It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea , Gabon and the Republic of the Congo to the south. The country is sometimes identified as West African and other times as Central African due to its strategic position at the crossroads between West and Central Africa. Early inhabitants of the territory included the Sao civilisation around Lake Chad and the Baka hunter-gatherers in the southeastern rainforest.
Fulani soldiers founded the Adamawa Emirate in the north in the 19th century, and various ethnic groups of the west and northwest established powerful chiefdoms and fondoms. Cameroon became a German colony in known as Kamerun. The southern part of British Cameroons federated with it in to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon. The federation was abandoned in The country was renamed the United Republic of Cameroon in and the Republic of Cameroon in Paul Biya , the incumbent president, has led the country since ; he had previously held office as prime minister, from until his elevation to the presidency.
It is governed as a Unitary presidential republic. The official languages of Cameroon are French and English, the official languages of former colonial French Cameroons and British Cameroons respectively.
Its religious population consists of The country has experienced tensions coming from the English-speaking territories. Politicians in the English-speaking regions have advocated for greater decentralisation and even complete separation or independence as in the Southern Cameroons National Council from Cameroon.
In , tensions regarding the creation of an Ambazonian state in the English-speaking territories escalated into open warfare. Large numbers of Cameroonians live as subsistence farmers. The country is often referred to as "Africa in miniature" for its geological and cultural diversity. The country is well known for its native styles of music, particularly Makossa and Bikutsi , and for its successful national football team. Originally, Cameroon was the exonym given by the Portuguese to the Wouri river.
