It is now a cliche to say that Cameroon is Africa in miniature but, as with cliches sometimes, there is an element of truth in the statement: everything you would expect from the African continent seems to be consolidated in Cameroon. The south has tropical rainforests and deserted golden beaches, whilst the northern parts have great expanses of desert, vast lakes and savannah, and volcanic mountains in-between. Wildlife is scattered throughout the country, with ample opportunity to view elephants, lions and other creatures large and small.

With such diversity and the possibility of game-viewing, it comes as a surprise to many that Cameroon is not a more frequently visited tourist destination. Yet poverty continues to blight the country and much of Cameroon's infrastructure is underdeveloped, from transport to accommodation. The unemployment rate is high and those who are employed perform mostly agricultural tasks.

Cameroon is also a divided country. It became a German protectorate in the 1880s but after Germany’s defeat in World War I, the country was divided between Britain and France under a League of Nations (and later a United Nations) mandate. French Cameroon achieved independence in 1957 and a plebiscite was soon held to decide the future of British Cameroon – the northern provinces voted to become part of Nigeria, while the south opted for union with French Cameroon.

The major spoken languages are still French and English but a multitude of more than 200 ethnic languages are also in circulation, with various tribes populating the country. In recent years, divisions have once again been accentuated, particularly on account of opposition to President Biya from Muslim communities in the north and Anglophone regions that fear discrimination at the hands of the predominately francophone regime. Relations with Nigeria, Cameroon’s powerful neighbor, are also awkward as the result of several outstanding border disputes (linked in part to control of the oil-rich Niger delta); the main one, involving an area known as the Bakassi peninsula, has seen occasional small-scale military clashes between the two sides.

For those who brave these aforementioned troubles, Cameroon has a wealth of activities and beautiful destinations to keep any traveller enthralled. Go, before it becomes 'discovered'.

Geography
Situated on the west coast of Africa, Cameroon is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Guinea, to the northwest by Nigeria, to the northeast by Chad (with Lake Chad at its northern tip), to the east by the Central African Republic and to the south by Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. The far north of the country is a semi-desert broadening into the vast Maroua Plain, with game reserves and mineral deposits. This is bordered to the west by the lush Mandara Mountains. The Benue River rises here and flows westwards into the Niger. The country to the northwest is very beautiful; volcanic peaks covered by bamboo forest rise to over 2,000m (6,500ft), with waterfalls and villages scattered over the lower slopes. Further to the south and west are savannah uplands, while dense forest covers the east and south. The coastal strip is tropical and cultivated. Cameroon derives its name from the 15th-century Portuguese sailor Fernando Po’s description of the River Wouri: Rio dos Cameroes (‘river of shrimps’).