Four years after the German Empire claimed the territory now known as Cameroon in 1884 during the scramble for Africa naming it as the Colony of Kamerun, Yaounde was founded as a trading station to exploit the resources of the new colony. In 1919, after the first world war and Germany's defeat during which the city had been occupied by Belgium from 1915, Kemerun became a League of Nations Mandate territory and was split into British Cameroon and French Cameroon with Yaounde named as the French colonial capital in 1922. It retained that status until the second world war when Cameroon's largest city Douala became the capital during the war years, however the capital was transferred back to Yaounde in 1946. It continued as the capital of French Cameroon and then as the capital of the newly merged Republic of Cameroon after independence.
Yaounde is located in south-central Cameroon, nestled between the Nyong and Sanaga rivers on a hilly plateau. It has a population of 4,164,167 (2021) in the wider metropolitan area including the actual city itself. Although Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and its commercial capital with its port handling Cameroon's exports including oil, cocoa and coffee, Yaounde remains its administrative centre and the seat of the country's government. It also has some industries including timber, tobacco, printing and the production of clay and glass items. Given its good transport links including two airports, Yaounde also acts as a distribution hub for Cameroon's agricultural industry outputs from rubber, to sugar cane and the staple coffee and cocoa.
If visiting Yaounde, the National Museum of Yaounde is well worth a look as is the Reunification Monument (above) in the heart of the city. The former presidential palace, (in reality a white 1930s villa), now operates as a museum with a large art collection as well as exhibitions of wooden and bronze statues and very over eager staff who want to share with you the delights of each and every artifact however undelightful those artifacts might be. The Mvog-Betsi Zoo is outside Yaounde is home to primates rescued from the bushmeat trade. The city cathedral and markets are also well worth a visit.
The video (above) shows various aspects of Yaounde and what its like living there.
Yaounde is located in south-central Cameroon, nestled between the Nyong and Sanaga rivers on a hilly plateau. It has a population of 4,164,167 (2021) in the wider metropolitan area including the actual city itself. Although Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and its commercial capital with its port handling Cameroon's exports including oil, cocoa and coffee, Yaounde remains its administrative centre and the seat of the country's government. It also has some industries including timber, tobacco, printing and the production of clay and glass items. Given its good transport links including two airports, Yaounde also acts as a distribution hub for Cameroon's agricultural industry outputs from rubber, to sugar cane and the staple coffee and cocoa.
