Cameroon, Africa Essay Example

Cameroon, Africa Essay Example Cameroon, Africa Essay Cameroon, Africa Essay Essay Topic: Apocalypse Now Cameroon Cameroon is a beautiful country that is located in Western Africa. It lies Just north of the Equator on the Gulf of Guinea and is bordered by Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, Congo and Gabon. Cameroon consists of various ethnic groups, and speaks many different types of language. Cameroon is filled with forests, hills and plateaus. It also includes some of the highest mountains in the world. Cameroon has a warm temperature year round, but affected by the worst rainstorm during the winter. However, the economy in Cameroon is on a slow pace incline since 2007. Despite the lacking in development of technology in Cameroon, Cameroon has plenty of natural resources such as bauxite, petroleum, iron ore, and timber. The agricultural side productions are cocoa beans, cotton, rubber, bananas, oilseed, and grains. Agriculture contributes the most in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Cameroon and there are plenty opportunities available that can benefit its economy. Cameroon expands from Mount Cameron to Lake Chad. This region includes plateaus, hills and mountains. Also Mount Cameroon, which is the highest point in the country, it is located near the west coast. It arises to a height of 13435 feet above sea level. Lake Chad is located at the northern region of Cameroon. This region includes volcanoes, lakes, and plateaus. The main rivers in Cameroon are Ntem, Sanga, Nyonga and Wouri. These rivers flow into the Gulf of Guinea. The smaller rivers in Cameroon are Dja and Kadei, it flows into the Congo River. Temperature in Cameroon varies in different regions. The temperature is varied from the northern to the southern part of Cameroon. The coastal plains usually experience hot and humid conditions. The temperature in the northern part of Cameroon is more comfortable han the southern region, simply because northern is covered by mountains and hills. The average temperature in the northern region ranges from around 73 degrees to 79 degrees. On the other hand, the southern region of Cameroon is typically dry. The dry season in the southern area is generally from November to March, and also June to August. The average rainfall along the coast generally ranges between 250 cm to 400 cm. On the other hand, the western slopes of the Mountain Cameroon usually experience rainfall from 600 cm to 900 cm. Cameroon gained its independence on January 1st 1960 from France. Now in 2012, the Population in Cameroon is estimated around 21 which puts them as number fifty-eight in populations by the United Nations. The roads in Cameroon are harsh, there are about 50,340 miles of road and only about 3,358 miles are paved. The government in Cameroon had recently repaved the used roads to be able to connect between agricultural areas and commercial shipping centers. The major road that is used most by people is the highway that connects the capital Yaound? © and Douala. Culture is very important in Cameroon and that is what made Cameroon of what it is today. Cameroons population is made of several groups of ethnic people, such as Bamileke, Bamoun, the Bassa and Douala. Those ethnic groups are considered as the coastal tropical forest people. In the southern region of Cameroon, the ethnic groups groups of inhabitants that account for the majority of the population in Cameroon, such as the Fulani, Kirdi and the Highlander Constitutes. Different ethnic groups have their own festivals, traditions and cultures. Some of the festivals celebrated in Cameroon are New Year, Christmas, Ascension, ld-al-Fitr, Eid Milad Nnabin, and Id-al- Adha. Ceremonies, social gatherings and festivals in Cameroon are incomplete without music and dancing. Music plays a huge role in part of any social event. Stomping of feet and clapping of hands are the old fashion dance moves. Musical instruments vary from one ethnic group to another. People play various instruments such as whistles, drums, flutes, and clappers. Some of the popular music styles in Cameroon are ambasse bey of Bassa, tsamassi of Bamileke, mangambeu of Bangangte. Another part of Cameroons culture is their religious beliefs. There are many types of religion that are established in Cameroon, about forty percent of its population practice Christianity. Forty percent practice its indigenous religion or othing at all. Lastly, twenty percent are nominal Muslims. The Fulani groups that are inhabited in the north of Cameroon are mainly Muslim, as well as the group of Bamouns and Kirdis, who are living in the western provinces. The Kirdis had traditionally practiced indigenous religion of Cameroon. They often had conflict with the Fulanis. Today, many of the Kirdis are now