Yaoundé

Yaoundé, «yah oon DAY», estimated population 1,430,000 ( 2004), is the capital city of Cameroon and second largest city in the country after Douala. It lies in the centre of the nation at about 750 metres above sea level. Yaoundé is located at 3°52' North, 11°31' East (3.8667, 11.51667). [1]

History

Yaoundé was founded in 1888 by German traders as a base for the ivory trade and an agricultural research station. It was occupied by Belgian troops during World War I and after the war was the capital of French Cameroon. It has continued as the capital of the Republic of Cameroon.

Economy

Industries include cigarettes, dairy products, breweries, clay and glass goods, and lumber. Yaoundé is a regional center for coffee, cacao, copra, sugar cane, and rubber.

Features

The city centre houses government offices, some large hotels, and the central market. The Bastos neighbourhood contains foreign embassies and a large expatriate European community (drawn mainly from the diplomatic corps). Attractions in the city include the Cameroon Art Museum (located in a Benedictine monastery), the Cameroon National Museum (located in the former presidential palace) and the Afhemi Museum. There is a small zoo in the Mvog-Betsi neighbourhood. The city is also home to an international airport, while railway lines run to Douala and N'Gaoundéré. Many bus companies operate from the city, particularly in the Nsam and Mvan neighborhoods. Frequent express buses run along the unusually well-maintained motorway between Yaounde and Douala.

The city has numerous markets, with the market at Mokolo being one of the biggest. There is also a large supermarket ("Score") situated in the city centre. The national football team plays frequent matches in the Ahmadou Ahidjo (or Omnisport) stadium. Yaoundé is also the site of several universities, including the University of Yaoundé I, University of Yaounde II (on a campus outside of town) and the Catholic University for Central Africa (UCAC). The presidential palace and compound is in the Etoudi neighborhood.

Compared to the hotter, noisier Douala, Yaounde is cooler and somewhat more easy-going, with an excellent selection of nightclubs and restaurants, although the traffic can be a nightmare for the tourist. The city also boasts some unusual and surprisingly modern architecture, particularly with regards to many of the government ministries.