45 Interesting Fun Facts about Cameroon Make you Wonder
Cameroon is a Central African country, often considered a West African country because of its geographical position. The nation is full of cultural traditions and rich in natural resources. Knowing some fun yet interesting facts about this country will raise your eyebrows amazedly.
Quick Facts | Cameroon Facts and Information
Official Name: Republic of Cameroon
Capital City: Yaounde
Population: 27,744,989
Area: 475,440 sq km
Languages: English, French
Time Zone: UTC+1 (West Africa Time)
– Source: CIA World Fact Book
45 Fun Facts About Cameroon to Make you Wonder
What is Cameroon Known for?
No#1: Origination of HIV
Several studies found that the origin of HIV came from chimpanzees in a southeastern corner of Cameroon.
No#2: 230 spoken languages
Cameroonians use more than 230 spoken languages, but French (46%) and English (13.6%) is their official language.
No#3: Wettest country
Cameroon is known as one of the world’s wettest countries due to heavy rainfall, and the “Debundscha” is the 6th wettest place on earth, which receives 405.5 inches of rain annually.
Interesting Facts about Cameroon
No#4: 130 thermal springs
According to the geothermal development company, more than 130 thermal springs are found around the country, and the hottest spring ((74°C) is located at Woulndé.
No#5:Virus cause deaths
The World Factbook reported the HIV/AIDS took the life of 34,200 Cameroonians in 2014, and around 657,500 people are infected with this virus.
No#6: 40% export earning
Cameroon earned 40% of its export revenue from oil in 2004, and the amount is 394 billion CFA francs.
No#7: 1,593 species of butterflies
There are 1,593 species of butterflies around the whole Cameroon, and 110 species can only be found in certain places.
Yaounde Cameroon Facts
No#8: Most giant frog
“Goliath frog,” located in Cameroon, is the biggest giant frog on earth, and its weight can be more than 3.2 kilograms & height can be 34 cm long.
No#09: Refugees from Nigeria & Central African Republic
In 2016, more than 324036 refugees fled from Nigeria and the Central African Republic to Cameroon.
No#10: Boko Haram
In Northern Cameroon, An extremist terrorist group named “Boko Haram” killed around 1,000 Cameroonians in 2015 and 50 Cameroonians in 2016 through various attacks.
No#11: Meaning of Cameroon:
Cameroon’s name is inspired by crustacean — it is an English name, but the native name is “Rio dos Camaroes,” which means “River of Prawns,” and Portuguese explorer Fernando Po gave the name.
No#12: Witchcraft
A few Cameroonians in tribal communities still believe in witchcraft though it is prohibited according to Cameroon’s law.
No#13: First African country qualified for the quarter-final
In FIFA World Cup 1990, Cameroon was entitled to play quarter-final as the first African country by defeating Colombia.
No#14: Massive coffee producer
Cameroon is one of the largest coffee producer countries globally, and the country produced 33,164 tons of coffee in 2018.
No#15: Fertile lands
Cameroon is blessed with many rich soils —40% of their GDP directly or indirectly comes from agriculture.
No#16: “Fon”
A person named “fon” or king lives in a Bamileke village in Cameroon, and people think he has a superpower to turn himself into fierce animals.
No#17: Breast ironing
Some tribal communities still practice “breast ironing” to signal men that the girl is not yet ready for sexual intercourse.
No#18: An initiation ceremony
Fulani tribal community practices an initiation ceremony, where they will beat young boys with sticks or whips to signal that they already reached adult status.
No#19: Dowry for brides
Some Cameroon villages still practice arranged marriage, and grooms will gift various goods to brides as dowry.
No#20: Self-sufficient
Above 90% of Cameroonians use their own land to produce foods in satisfying their basic needs.
No#21: Homosexuality is illegal
In Cameroon, homosexuality is unlawful under section 347-1 penal code, and the punishment can be six months to 5 years imprisonment as well as fine.
No#22: World’s riskiest domain
According to McAfee, Cameroon’s web domain is one of the world’s riskiest domains, and 36.7% of Cameroon websites are at a security risk.
No#23: 6th largest cocoa beans producer
Cameroon ranks 6th position for producing most cocoa beans in the world. According to studies, the country was expected to grow approximately 290 thousand tons in 2019-2020.
No#24: Wages difference
A typical Cameroonian earns $850 per month. However, the lowest average is $214, and the highest average is $3783 per month.
No#25: 1,800 people died
In 1986, more than 1800 people died in Lake Nyos —however, the cause of death is not drownin.
No#26: Huge number of orphans
In Cameroon, more than 1.3 million kids have lost their both parents or one.
Cameroon Facts for Kids
No#27: Children death
Reports found that 160 children out of every 1000 children may die before becoming five years old.
No#28: Deadliest disease
Malaria has become one of Cameroon’s deadliest diseases, and about 1.8 million malaria cases were reported in 2009 alone.
No#29: Fewer doctors
For every 10,000 Cameroonians, there are only two physicians available.
No#30: Safe drinking water
About 44% of people have the opportunity to drink safe drinking water, and bottled water is the primary source of safe drinking water for the country.
No#31: Shorter life span
Cameroonians live 55 years on average, while the average world age is 74 years.
No#32: Large traffic accidents:
In Cameroon, every year more than 4,700 people become the victim of traffic accidents. However, the number is 7,000 in 2015 alone, and bad road conditions & high speeds are the leading causes of these accidents.
No#33: Mammals and birds
Most floras and faunas can be found in Cameroon, and the country is home minimum of 165 species of birds and 409 species of mammals.
No#34: 200 ethnic groups
About 200 various ethnic groups exist throughout the whole of Cameroon country. Each ethnic group holds some unique cultural attributes.
No#35: Mount Cameroon
Mount Cameroon is the highest peak mountain in central Africa, and its height is 4,095m. Also, the mount is one of the biggest and most active volcanoes in Africa.
No#36:Destruction of tasks and ivory objects
The government of Cameroon has incinerated 2000 kg of elephant tusks and burned 1,753 ivory objects in 2016.
No#37: Western lowland gorilla
The western lowland gorilla is one of the rarest western gorillas, which can be found in Cameroon, and the gorilla is classified as an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
No#38: 21 years old
To buy any kind of alcohol in Cameroon, the minimum age of a person is 21 years.
No#39: 8.4-liter alcohol
In Cameroon, a person drinks approximately 8.4 liters of pure alcohol every year.
No#40: Unique beaches
There are many Douala beaches in Cameroon, and the sand color is dark chocolate due to the volcanic soil in the area.
Cameroon Culture Facts
No#41: Dancing culture
Cameroon people love to dance & music, and choreography in different functions, ceremonies, and social gatherings.
No#42: Sex symbol
In Cameroon, Lisa Kudrow, an American actress, is known as a sex symbol.
No#43: Eating soil
Cameroonians can consume soil since it is entirely socially acceptable, and they believe it will help fend off numerous diseases.
No#44: Tribes of pygmies
African pygmies also live in Cameroon from a very early age, and they still follow their tradition and culture in their lifestyle.
No#45: Sultan’s home
A sultan is still living in the Republic of Cameroon’s western province, and his family members accompany him in the Royal Palace in Foumban.
Isn’t it fun to read all these vibrant facts about a country like Cameroon? We have listed a variety of informative things about the country. Knowing about them will help you to boost your knowledge —because a proverb goes, “the more you read, the more you learn.”
Do you know any other things about the country? Don’t hesitate to drop your comment in our comment box; we want to learn about it too.
