Culture

Cameroon's split Anglo-French personality is further complicated by its bewildering array of African ethnic groups and languages. Of over 130 ethnic groups, however, there are 5 major ones: Bamiléké and Bamoun in the west, Fulani and Kirdi in the north, and Ewondo around Yaoundé. The Bamiléké are the most populous group in the western highlands and one of the largest communities in Douala, where they have taken control of much of Cameroon's economy. In their rural homeland, there are some 80-odd political units ruled by strongly independent chefferies (chiefs). Within each unit there are numerous secret societies responsible for the preservation of rituals. By contrast, the Bamoun are governed by a single leader called the sultan.

Whereas the south has been in contact with Europe for over 500 years, until the 20th century the north was part of quasi-feudal Muslim Fulani kingdoms centered in Nigeria, and tradition and resistance to outside influence remain strong. This isolation has kept Western-style development to a minimum. Most northerners, however, are neither Fulani nor Muslim but Kirdi, the Fulani word for pagan. The Kirdi are comprised of tribes driven by the Fulani into the inhospitable and isolated rocky areas near the Nigerian border.