geography of the Cameroon – Wikipedia Wikipedia

The Cameroon It is a state located in the northern part of Central Africa.

The country, which has an area of ​​475,440 km² (as a comparison, Italy has an area of ​​about 301,000 km²) overlooks the Gulf of Biafra, a minor gulf of the largest Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean). It borders in the north-east with the Chad (1,094 km), east with the Central African Republic (797 km), to the south with the Republic of the Congo (523 km), with Gabon (298 km) and the Equatorial Guinea (189 km ), north-west borders Nigeria (1,690 km); To the south-west it overlooks the Atlantic Ocean with a coast line of 402 kilometers. ^[first]

Cameroon extends mostly over a vast tabular plateau, which occupies almost the entire central and southern section; An important mountain range (Adamaoua) stretches in the west-east in the central section of the town, north of which the territory slowly digrads towards the endoric basin of Lake Chad. The coastal strip is instead made up of a uniform flood plain, in whose northern part the large island volcanic massif of Mount Cameroon stands out, which with more than 4,000 meters in height constitutes one of the highest peaks of the entire African continent.

Cameroon is located in a transition area between the Sahelian and equatorial regions, as is highlighted by the climatic variations that are observed in the territories: in fact, we pass from semi -chief climates in the north to equatorial climates, always humid throughout the year, in the south. As a result, the natural vegetable mantle is mainly represented by the savannah, more or less bluntly depending on the greater or lesser humidity; In the most humid areas (the southwater regions) a luxuriant equatorial rainforest appears.

The territory of Cameroon extends for the most part into central Africa, penetrating its northern section in the Sahelian Africa region.

Geologically, the Cameroonian territory extends almost all of the huge African shield, characterized by the abundant presence of very ancient intrusive rocks of the Paleozoic age where extended metamorphism phenomena are observed. This whole was encountered, starting from the Mesozoic era, to important tectonic processes that rejuvenated the surface by causing, along an important fracture line, the formation of the Gulf of Guinea on the one hand and the highly central and southern Cameroon plateau on other.

Along this important line of fracture, the reliefs that still move the central region of Cameroon, and where there is no lack of important volcanism phenomena; The main ones are those of the vast massif of the Adamaoua, which culminates at over 2,600 meters above sea level ^[2] And it stretches for several hundred kilometers, also affecting Nigeria and the Central African Republic, and of the Mount Cameroon massif, a volcanic building which rises isolated at over 4,000 meters above sea level at the Costa del Golfo di Guinea, once surrounded by the waters of the Sea and today welded to the mainland following the deposition of alluvial sediments.

A vast plateau that occupies almost the entire central, southern and oriental section of Cameroon expands in Sudest in this fracture line; It is an area weakly wavy, very stable, with an average share of around 700-900 meters, which extends indefinitely to the south in the territories of the Gabon and the Republic of the Congo.

At the north of the Adamaoua massif, the area is the area of ​​Lake Chad, an important endoric basin in the Sahelian region. It is a mainly flat region, with vast swampy areas caused by the difficulties of surface drainage of the waters; The only reliefs that move the extreme north of Cameroon are the Mandara Mountains, which arise at the turn of the Nigerian border.

More peculiar is the region of the Cameroonian coastal plain that overlooks the Gulf of Guinea; It is an alluvial plain formed by the sedimentary contributions of the rivers, where, however, signs of numerous phases of marine transgression are identified, which have affected the whole area since the cenozoic era.

From a hydrographic point of view, the Cameroonian territory is not unitary, since it belongs to several hydrographic basins.

The largest Cameroonian river is the Sanaga, whose basin extends for more than a quarter of the entire territory. The river originates from the southern slope of the Adamaoua massif and drain with its tributaries (among which the largest is the Mbam) a vast portion of the Cameroonian central plateau, finally leading to the Gulf of Guinea. Other direct tax rivers of the Gulf of Guinea are the Nyong, which also flows with mainly western direction with a course in some points parallel to that of the Sanaga, and the Ntem, which is born in Gabon and marks the border for a long stretch between The latter state and Cameroon.

