Far North Region (Cameroon)
Far North Region | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 11°00′N 14°30′E / 11.000°N 14.500°E | |
Country | Cameroon |
Capital | Maroua |
Departments | Diamaré, Logone-et-Chari, Mayo-Danay, Mayo-Kani, Mayo-Sava, Mayo-Tsanaga |
Government | |
• Governor | Midjiyawa Bakary |
Area | |
• Total | 34,263 km2 (13,229 sq mi) |
Population (2015) | |
• Total | 3,993,007 |
• Density | 120/km2 (300/sq mi) |
HDI (2019) | 0.449[1] low · 9th of 10 |
The Far North Region, also known as the Extreme North Region (from French: Région de l'Extrême-Nord), is the northernmost and most populous constituent province of the Republic of Cameroon. It borders the North Region to the south, Chad to the east, and Nigeria to the west. The capital is Maroua.
The province is one of Cameroon's most culturally diverse. Over 50 different
.Geography
Land
Sedimentary rock such as alluvium, clay, limestone, and sandstone forms the greatest share of the Far North's geology. These deposits follow the province's rivers, such as the Logone and Mayo Tsanaga, as they empty into Lake Chad to the north. At the province's south, a band of granite separates the sedimentary area from a zone of metamorphic rock to the southwest. This latter region includes deposits of gneiss, mica, and schists. The Rhumsiki Valley, a mountainous field littered by the cores of extinct volcanoes, constitutes a small area of volcanic rock, such as trachyte and rhyolite.[2]
The Far North's soils are a bit more complex. Much of the province is composed of young soils rich in raw minerals. This is true of much of the land south of Lake Chad, and of the Mandara Mountains on the western border with Nigeria. Soil here is black clay (alluvial soil). The seasonal flooding of the Logone River gives rise to a north–south band of hydromorphic soils at the border with Chad. The remainder of the territory, the Diamaré Plain and the El Beïd River valley, is made up of ferruginous soils. The province's dry/wet seasonal variations create relatively shallow, ferrous or lateritic soils.[3]
Drainage
A number of rivers criss-cross the territory, many of them rising in the Mandara Mountains. The
The province's other rivers are part of the Chad Basin. The El Beid River flows northwest from the Kalamalou National Park and forms the northernmost stretch of the border between Cameroon and Nigeria. The Mayo Tsanaga rises south and west of the El Béïd's source and moves eastward at the north of the Diamaré Depression. The Logone rises west of the territory and flows north to form most of the border between the Far North and Chad. It eventually meets the Chari, which also rises in Chad. The Chari forms the remainder of the Chad-Cameroon border beginning at Kousséri before emptying into Lake Chad.
These rivers all follow a
The province is also home to a number of lakes. The most prominent of these is Lake Chad. The lake was formed by a tectonic depression that has since been filled in by the area's rivers. However, over time, these rivers have deposited sediment as well, making Lake Chad nearly disappear in the past. This is a cause of concern, since when the Logone and Mayo Kébi flood, they meet. This diverts water from the Logone to the Kébi, and ultimately the
Other lakes include Lake Fianga, which exists only during the seasonal flooding of the Logone; during the dry season, it is at best a swamp. Maga Lake, south of the town of the same name at the eastern border, is an artificial body of 6,000 square metres. It is known for its fishing.
Relief
Most of the Far North lies at a relatively low elevation. This lower-lying portion makes up part of the Chad Plain and slopes gently from about 500 metres in the southwest to 200 metres at the Logone River. The average elevation of this basin is 280 metres.[7] The Diamaré Plain occupies the lower third of the Chad plain and is characterised by a number of isolated inselbergs.
The Mandara Mountains at the southwestern border with Nigeria form the highest point, lying between 500 and 1000 metres, with an average of about 900 metres.
