What is the outside perception that others have of Cameroon in general and of the Cameroonians of the Diaspora in particular?
Cameroon has a rich source of art, sports, culture, and heritage with the blessing of natural resources and agricultural flourishment. Cameroon is a country which fought for its independence since 1960 and is counted among the fastest growing economies in the world. Many people have found potential in the country.
Despite being ranked as a “developing” country, Cameroon’s economy has made great strides towards becoming a prosperous emerging market in recent years. Likewise the Cameroonian diaspora located around the world is considered assets to Cameroon and their current residence. They are reputed to have a great potential and mark themselves as hard workers all over the world. Due to their hard work and diligence, the Cameroonian diaspora present hefty resources and finance to their homeland, Cameroon. The World Bank supports Cameroon through 18 national IDA (individual development account), Global Environment Facility, and Trust Fund operations, with a net commitment of about $2.4 billion, in addition to a comprehensive program of analytical services.
Cameroon is well known for its native music styles, particularly Makossa and Bikutsi, and for its successful national football team, the Indomitable Lions. The most recent of Cameroonian music that had a popular reach were a fusion of Congolese soukous and makossa. Other popular genres include Bend-skin, Mangambeu, and Makassi.
Cameroon is often known as « Africa in miniature » because of its geographical and cultural diversity, as such, the country is a natural hub of rich Art and African Culture with over two hundred ethnic groups. Counting about 250 ethnic groups that then form 5 regional/cultural groups, there are about 230 spoken languages spoken in the country including French and English. Pygmies, Bantu, Sudanese, Arab-Berber are some of the extraordinary population bringing their traditions, art and culture that give the country a major ethnicity, cultural and heritage boost.
Cameroon being geographically diverse has rich deposits of crude oil, natural gas, cobalt, bauxite, gold, iron ore and diamonds. Cameroon’s Natural resources include Oil, timber, hydroelectric power, natural gas, cobalt, nickel. While its Agricultural products include timber, coffee, tea, bananas, cocoa, rubber, palm oil, pineapples, cotton. Cameroon’s primary export crops are cocoa, cotton, coffee, bananas, rubber and palm oil. The country’s main export partner is the European Union and its giant neighbor Nigeria. Cameroon has one of the three African waterfalls that empty directly into the ocean, namely, The “Chute de La Lobé” or the Lobé Waterfalls, situated in the beach town, Kribi. It is of great significance to the locals and a well known tourist attraction.