The Sudoriental Section of Cameroon sends its waters to the Congo River, through the Dja and Kadéï rivers, Tributari del Sangha.

North of the Adamaoua massif, the Cameroonian territory belongs to two different bellboards. The extreme north of Cameroon is Endoreic, paying to Lake Ciad through the Logone river, which was born in Chad and of which only the left bank of its terminal stretch belongs to Cameroon; An important tributary of the Logone is the Mbéré, which pays off from the left after scoring a part of the border between Chad and Cameroon.

At the border with the Chad, another great river of the region originates, the Benue, which flows with an average western direction “by cutting” the north region then entering the Nigerian territory until it flows into the Niger in its low course. The watershed line between the Bacini del Benue and the Logone, in some cases, is very labile given the flat topography of the plain; This means that, in some cases, the Benue Basin “Capturi” some previously tax areas of the Logone. ^[3]

Not very significant in the Cameroonian panorama are the lakes. The largest is the large lake Chad, of which about Cameroon belong about 1,500 km²; The lake is a vast endoric basin, whose nutrition is exclusively multi and which, therefore, reflects the irregular distributions of rainfall in its basin in its basin.

Extended for more than 1,000 kilometers in latitude, the Cameroonian territory is characterized by a significant climatic and vegetation variety. The general climatic mechanism of Cameroon is that typical of Sahelian and Guinean Africa, characterized by alternation during the year between a dry period dominated by continental air masses and a wet one caused by the entrance of air masses of origin Maritime Equatorial, in response to the annual travel of the interstopical convergence line.

The coastal strip and the most external slopes of the plateau are in the equatorial climate domain ( Of O Am According to Köppen), where the precipitative mechanism described above is added to the effect of equatorial latitude, resulting in an always humid climate, with only a certain lowering of rainfall in the winter. The temperatures are uniform and elevated all year (26 ° C of annual average in Douala, with annual excursions of 3 ° C); ^[4] The rainfall is brought in abundance from the air masses from the Gulf of Guinea, which affect the region in the period between April and October. In Douala fall on average 4,000 millimeters per year of rain, with averages of more than 700 millimeters in the months of July and August; ^[5] On the external slopes of Mount Cameroon, the orographic effect (forced lifting of the humid air masses) leads to among the highest rainfall on the earth (the town of Debundscha records medium annual over 10,000 mm). ^[6]

The vast region of the plateaus south of the Adamaoua massif, at a certain distance from the coast, shows the characteristic climatic features of Africa placed between the Guinean and Sudanese region ( Am O W According to Köppen), characterized by a more or less hot climate according to the altitude with rainfall distributed in two rainy seasons separated by a “great dry season” from November to March and by a “small dry season” in July and August. The quantities are overall moderate: in Yaoundé they fall in a year about 1,600 mm, ^[7] In Bertoua, more east, about 1,550. ^[8]

As you proceed north, approaching the Adamaoua massif, tend to disappear the distinctions between small and large dry seasons, and the typical climate of Sudanese Africa in two seasons is being configured, a wet and slightly fresher in the summer months It is a dry and very hot (especially towards the end of the period) in the winter ones. At the same time, there is a constant decrease in the annual quantity of rainfall from south to north, so much so that the northernmost areas of Cameroon are included in the domain of arid stepping climates ( BSH According to Köppen). Maroua, the capital of the region of the far north, located around 11 ° N, is affected by this type of climate; The average annual temperatures are high (28 ° C), and oscillate from 24 ° C of January (month of less height of the sun on the horizon), to 32 ° C in April (at the end of the dry season), at 26 ° C of July and August (culmination of the wet season). ^[9] The rainfall is around 800 millimeters per year, concentrated almost entirely in the May-October period. ^[ten]

Vegetational forms in the Cameroon territory change in direct dependence with the quantity and annual distribution of the rains.

The coastal area, with a humid climate all year round, is part of the domain of the equatorial rainforest, characterized by an extreme rigoglio of vegetable and animal life, characterized by the presence of numerous tall trees that stand out, with heights of various tens of meters, above the intricate layers of vegetation that develop at the lower heights; This area houses relevant populations of baboons, snakes and birds. Along the coast and in the rivers estuaries this plant formation is often replaced by mangrove forests, characteristics of brackish environments and amphibians. The region of the equatorial forest, characterized by a very warm and humid environment, is generally associated with the presence of very thick Ferrallite soils, with a prevalence of the mineral component and overall poor.

