Buea

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Buea
Town and commune
Buea from Fako.jpg
Buea from the foot of Mount Cameroon
Cameroon adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Buea
Coordinates: 4°10′0″N9°14′0″E / 4.16667°N 9.23333°E / 4.16667; 9.23333
Country Flag of Cameroon.svg  Cameroon
Region Southwest Region
Division Fako
Elevation
870 m (2,850 ft)
Population
 (2013) [1]
  Totalabout 300,000
Climate Cfb
Buea city with a view of Mt Cameroon Silicon Mountain as seen in Buea, Cameroon on 26-06-2019.jpg
Buea city with a view of Mt Cameroon

Buea is the capital of the Southwest Region of Cameroon. The city is located in Fako Division, on the eastern slopes of Mount Cameroon, and has a population of 300,000 (at the 2013 Census). [1] It has two Government Hotels, the Mountain Hotel and Parliamentarian Flats Hotel located around The Government Residential Area.

Contents

History

The Residence of von Puttkamer in Buea Schloss von Puttkamer.jpg
The Residence of von Puttkamer in Buea

Buea, originally "bue", was founded by a hunter who came from the Bomboko area. Coming from the Bomboko side of the mountain, he named the new-found land in amazement as "a Bue", meaning literally a "son of bué". A prominent King of the tikar clashes with German troops during invasion. Resistance remain popular folklore; currently ruled by the Endeleys. Tea growing is an important local industry, especially in Tole. Buea was the colonial capital of German Kamerun from 1901 to 1919, the capital of the Southern Cameroons from 1949 until 1961 and the capital of West Cameroon until 1972, when Ahmadou Ahidjo abolished the Federation of Cameroon. The German colonial administration in Buea was temporarily suspended during the eruption of Mount Cameroon from 28 April until June 1909. Originally, Buea's population consisted mainly of the Bakweri people. However, owing to its status as a university town and the regional capital, there are significant numbers of other ethnic groups.


Ambazonian secession

In September 2017, the Federal Republic of Ambazonia declared its independence from Cameroon, with Buea as its claimed capital. [2] In late-June 2018, the Ambazonia Defence Forces began approaching Buea, and on 29 June they invaded the Mile 16 neighborhood. [3] On 1 July, separatists invaded the Muea neighborhood and battled Cameroonian troops. [4]

Notable institutions

Buea hosts the University of Buea, Cameroon's first anglophone university. It is the site of several other higher institutes of learning, including St Francis Schools of Nursing and Midwifery presently known as Biaka University Institute of Buea (BUIB) and one of Cameroon's three Catholic universities.

UB Junction UB Junction.jpg
UB Junction

A handful of colonial era buildings are surviving, notably the palatial former residence of the German governor Jesko von Puttkamer. Other German colonial buildings are still standing, but some of them suffer from lack of maintenance and old age.

The Nigerian Consulate in anglophone Cameroon and the main operational hub of the Naigahelp medical aid organisation are in Buea.

Buea hosts an annex of the National Archives of Cameroon, whose main location is Yaoundé. Next door to the annex is the Cameroon Press Photo Archive, which has been permanently closed since 2001. [5]

Economy

The economy of Buea is heavily influenced by its status as a technology hub. Many young people come to the town to study at the University of Buea, and this has created a thriving environment for experimentation, innovation and risk-taking. As a result, the town has become a hotspot for startups, particularly in the technology sector. [6] [7]

The University of Buea's influence has also attracted investors to the town, leading to the establishment of various tech incubators and hubs. For instance, LimbeLabs, which was founded around 2006–2008, was a precursor to ActivSpaces, one of the leading tech hubs in the country. ActivSpaces was launched in 2009 by Ebot Tabi, Bill Zimmerman, Valery Colong, Otto Akama, and Fua Tse. The hub currently has Rebecca Enonchong as Chairman. [8]

Buea's status as a technology hub has also had a positive impact on the town's tourism industry. Mount Cameroon is a popular attraction for tourists, and the town's proximity to the mountain has made it a preferred destination for visitors who want to explore the mountain and its surroundings.

In addition, the town's small size makes it easy to meet and connect with people. It also has considerably light traffic congestion, which makes it easy to move around the town quickly. The proximity of Buea to Douala, which has the largest seaport and the international airport, has also made it an attractive location for businesses.

Transport

Transportation to Buea is possible by land with the use of transport buses or private cars. Within Buea, the primary means of transportation are taxis. The closest airport is the Tiko Airport, however due to its lack of activity and proper infrastructure management, the Douala International Airport (DLA), is the closest.

