  This is particularly evident in the city of Douala, the country’s major port city.  It exports timber, oil, fruits, cocoa, coffee, and metals. [7] The hindrance of having so many climates is that if an individual or family are not located in a major city they are usually poor and are subsistence farmers, this is majority of the population. [8] Travel in Cameroon is tough because of physical features and toll roads that connect the major cities are the best mode of transportation. [9] Because of the poverty conditions that many live in and the hot, wet climates in certain areas diseases such as malaria, sleeping sickness, and HIV/AIDS is prevalent. [10]

[1] “Geography of Cameroon”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Cameroon, ¶1

[2] “Cameroon”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameroon#Geography, ¶1

[3] “Cameroon”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameroon, ¶2

[4] “Cameroon”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameroon, ¶2 and Sect. 7 ¶1

[5] Cameroon”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameroon#Geography, ¶2

[6] “Mount Cameroon and Bioko Montane Forests”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Cameroon_and_Bioko_Montane_Forests, ¶2

[7] “Douala”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douala, ¶1

[8] “Cameroon”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameroon, ¶5

[9] “Cameroon Economy and Infrastructure”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameroon#Economy_and_infrastructure, ¶8

[10] “Cameroon Education and Health”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameroon#Education_and_health, ¶5