By removing from the coast, entering the internal plateau south of the Adamaoua massif, the decrease in rainfall and the appearance of dry seasons causes the replacement of the equatorial forest with the Arborata savannah, characterized by mainly herbaceous vegetation but with frequent presence of trees (with presence of bands of the so -called forest in Gallery along the course of the rivers, where there is greater water availability). North of the Adamaoua (which represents a very important natural border) the climate becomes semi -chief and the vegetable mantle degrades (even if this degradation has in some areas also anthropic causes); ^[3] The trees tend to disappear, leaving the place, in the northern plain arid on the banks of Lake Chad, to dry meadows with a prevalence of graminaceous. The areas of Savana are very rich in wild fauna, with numerous species of large animals both carnivorous (leopardi, ghepardi, iene) and herbivores (giraffes, elephants, hippos, habiters). Ferrallite soils of the equatorial forest are replaced by ferruginous soils, which often take on a bright red color.

The ecosystems of Cameroon have undergone in some areas of alterations of anthropic origin: the high population density caused the degradation of the original vegetable cloaks, as is the case of the Adamaoua area where the centuries -old pastoral practice has impoverished the savannah arborate typical of the area , transforming it into a large grassy expanse. The equatorial forest occupies even more than 50% of the territory, ^[3] while the land acquired in agriculture (both araphic and permanent crops) constitute about 15% of the territory; The remaining percentage, about 35%, is occupied by more or less lush grassy expanses often used for grazing. ^{[first] [3]}

The original natural environments are protected in some national parks and natural reserves:

Population distribution [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

The population of Cameroon amounts, according to an estimate of July 2020, to about 26.5 million inhabitants, ^[first] For a population density of about 56 ab./km², which places the Cameroon little above the overall average density of the African population.

However, this value also hides variations sensitive between one area and the other of the country. The most populated regions are those of the West, with a more favorable climate, along the border with Nigeria, where the density climb over 100 ab./km² (despite the absence of significant cities) and in the area of ​​the coast around Douala , the largest urban pole of the country. Another area of ​​high population density is the region of the extreme north, an area of ​​discreetly profitable agricultural activity (especially cotton and peanuts).

On the contrary, very low values ​​of population density are found in the southern and oriental regions, mainly forestry or savaniche, in which the density drops below 10 ab./km² (only the central area around the capital Yaoundé is exception) e Urban centers of some relief are not arose. In these areas some groups of pygmies still live that practice hunting and collection in the forest and subsistence agriculture. ^[3]

urbanism [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

The urban population of Cameroon, which has always been minority, has exceeded that classified as rural reaching 58% in 2010. ^[first]

The two major urban poles in the country are Douala (2.1 million inhabitants) and Yaoundé (1.8 Mil.), ^[11] The only two cities with a population greater than the million inhabitants and whose influence extends on a national scale; Both founded for colonial purposes during the nineteenth century, they then developed as mainly commercial centers in the following decades, clearly detaching themselves from other urban centers on the national scene.

The other urban centers are of smaller size and of the mainly local economic and commercial importance. In the northern regions of the country, the cities of Garoua stand out (574,000 ab.), ^[11] e maroua (437,000 Ab.), ^[11] Chapters respectively of the Northern Region and the Region of the Far North, while in the Adamaoua region the capital Ngaoundéré (314,000 inhab.) The capital.).). ^[11] The major cities in the western area of ​​the country are Bafoussam (capital of the west region – 383,000 ab.) ^[11] and Bamenda, in the northwest region (546,000 inhab.). ^[11] The southern and oriental regions are the least populated in the country and there are almost completely significant urban centers; The major are Bertoua, the capital of the Eastern region (297,000 inhab.), ^[11] Ebolowa, capital of the South Region (130,000 inhab.), ^[11] and Édéa (210,000 ab.), ^[11] Industrial Center not far from Douala.