Climate
The Far North is hot and dry. Beginning at 10° N, the climate is
The Far North has two seasons: one dry, and one wet. These are further broken down based on average temperatures, yielding four distinct periods in the Sudan area: dry and relatively cool from November to January as the province experiences a shade of winter from climes further north, dry and hot from January to April, torrentially rainy from April to June, and cool and sporadically wet from June to November. In the Sahel zone, the wet periods are shorter, lasting only five to seven months in the south but shortening toward Lake Chad. Temperatures reach their highest levels from January to May. Beginning at about 11° N, the province only experiences about 25 to 30 rainy days each year.[3]
Plant and animal life
The whole territory of the Far North Province was once home to most of Africa's iconic species: antelope, jackals, cheetahs, crocodiles, elephants, giraffes, heron, hippopotami, hyenas, leopards, lions, monkeys, warthogs, and others. Centuries of human habitation have today forced these species back to a few protected areas and national parks. Foremost among these is Waza National Park (Parc National du Waza), which occupies 1700 km2. The park was created in 1968, and has since grown to be one of Cameroon's largest tourist attractions.[10] Kalamaloué National Park (Parc National de Kalamaloué) is a smaller protected area, which protects 45 km2 in the narrow neck of land separating Nigeria and Chad at the province's northernmost reaches.[11] This park protects those species that routinely traverse Cameroon in their yearly migrations. Mozogo Gokoro National Park houses a diverse number of monkey and reptile species within 14 km2.[12]
The status of the province's wildlife remains uncertain, as corruption has allowed even these protected areas to be used by poachers.[13] Some villages have embraced the animals, however. The town of Logone-Birni, for example, is called "the village of the crocodiles".[14]
Savanna makes up the province's primary vegetation. Most of the area is thus covered in thin grasses punctuated by thorny shrubs such as Baobab, Faidherbia, and Karita. Those areas that have higher rainfall—south of 10&729 N and the Mandara Mountains—have thicker grasses and more and larger trees. Here the shrubs have thick bark to withstand the fires that sometimes ravage the area during the dry season. The frequently flooded Logone Valley and the perimeter of Lake Chad also support thicker and taller fields of grasses.
Human activities such as burning of fields, chopping down trees, and overgrazing of cattle have exacerbated the problem of desertification in the Far North. In response, the Cameroonian government, with aid from various non-governmental organisations, has begun Operation Green Sahel. The project aims to reverse the effects of desertification by reintroducing trees to the region.[15]
Demographics
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1976 | 1,394,765 | — |
1987 | 1,855,695 | +2.63% |
2005 | 3,111,792 | +2.91% |
2015 | 3,993,007 | +2.52% |
source:[16] |
Settlement patterns
In larger towns and cities, such as Maroua, houses tend to follow the modern model of concrete walls and metal roof. Though house construction differs from people to people, the most common type is a small building with a small entryway under a conical roof covered in palm leaves or thatching.[17] Builders make walls from locally available materials, so the Matakam use stone, the Fulani use clay, and the Guizigi weave walls of straw. The head of a particular household or lineage often builds several small houses within a single, walled compound called a saré. These compounds tend to be built with the compound of the chief at their centre, and all houses have a granary nearby, as the long dry season prevents year-round food cultivation. Concentric farms surround the settlement, these surrounded by hedges to keep livestock away. Bororo Fulani are primarily nomadic, though they do establish some semi-permanent settlements for the old or infirm.
The province is Cameroon's fourth most densely populated, with 1,855,695 people and an average of 54 inhabitants per km2.[18] Most of this population lives in the corridor between Maroua, which has 214,000 inhabitants,[19] and Mokolo. Another area of high density is the Mandara Mountains, a legacy of the Fulani conquest of the past, in the Diamaré plain, and at the Logone-Chari confluence and up to Lake Chad. The remainder of the province is moderately populated, and the Logone valley and the Chari division are sparsely populated until about the level of Kousséri.[20] Since independence, much of the Far North's population has been migrating to large population centres, particularly Maroua and Garoua.[21]
People
The Fulani (Fulbe) make up a large portion of the Far North's population. The heart of the province is primarily Fulani territory, and Maroua is mostly a Fulani settlement. They also occupy smaller pieces of land south of there, one along the border with Chad, and one to the southeast.[22]
The Zumaya (sedentary Fulani group who reached the department of Diamare before the arrival of Massina Fulani) had first established their kingdom (Wouro-Laamorde) at Kalaki (Wouro Zangui). With the beginning of the
More than 974,408 people in the province speak one of the various
The territory between Maroua, Mokolo, and
The
With the exception of the Fulani herders, most people in the Far North are
Nigerian refugees
As of 30 October 2013, IRIN reports:
"There are 8,128 Nigerian refugees in Cameroon's Far North Region, but only 5,289 are registered by UNHCR ...
