Cameroon Posters, Prints, Charts, Maps
teaching resources for social studies and geography classroom, home schoolers, travelers

The Republic of Cameroon, located in central and western Africa, is home to over 200 different ethnic and linguistic groups however the name Cameroon comes from the 15th century Portuguese explorers who named the area - Rio dos Camarões ("River of Prawns"). Nigeria is to the west, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the Bight of Bonny, part of the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. Cameroon is rich in geological and cultural diversity: natural features include beaches, deserts, mountains, rainforests, and savannas.

In the African colonial period the area was claimed by Germany in 1884 and later divided by England and France after Germany's defeat in WWI. Cameroon gained independence respectively in 1960 and 1961. English and French are the official languages, Yaoundé is the capital and Douala is the largest city. While Cameroon is relatively stable compared to other African countries, many people live in poverty and corruption is widespread.