Limbe was served by a 600 mm (1 ft 11+58 in) gauge plantation railway to Limbe, of the West African Planting Society Victoria. [9]

Geography

About 300,000 people live in Buea (including the villages of Bokwaongo, Muea; Bomaka; Tole; Mile 16 (Bolifamba); Mile 17; Mile 15; Mile 14 (Dibanda); Bova; Bonjongo; Likombe; Buasa; Great Soppo; Molyko; Small Soppo; Bwitingi; Mile 18 (Wonyamavio); Lower farms; Bokwai; Bonduma; Sandpit, Wonyamongo, Bulu; Bokova and surrounding villages).

Climate

Tourists climbing Mount Fako in Buea Tourists climbing Mount Cameroon.jpg
Tourists climbing Mount Fako in Buea

Buea has a subtropical highland climate (Cfb) closely bordering on a tropical rainforest climate (Af). Because of its location at the foot of Mount Fako, the climate in Buea tends to be humid, with the neighbourhoods at higher elevations enjoying cooler temperatures while the lower neighbourhoods experience a hotter climate. Extended periods of rainfall, characterized by incessant drizzle, which can last for weeks, are common during the rainy season as are damp fogs, rolling off the mountain into the town below.

Buea is made-up of a tropical monsoon climate with an average temperature of 80° high and 63° low, with the hottest month being February and the coldest August. It has an average monthly rainfall of 14.7 inches. [10]

Climate data for Buea
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)21.6
(70.9)
22.1
(71.8)
22.1
(71.8)
21.9
(71.4)
21.3
(70.3)
19.7
(67.5)
18.8
(65.8)
18.6
(65.5)
19.4
(66.9)
20.2
(68.4)
21.0
(69.8)
21.2
(70.2)
20.7
(69.2)
Daily mean °C (°F)18.3
(64.9)
18.9
(66.0)
19.0
(66.2)
19.0
(66.2)
18.6
(65.5)
17.4
(63.3)
16.6
(61.9)
16.5
(61.7)
17.0
(62.6)
17.7
(63.9)
18.2
(64.8)
18.2
(64.8)
18.0
(64.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)16.2
(61.2)
16.8
(62.2)
17.2
(63.0)
17.3
(63.1)
17.1
(62.8)
16.1
(61.0)
15.4
(59.7)
15.3
(59.5)
15.7
(60.3)
16.2
(61.2)
16.6
(61.9)
16.3
(61.3)
16.3
(61.4)
Average rainfall mm (inches)80
(3.1)
114
(4.5)
235
(9.3)
292
(11.5)
339
(13.3)
417
(16.4)
561
(22.1)
570
(22.4)
504
(19.8)
459
(18.1)
248
(9.8)
101
(4.0)
3,920
(154.3)
Source: Climate-Data.org [11]

Notable people

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwe people</span> Cameroonian people

The Bakweri are a Bantu ethnic group of the Republic of Cameroon. They are closely related to Cameroon's coastal peoples, particularly the Duala and Isubu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Cameroon</span> Active volcano in Cameroon near the Gulf of Guinea

Mount Cameroon is an active volcano in the South West region of Cameroon next to the city of Buea near the Gulf of Guinea. Mount Cameroon is also known as Cameroon Mountain or Fako or by its indigenous name Mongo ma Ndemi. Mount Cameroon is ranked 22nd by topographic isolation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ambazonia</span> Political entity proclaimed by Cameroons Anglophone separatists

Ambazonia, alternatively the Federal Republic of Ambazonia or State of Ambazonia, is a political entity proclaimed by Anglophone separatists who are seeking independence from Cameroon. The separatists claim that Ambazonia should consist of the Northwest Region and Southwest Region of Cameroon. Since 2017, Ambazonian rebels have engaged in armed conflict with the Cameroonian military, in what is known as the Anglophone Crisis, setting up a Government-in-exile and capturing some territory. No country has recognized Ambazonia's existence as of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limbé, Cameroon</span> Place in South-West, Cameroon

Limbé is a seaside city in the South-West Region of Cameroon, At the 2005 Census, the population was 84,223.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Cameroons</span> 1916–1961 British mandate in west-central Africa

The Southern Cameroons was the southern part of the British League of Nations mandate territory of the British Cameroons in West Africa. Since 1961, it has been part of the Republic of Cameroon, where it makes up the Northwest Region and Southwest Region. Since 1994, pressure groups in the territory claim there was no legal document in accordance to UNGA RES 1608(XV) paragraph 5, and are seeking to restore statehood and independence from the Republic. They renamed the British Southern Cameroons as Ambazonia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southwest Region (Cameroon)</span> Region of Cameroon

