Abong-Mbang
| Abong-Mbang | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Coordinates | 3 ° 59 ′ N , 13 ° 10 ′ E | ||
| Basic data | |||
| Country | Cameroon | ||
| Est | |||
| ISO 3166-2 | CM-ES | ||
| height | 680 m | ||
| Residents | 29,000 (2005) | ||
Abong-Mbang is a municipality in the eastern province of Cameroon with around 30,000 inhabitants (as of 2005) and thus one of the smallest cities in the country. Abong-Mbang is the capital of Haut-Nyong County .
location
The place is on the Nyong River and on the National Route 10, a road that leads from the capital of Cameroon Yaoundé to the provincial capital Bertoua .
population
The inhabitants are mostly members of the Makaa , alongside smaller groups of the Hausa and Fulbe . The majority of them are Christians. The original inhabitants of the area were pygmies of the Kwassio and the Baka , who were then ousted by the Makaa.
history
The current settlement dates back to colonial times. From 1884 to 1916 the place was part of the German colony of Cameroon and then came to France . In Abong-Mbang there are some examples of German architecture, including the Sous Prefecture building and the post office. A former German fort is now used as a prison. At that time the Nyong River was navigable between Mbalmayo and Abong-Mbang, but is now only navigable with dugout canoes.
development
In 1996 the European Union financed the expansion of a 52-kilometer-long, year-round road from Abong-Mbang to Lomié , which crosses a series of bridges. The official aim of the project was to promote coffee and cocoa cultivation in the region. However, the road leads past the Dja Wildlife Reserve , a 5,200 square kilometer protected area that has been designated a World Heritage Site by the UN and has large herds of elephants and many groups of gorillas and chimpanzees. Despite objections, especially from the African Development Bank, that the road would lead to a drastic decrease in wildlife and major changes for the Baka pygmies resident there, the construction was pushed through by the EU. This caused a lot of negative attention at the time.
Web links
- Abong-Mbang at cvuc.cm