| Pushpin map | Cameroon |
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| Map caption | Map of Cameroon showing the location of Yaoundé. |
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| Coordinates region | CM |
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| Subdivision type | Province |
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| Subdivision name | Centre Province |
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| Subdivision type1 | Department |
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| Subdivision name1 | Mfoundi |
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| Elevation m | 726 |
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| Population as of | 2005 |
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| Population note | estimated |
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| Population total | 1,430,000 |
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| Population metro | ??? |
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| Government delegate | Gilbert Tsimi Evouna |
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| Timezone | CET |
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| Utc offset | +1 |
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| Timezone dst | CEST |
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| Utc offset dst | +1 |
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Yaoundé () is the capital of Cameroon and second largest city in the country after Douala. It lies in the centre of the nation at an elevation of about 750 metres (2,500 ft) above sea level.
History
Yaoundé was founded in 1888 by
German traders as a base for the
ivory trade and an agricultural research station. It was occupied by
Belgian troops during
World War I. After Germany's defeat, France became the colonial power in eastern Cameroon. Yaoundé became the capital of
French Cameroon, and continues today as the capital of the Republic of Cameroon.
Economy
Major industries in Yaoundé include
tobacco,
dairy products, breweries,
clay,
glass goods, and
lumber. It is also a regional distribution center for
coffee,
cocoa,
copra,
sugar cane, and
rubber.
Places of interest
The city centre houses government offices, some hotels, and the central market. The Bastos neighbourhood, with most homes owned by Cameroonians, is home to foreign embassies and the expatriate European community (drawn mainly from the diplomatic corps). The presidential palace and compound is in the
Etoudi neighborhood.
Also found in Yaoundé are:
the Cathédrale Notre Dame des Victoires, seat of the Archdiocese of Yaoundé
the Basilique Marie-Reine-des-Apôtres, built on the site of the first missionary church in Cameroon
the Cameroon Art Museum (located in a former Benedictine monastery)
the Cameroon National Museum (located in the former presidential palace)
the Afhemi Museum
the Palais du Sport
There is a small zoo in the Mvog-Betsi neighbourhood.
Yaoundé has a small assortment of nightclubs and restaurants.
Transportation
Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport is a major civilian hub, while nearby
Yaoundé Airport is used by the military.
Railway lines run west to the port city of
Douala and north to
N'Gaoundéré. Many bus companies operate from the city, particularly in the Nsam and Mvan neighborhoods. Frequent bus runs occur along the road between Yaoundé and Douala, which has witnessed several fatal accidents. Travel time by road between Douala and Yaounde is approximately 3 hours. Traffic in the city can be heavy during weekdays, but is very light during the weekends.Yaounde has made a great progress in infrastructure especially road construction.
Markets
Mokolo is among the biggest of the numerous markets in the city. Others include Mfoundi. There are also some supermarkets (e.g. "Casino") situated in the city centre.
Sports
The national
football (soccer) team plays frequent matches in the
Ahmadou Ahidjo (or Omnisport) stadium. Also, the
Grand Prix Chantal Biya, which is a men's
road bicycle racing event on the
UCI Africa Tour starts and finishes in Yaoundé. The
Milwaukee Bucks starting small forward,
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, was born in Yaoundé in September 1986 as well as
Toronto FC midfielder
Nane Joseph and former striker
Ali Gerba.
Education
For schools, Cameroon is a bilingual country in the Capital many of the schools will teach in French as a first language and English as a second language, but sometimes they will neglect the English language. There are two American schools in Cameroon, the
American School of Yaounde (ASOY) and
Rain Forest International School (RFIS).
Yaoundé is the site of several universities: the
University of Yaoundé I, the
University of Yaoundé II (on a campus outside of town), the Protestant University of Centrale Africa(UPAC) and the
Catholic University for Central Africa (UCAC). Several of the nation's professional schools are also located in Yaounde (Ecole Normal Superieur for teachers, Ecole Militaire InterArmes du Cameroun) as well as various schools for engineers, nurses and diplomats).
Climate
Yaoundé features a
tropical wet and dry climate with constant temperatures throughout the year. However, primarily due to the altitude, temperatures are not quite as hot as one would expect for a city located near the equator. Yaoundé features a lengthy
wet season, covering a ten month span between February and November. However, there is a noticeable decrease in precipitation within the wet season, seen during the months of July and August, almost giving the city the appearance of having two separate rainy seasons. It’s primarily due to the relative lull in precipitation during these two months that Yaoundé features a tropical wet and dry climate, as opposed to a
tropical monsoon climate.
References
External links
Image of Yaoundé from Google Earth
Category:Capitals in Africa
Category:Populated places in Cameroon
Category:Centre Region (Cameroon)
Category:Provincial capitals in Cameroon
Category:Populated places established in 1888