Many of the Nigerians who have fled into Cameroon prefer to stay with friends and family near the border areas.
The refugee population fleeing from Boko Haram are scattered in very inaccessible localities in the north of Cameroon, and many who refuse to be registered and stay in camps are still at the mercy of the [Boko Haram] sect, and are seen as threat to local security".[25]
Economy
Agriculture
Sustenance farming serves as the primary occupation for most Far North residents.
Village farmers typically sow in concentric circles around the farm. Hedges surround the farm to keep away animals. Farming tools are typically simple hoes, sickles, knives, and machetes. Farmland is burnt during the dry season, then crops are planted at the first rains. These farms can be quite extensive, as in the Mandara Mountains area. Here, farms climb up the mountain slopes in
Rice is the primary moneymaker for farmers in the Logone valley. This is largely due to the Rice Expansion and Modernisation Company of Yagoua (SEMRY), which operates some 129 km2 of rice fields. Elsewhere, cotton is the most lucrative cash crop. Both textiles and oil come from the cotton.. Société du Développement du Coton (SODECOTON) is the main government body working to improve cotton yields in the region.[29]
The Bororo Fulani and Shuwa Arabs both live principally as
Fishing is an important way of life for the peoples who live along Lake Chad. The Kofia Islands are home to the Budumu and to fishermen from Cameroon, Chad, and Nigeria, most of whom earn their living in this fashion.[14] The Logone is also heavily fished.
Industry and infrastructure
What little
Three major roads service the Far North. National Road 1 enters the province from the south via Yaoundé and Maltam. It continues north and east through Mora and on toward Kousséri and then veers northwest into Nigeria. This road is tarred as far north as Kousséri. National Road 12 handles traffic between Maroua and Yagoua, and National Road 14 goes between Mora west to Nigeria via Kerawa. The stretches between Maroua and Kousséri, Maroua and Mokolo, and Maroua south to Garoua are tarred. Away from these more travelled thoroughfares, roads in the Far North are unpaved and can be quite rough. This is particularly true in the Mandara Mountains, where large stones litter the roadway. Motorcycles are often one of the few options for travel to more remote destinations.[32] These vehicles also serve as the primary taxi service in town. Access to petrol is another problem, as supplies often run out during the rainy season. Merchants often hike or bicycle into Nigeria to obtain cheaper fuel there for resale in Cameroon. A major obstacle to road travel in recent years is increased road banditry.[33]
Buses service the more traveled destinations, especially the road south from Maroua to Garoua. Smaller destinations are reachable by bush taxi or privately hired motorcycle drivers. Motorcycle taxis are the primary means of travelling about in the large towns. Travel on the open road has in recent years been curtailed by increases in road banditry. These outlaws often ambush buses or bush taxis and rob all passengers. Air travel is another possibility within the Far North, and airstrips operate in Koza, Méri, Waza, Yagoua, and Kaélé. Maroua has a regional airport. Riverain transport is possible along the Logone and Chari Rivers during rainy season.
The Far North is home to many of Cameroon's most popular tourist destinations. Waza National Park is the pre-eminent wildlife park in Cameroon, and it is well managed with knowledgeable guides and rentable rooms on the premises. The wildlife there is relatively easy to see, and, of Cameroon's wildlife parks, Lonely Planet names it "the best for viewing wildlife",[34] and Rough Guides calls it the "probably the best site for savannah game viewing in West Africa".[10]
Another of the Far North's draws is the picturesque scenery. Dozens of small villages dot the province, and each of these provides its own unique draws for the tourist. Oudjilla has a picturesque chief's compound, and Tourou is renowned for the fact that the women there wear hats made from calabashes, which convey details such as marital status. The Mandara Mountains are another major draw, as they offer hiking and striking views. This is most evident at Rhumsiki, where the "much photographed" Rhumsiki Peak is located. The village of Rhumsiki is today something of a tourist trap, because, as Hudgens and Trillo put it, "[w]herever you look, the scenery is breathtaking."[35]
Administration and social conditions
The Far North is very much divided between Muslim and non-Muslim. This manifests in the form of prejudice against non-Muslims, especially in rural areas. Moreover, the Kirdi groups remain disadvantaged socially, educationally, and economically. Human rights organisations cite Fulani lamibe (traditional rulers) as enjoying great leeway from the government, which allows them to keep private prisons and administer justice as they see fit. Government prisons are no better, especially those given over to holding suspected road bandits.
