Culture of Cameroon

Holidays

Notable holidays in Cameroon include: Christian: Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday Muslim: 'Id al-Fitr and 'Id al-Adha

Main holidays

Date	English Name
January 1	New Year's Day
February 11	National Youth Day
May 1	Labor Day
May 20	National Day
August 15	Assumption
December 25	Christmas

Languages

Since the Cameroon was formerly under French and British rule, the official languages are French and English. There are also numerous endemic living languages spoken by the people that reflects the diversity of the country. ^[1] These languages include the Akoose language, the Gbaya languages, the Fula language, the Gyele language, the Koonzime language, the Mundang language, the Ngiemboon language, and the Vengo language. ^[2]

Politics

Since an amendment was added to the Cameroon Constitution in 1992, Cameroon has been a multi-party state, which means there are multiple parties that have the potential to gain power over the government. Cameroon's first president, Ahmadou Ahidjo, was in power from 1960 to 1982. ^[3] The president holds executive power for seven years, for a maximum of two terms. The president and his cabinet hold the main power at the national level, while at the local level, the prefet and sous-prefet hold the most power. Getting a government position can happen several different ways: Regional background, ethical background, party loyalty, and who you know. The national and local levels have been known to work together, even though they have to deal with their own separate issues from each other. ^[4]

Religions

Symbols representing some world religions, from left to right:
row 1: Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism
row 2: Islam, Buddhism, Shinto
row 3: Sikhism, Bahá'í Faith, Jainism

Cameroon culture consists of numerous religions including Christianity (about 40%), Islam (about 20%), and several other indigenous religions. The citizens of Cameroon are entitled to freedom of religion, as it is stated within their constitution. Therefore, citizens are free to practice any religion they choose, without harrassment or forceful conversion. The northern part of Cameroomn is heavily occupied by the Fulani tribe. The tribe consists of mainly Muslims, due to the fact that Islam is the dominant religion in the northern region. The wesrtern region is home of the Bamum people, an ethnic group that also practices the Islamic religion. The French speaking people are often inhabitants of the southern and western regions and the majority of them are known to be Catholic, while English speaking citizens of the west tend to be Protestants.

Culture and Traditions

Cameroon has 250-300 distinct ethnic groups, and an estimated 300 + languages. Cameroon is divided into several provinces, which are dominated by specific ethnic or religious groups. Ethnic divisions often correspond to geography, which is also widely varied. Religious differences often correspond to colonial or other historical influence.^[5]

Partly through the influence of colonialism, there is a national culture, and two distinct regional cultures: the Anglophone and Francophone regions, which primarily speak English and French and use different legal systems. The national culture is established through public institutions such as school, the multiparty political system, shared history of colonialism and a national love of soccer. ^[6]

References

1. ^ http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=cameroon
2. ^ http://www.cameroon-today.com/language-of-cameroon.html
3. ^ http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/10031/Ahmadou-Ahidjo
4. ^ http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Cameroon.html
5. ^ Cameroon. New Encyclopedia of Africa. Ed. John Middleton and Joseph C. Miller. Vol. 1. 2nd ed. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2008. p298-307.Word Count:4863.
6. ^ Cameroon. PAMELA FELDMAN-SAVELSBERG. Countries and Their Cultures. Ed. Carol R. Ember and Melvin Ember. Vol. 1. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2001. p384-396.Word Count:5376.

See also

• Cameroon
• Languages of Cameroon
• Music of Cameroon
• Cuisine of Cameroon
• List of writers from Cameroon

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