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>> Cameroon Travel Guide >>Ngaoundere

Ngaoundere

Ngaoundéré or N'Gaoundéré is the capital of the Adamawa Region of Cameroon. It has a population of 189,800 (2001 estimate). It lies at the northern end of the railway to Yaoundé and is also home to an airport. The current city was founded in approximately 1835 by the Fulani leader Ardo Njobdi, although the site had previously been an Mbum capital as well. Attractions in the city include the Lamido Palace and the Lamido Grand Mosque. The name Ngaoundéré is a composite word in the Mbum language meaning Navel-Mountain, where "Ngaou" means mountain and "ndéré" means navel. The town is named after a nearby mountain.


Ngaoundere Population
The Mbum are the indigenous population of Ngaoundéré and the immediate area. The Fulani invaded the area in the early 19th century. Being the largest city in Adamaoua by far, Ngaoundéré attracts numerous settlers from the surrounding rural areas, including Díi from further north, Gbaya from the Meiganga area, and Pere from the west. The population expanded precipitously after completion of the railway in 1973 with a large percentage of that population originating from outside of Adamaoua Province. This is evident in the ironic dichotomy between the so-called Grand Marché, adjacent to the Grand Mosqué and housing mainly local merchants, and the much larger Petit Marché located to the northwest in a neighborhood housing a population largely originating in the southern provinces of Cameroon.


Ngaoundere Communication
The city serves as an important communications hub, linking the south of Cameroon with the northern part of the country. There is a paved road of good standard, albeit with some potholes, extending from Ngaoundéré to Garoua and Maroua, and Chad. The railway from Yaoundé ends here, and the railway station is always sprawling with life. The main goods are bananas, fruits and general goods from the south. The north sends cotton stemming from Nord and Chad and cattle from Adamaoua towards the south.