The province is divided into six departments (departements):
- Diamaré, with its capital at Maroua
- Logone-et-Chari, with its capital at Kousséri
- Mayo-Danay, with its capital at Yagoua
- Mayo-Kani, with its capital at Kaélé
- Mayo-Sava, with its capital at Mora
- Mayo-Tsanaga, with its capital at Mokolo
These are in turn broken down into subdivisions. Presidentially appointed senior divisional officers (prefets) and subdivisional officers (sous-prefets) govern each respectively.
Traditional leaders, usually referred to as chiefs in English, often preside over particular ethnic groups or villages; nevertheless, many of these wield very little power today, the chiefs' compounds serving as little more than tourist attractions. In contrast, traditional Fulani leaders, known as lamibe, retain much of their influence.[36]
In the 1990s, politics in the region was dominated by the National Union for Democracy and Progress (Union nationale pour la démocratie et le progress, UNDP) with its large base of Fulani supporters. The UNDP is largely Fulani-based today, but the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) party is careful to address Fulani interests.[37]
The Far North has few hospitals. These are located in Mokolo, Maroua, Logone-Birni, Bini, Kousséri, and Waza. Furthermore, many of the inhabitants cannot afford Western medicines.[38] Three cholera outbreaks have occurred in the Far North since 2010, in 2010, 2011, and 2014, as sanitation and access to clean drinking water became more difficult due to extended drought conditions.[39]
Each ethnic group in the province celebrates its own traditional festivals and holidays. Among the Fulani, the chief among these are Ramadan and the Feast of the Ram. Other notable festivals include the Cock Festival of the Tupuri. During the ritual, the nephew of the head of a family kills a cock and throws its head into the fire. The head is said to always land on its right side.[40] The Dance of the Cock is another Tupuri affair. A museum of local art is in Maroua, which houses Sao, Tupuri, Musgum, and Fulani artefacts.
History
Early empires
Evidence of human habitation has been found in the Chad basin and at sites near Maroua and Mokolo.
Archaeological finds attest to the existence of the
The
Other groups in the territory also formed kingdoms, such as that of the Kotoko. They were eventually split, as the northern Kotoko became a vassal state of the Kanem Empire, while the southerners paid tribute but remained mostly independent with their capital at Logone-Birni. This part of the kingdom would eventually be Islamicised as well.[45]
The Mandarawa settled the Mandara Mountains in the 15th century. They coalesced into state, called
Fulani jihads
Fulani herdsmen migrated into the territory from the west beginning in the 13th century. The earliest of these settled as minorities in pre-existing population centres, but by the 17th century, Fulani-only settlements had been established. A conversion to Islam only strengthened Fulani identity, and by 1804, population pressures were driving Fulani herdsmen to seek new territory in which to lead their cattle.
