Abong-Mbang

Province

Abong - Mbang is a city in the Eastern Province of Cameroon with around 20,000 inhabitants ( last official census January 2001: 18,700 ), and thus one of the smallest cities in the country. Abong - Mbang is the capital of the prefecture of Haut- Nyong.

The town lies on the river Nyong and on National Route 10, a road leading from the capital Yaounde Cameroon to the provincial capital Bertoua.

The inhabitants are mostly members of the Makaa, in addition to smaller groups of Hausa and Fulani. They are Christians in the majority. The original inhabitants of the area were Pygmy the Kwassio and the Baka, which were then displaced by the Makaa.

Today's settlement dates only back to colonial times. From 1884 to 1916 the town was part of the German colony of Cameroon and then came to France. In Abong Mbang some testimonials German architecture are provided, including the building of the Sous- Prefecture and the post office. A former German fort is now used as a prison. The river Nyong was at that time navigable between Mbalmayo and Abong - Mbang, but today it's only passable by canoes.

1996, the European Union funded the development of a 52 -kilometer-long, all-weather road from Abong Mbang after Lomié that leads over a series of bridges. The official aim of the project was to promote coffee and cocoa cultivation in the region. The road, however, past the Dja Wildlife Reserve, a 5,200 -square-kilometer honored by the United Nations as a World Heritage protected area with large elephant herds and many groups of gorillas and chimpanzees. Despite the objections, especially the African Development Bank that the road would lead to a drastic decrease in wildlife and big changes for the resident Baka Pygmies, the construction of the EU was enforced. This has taken care of its time high negative attention.

• Location in Cameroon
• Est (Cameroon)
• Place in Africa