The Southwest Region or South-West Region is a region in Cameroon. Its capital is Buea. As of 2015, its population was 1,553,320. Along with the Northwest Region, it is one of the two Anglophone (English-speaking) regions of Cameroon. Various Ambazonian nationalist and separatist factions regard the Sud-Ouest region as being distinct as a polity from Cameroon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soppo</span> Place in South West Province, Cameroon

Great Soppo is made of five villages; Sovereign Soppo Mokongo, Soppo wôganga, soppo wôvila, soppo wôteke and soppo likôkô in Fako division, SWR Cameroon. It is located at around 4°9′N9°17′E.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silicon Mountain</span> Town in South West Region, Cameroon

Silicon Mountain is a nickname coined to represent the technology ecosystem (cluster) in the Mountain area of Cameroon, with its epicenter in Buea. The name refers to Mount Fako. Silicon Mountain is currently home to tech startups and a growing community of developers, designers, business professionals as well as universities such as the University of Buea, Catholic University Institute of Buea, Saint Monica University and many others. This region occupies the entire Fako Division of the South West Region of Cameroon. The phrase originally was the de facto reference to the Buea Tech Community popularized during local tech community meetups such as BarCamp Cameroon 2013, Google I/O Extended Buea 2015 and the Kamer Design Meetups; but has eventually come to refer to the community of developers, creatives, organizers, business professionals, universities in the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglophone Crisis</span> 2017–present separatist conflict in Cameroon

The Anglophone Crisis, also known as the Ambazonia War or the Cameroonian Civil War, is an ongoing armed conflict between Cameroon Armed Forces and armed separatist groups, part of the long-standing Anglophone problem. Following the suppression of 2016–17 protests by Cameroonian authorities, separatists in the Anglophone regions launched a guerrilla campaign and later proclaimed independence. Within two months, the government of Cameroon declared war on the separatists and sent its army into the Anglophone regions.

This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis during 2018.

This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis during 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern Cameroons Defence Forces</span>

The Southern Cameroons Defence Forces is the armed wing of the African People's Liberation Movement, an Ambazonian separatist movement. It is led by Ebenezer Akwanga, who is based in the United States, Together with the Ambazonia Defence Forces, it was one of the most prominent militias fighting in the early Anglophone Crisis. It is mainly active in Meme and Fako.

This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis during 2020.

This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis during 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Limbe Botanic Garden</span> Botanical garden in Cameroon

Limbe Botanic Garden or Limbe Botanical Gardens (LBG) is the principal botanic garden of Cameroon. It was created in 1892, during the German colonial era, in Victoria, between the ocean and Mount Cameroon. Initially with an agronomic intent, it has become one of the main recreational and tourist attractions of the South-West Region.

This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon during 2022.

Mile 16, also known as Bolifamba and Bolifamba Mile 16, is a locality in the Buea Municipality of the Fako Division, South West Region of Cameroon.

This is a timeline of the Anglophone Crisis in Cameroon during 2023.

Events in the year 2023 in Cameroon.

Martin Zachary Mondinde Njeuma (1940–2010) was a Cameroonian historian in the field of African history, and one of the first formally trained historians from Cameroon. After over a decade studying abroad, he returned to Cameroon in 1970 to work as the Director of the National Archives in Buea and later as a professor at the University of Yaoundé. He was also the Head of the History Department and the Dean of the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences. He later became the pioneer Dean of the Faculty of Arts at the University of Buea.

References

  1. 1 2 Helders, Stefan. "Buéa". World Gazetteer. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2008.
  2. ADC Lands Ground Troops in Southern Cameroons, Declares War on LRC [ permanent dead link ], Cameroon Journal, 10 September 2017. Accessed 19 April 2018.
  3. Panic grips Buea as soldiers battle separatists, Journal du Cameroun, 29 June 2018. Accessed 29 June 2018.
  4. Muea in lockdown as soldiers battle separatists, Journal du Cameroun, 1 July 2018. Accessed 2 July 2018.
  5. Nsah, Solomon Kekeisen (June 2017). "The Cameroon Press Photo Archive (CPPA) Buea in Crisis 1955-2016". Vestiges: Traces of Record. 3 (1): 65–81. ISSN   2058-1963. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
  6. "Cameroon's high-tech hub". BBC News. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  7. CAMEROON, ORANGE. "Silicon Mountain Conference 2022 – Orange Cameroun reinforces its promise to the tech innovation industry". Business in Cameroon. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  8. Odunowo, Olanrewaju (10 August 2018). "Cameroon's Silicon Mountain: Its History, Resilience and Future". TechCabal. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  9. http://www.gouverneur-ebermaier.de/english/narrow_gauge_railways.htm%5B%5D
  10. "Buea Climate, Weather By Month, Average Temperature (Cameroon) - Weather Spark". weatherspark.com. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  11. "Climate Buea". Climate Data. 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.