Adama focused first on areas south. Then he turned his attentions toward the Mandara kingdom. Many soldiers who had fought Mandara in previous engagements in 1808 joined his ranks. Adama first attacked from the south and took Guider by 1810. He then took the Dulo, the Mandara capital, but the Mandarawa counterattacked and recaptured it. Bornu and Mandara allied against the Fulani invaders; meanwhile, several of Mandara's pagan vassal states rebelled. Bornu took advantage of Mandara's weakness and burnt Dulo. The Fulani took Bornu in 1845, and the weakened Mandarawa eventually fell to Fulani aggression in 1893. Adama took Maroua in battles from 1808 to 1813.[47]
The Fulani eventually came to rule the territory, with the exceptions of Mandara, Kotoko, and various Kirdi ethnic groups that had fled to the mountains and swamps. The region had been depopulated by war, slavery, and disease. Adama set up government over this new
European contacts
The earliest Europeans to reach the territory were British explorers
In 1865 to 1867, two German expeditions under Gerhard Rolfs and Gustav Nachtigal explored the Chad Basin and the Mandara Mountains. They noted the potential commercial benefits of the area to Germany. In 1868, Nachtigal returned, reaching Lake Chad basin in June 1870. He stayed three years as a guest of the Sultan of Bornu, noting the groups around and their relations to one another.[51] He returned to Europe in 1875 and published a three-volume Sahara and Sudan in 1879.
Colonial administration
In 1884, Germany took nominal control over the territory. They sent an army north and met with Fulani resistance. With the fall of Tibati in 1899 under Captain Von Kamptz and Lieutenant Hans Dominik, the area was subdued.[52] The region became part of the administrative units ruled from Garoua and Mora. Much of the local administration was left in the hands of the lamidos. The Germans placed the Wandala and the Kirdi under the jurisdiction of these Fulani rulers.[52] In 1903, the German Resident at Maroua, Graff Fugger, was assassinated by Yerima Mustafa. The Germans invaded Maroua and set up another administrative unit there.[53] The area was otherwise largely ignored, as the crops available were not as lucrative as the rubber and ivory found in the jungles to the south. The only real way to get in or out was along the Benue River, which travelled through British-controlled Nigeria.
In World War I, the French under General Aymerich attacked the German outpost at Kousséri. On 25 August 1914, Colonel C. H. P. Carter attacked Germans at Mora, but was repulsed after a two-day fight. Captain Von Reuben continued the resistance, but he succumbed to the Anglo-French allies eventually.
In February 1916, France became the colonial head of the area. The territory was placed in the Mora-Garoua administrative unit, headed at Garoua. France allowed the lamidos to keep their power, but it also overthrew any who refused to comply with French mandates. They set up independent Kirdi chiefdoms to discourage animosity between the Islamic and non-Islamic peoples in the territory.[54] Missionaries began to arrive, setting up a Bible school at Yagoua and a printing press for religious literature in Kaélé. The French improved the roads and built an airstrip at Maroua. In 1931, they introduced a higher-yielding form of cotton. They also began SEMRY, a rice-growing project in the Logone-Chari swamplands.
The first Cameroonian premier of Cameroon,
Post-independence
Cameroon was granted independence on 1 January 1960 with Ahmadou Ahidjo its president. Under his rule, SODECOTON was set up, as was the Société de Développement et d'Exploitation des Production Animales (SODEPA) set up to improve ranching in 1974. Another was SEMRY in 1971. Upon Paul Biya's accession to the presidency, Moussa Yaya was accused of stirring up the lamidos against him. The UNDP is a Fulani-based party, but the CPDM is careful to support their interests. In 1983, the Grand North was split into three provinces.
Border areas of the Far North have been affected by the Boko Haram insurgency spilling into Cameroon from neighboring Nigeria, resulting in the December 2014 Cameroon clashes. In January 2015, many schools in the Far North did not re-open after the Christmas vacation, and it was reported that "Thousands of teachers, students and pupils have fled schools located along the border due to bloody confrontations between the Cameroon military and suspected Boko Haram militants."[56]
In December 2021, dwindling of water resources around Lake Chad led to clash between Arab Choa herders and Mousgoum and Massa farmers. The clash was started in border village of Ouloumsa and then spread to other part of the region. At least 44 people are dead, 111 injured, and 112 villages burned down with more than 100.000 people are displaced with at least 85.000 people fled to
Culture
Notes
- ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
- ^ Neba 22.
- ^ a b Gwanfogbe and Melingui 21.
- ^ Gwanfogbe and Melingui 26.
- ^ Gwanfogbe and Melingui 29.
- ^ Neba 46.
- ^ Gwanfogbe and Melingui 11.
- ^ Gwanfogbe and Melingui 8–9.
- ^ Gwanfogbe and Melingui 14.
- ^ a b Hudgens and Trillo 1132.
- ^ Chrispin 151.
- ^ Chrispin 151–2.
- ^ Hudgens and Trillo 1122.
- ^ a b Chrispin 58.
- ^ Neba 35.
- ^ Cameroon: Administrative Division population statistics
- ^ Chrispin 105.
- ^ Law.
- ^ Fitzpatrick 261.
- ^ Neba 109.
- ^ Neba 107.
- ^ a b Fanso 25.
- ^ a b Gordon.
- ^ Fanso 29.
- ^ "Refugee influx causes unease in Cameroon". IRIN Africa. 2013-10-30. Retrieved 2014-06-12.
- ^ Neba 133.
- ^ Neba 140.
- ^ Fomensky, Gwanfogbe, and Tasla 15.
- ^ Neba 244.
- ^ Neba 63; Chrispin 56.
- ^ Neba 152.
- ^ Fitzpatrick 265.
- ^ Fitzpatrick 226.
- ^ Fitzpatrick 266.
- ^ Hudgens and Trillo 1130.
- ^ DeLancey and DeLancey 162.
- ^ US Department of State, 2001.
- ^ Regis 137–8.
- ^ Monde Kingsley Nfor (2014-08-19). "Cameroon: Recurrent Cholera Outbreak in Far North Cameroon Highlights Development Gaps". Inter Press Service - allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2015-01-08.
- ^ Chrispin 125.
- ^ Fanso 15.
- ^ Fanso 32.
- ^ Fanso 18–19.
- ^ A Country Study: Chad, "Kanem-Borno"
- ^ Fanso 26.
- ^ Ngoh 32.
- ^ Ngoh 36.
- ^ Fanso 28, Neba 111.
- ^ Fanso 94.
- ^ Fanso 95.
- ^ Fanso 97.
- ^ a b Ngoh 78.
- ^ Ngoh 78–9.
- ^ Ngoh 134.
- ^ Ngoh 162.
- ^ Abdullahi Umar (2015-01-06). "Nigeria: Boko Haram - Cameroon Military Vows to Protect Border Schools". Leadership (Abuja) - allAfrica.com. Retrieved 2015-01-08.
- OCHA- reliefweb.int. 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- UNHCR- unhcr.com. 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
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- Chrispin, Dr. Pettang, directeur. Cameroun: Guide touristique. Paris: Les Éditions Wala.
- DeLancey, Mark W., and DeLancey, Mark Dike (2000). Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Cameroon. 3rd Ed.
- Fanso, V. G. (1989) Cameroon History for Secondary Schools and Colleges, Vol. 1: From Prehistoric Times to the Nineteenth Century. Hong Kong: Macmillan Education Ltd.
- Fitzpatrick, Mary (2002). "Cameroon", Lonely Planet: West Africa (5th ed.). China: Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd.
- Fomensky, R., Gwanfogbe, M., and Tasla, F., editorial advisors. (1985) Macmillan School Atlas for Cameroon. Malaysia: Macmillan Education Ltd.
- Gordon, Raymond G. Jr. (ed.) (2005): "Languages of Cameroon". Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 15th ed. Dallas: SIL International. Accessed 25 June 2006.
- Gwanfogbe, Mathew, and Meligui, Ambrose (1983). Geography of Cameroon. Hong Kong: Macmillan Education Ltd.
- Hudgens, Jim, and Trillo, Richard (1999). The Rough Guide to West Africa. London: Rough Guides Ltd.
- Law, Gwillim (2005). "Provinces of Cameroon". Statoids.com. Accessed 24 June 2006.
- Neba, Aaron, Ph.D. (1999) Modern Geography of the Republic of Cameroon, (3rd ed.) Bamenda: Neba Publishers.
- Ngoh, Victor Julius (1996) History of Cameroon Since 1800. Limbe: Presbook.
- Regis, Helen A. (2003). Fulbe Voices: Marriage, Islam, and Medicine in Northern Cameroon. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press.
- Vubem, Fred (12 June 2006). "Cameroun: Women Seek Legislation Against Genital Mutilation". Cameroon Tribune. Accessed via allAfrica.com 27 June 2006.