converted to Muslim. One more aspect of the culture of Cameroon is agriculture. Agriculture plays a major role in Cameroon. Agricultural is the main source of Cameroons Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The production of cocoa beans is one of the largest among the world. Cameroon produced almost 130,000 tons of cocoa beans in 2004. There are other fields of agriculture such as cotton and production of bananas. The growth of bananas are mainly produced in the southwest region of Cameroon, simply because it is warmer in the south. The estimated production of bananas is about 630,000 tons per year and the production of cotton was estimated about 109,000 tons. Cameroon gained its Independence on January 1st 1960. In1955, Union of the Peoples of Cameroon (UPC) begins an armed struggle for independence and a union ith British Cameroon. France denied Independence for French Cameroon until 1960 because France wanted a union with all its colonies called the French Union. Cameroon was united as one party in 1966 under Ahmadou AhidJo, the first president in Cameroon. They named themselves the Cameroon National Union (CNU). The Cameroon National Union lasted till 1990. Ahmadou AhidJo later resigns, as the president of Cameroon in 1982. After Ahmadou AhidJds presidency, President Paul Biya took over in 1983. Cameroon National Union was later renamed the Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement (CPDM) in 1985 under president Biya. The presidents job is to appoint the ministers, vice-ministers, and local governors. Cameroon is a country that is divided into small provinces. Governors, who are appointed by the president, are the leader of those provinces. The provinces are then divided down into different departments, and then the departments are composed of subdivisions, which are led by assistant divisional officers. During the election in 2004, President Paul Biya was reelected with seventy percent of the vote. His opponents were John Fru Ndi, Adamou Ndam NJoya, and Garga Haman AdJi. The opposition parties looked t President Biya as a fraud. President Biyas second seven-year term extended has held office since 1982. In 2008, Biyas supporters in parliament passed constitutional amendments granting the president immunity for acts committed while in office and enabling Biya to run yet again in 2011 In February 2008, the government took strong a measure to reduce import tax on consumer goods that in turn reduced the pricing of food sold in the Cameroonian markets. In class, we watched the film The Last King of Scotland. Which we compare the treatment of w omen in Cameroon and treatment of women in Uganda. In the movie The Last King of Scotland, which is based on a true story, set in 1970 in Uganda. A young Scottish physician, named Nicholas Garrigan, is trapped into the plans of crucial dictator Idi Amin. In the film, we do not only witness the evil plots of Idi Amin, but we also see how the people in Uganda treated women of the 1970s. In the film, when Dr. Garrigan arrives in Uganda, he is riding on a local bus to the camp where he is headed. Nicholas falls asleep on the bus, but a Ugandan woman wakes him at the last stop. When Nicholas wakes up, he makes sensual eye contact with the woman. The next scene shows Dr. Garrigan and the Ugandan woman are having sex. This is one example that shows that women in Uganda are very open; also it shows they are interested in white males. Prostitution is popular in Cameroon, but it is illegal. The Government in Cameroon is still having issues with prostitution. The reason is because Cameroon attracts sex tourism from the West, especially for child prostitution. The way that Cameroonians treat women is that they see women as property, an object, rather than human beings. We saw in the film that Idi Amin had three wives. The third wife, Kay Amins son has epilepsy. Idi Amin thought it is a curse, so he demands Kay and her son to live in a different house. This is an example that shows Idi Amin has no respect for women in the film and women are being treated as property. Due to the lack of respect and the way women were portrayed as property, there is no connection of love between husband and wife. In Cameroons civil rights law, marriage needed to be signed by both parties. Without both signatures, the marriage will be nullified. According to the information obtained in a 17 to 25 January 2004 fact-finding mission by the United Kingdom (I-JK) Immigration nd Nationality Directorate (ND), forced marriages were considered a big problem in Cameroon. Not only did Idi Amin have any courtesy for Kay Amin, he does not let any of his wives to assist him with political decisions. As a result, Kay felt lonely; the only person that makes her feel better was Dr. Nicholas Garrigan. Kay ends up having an affair with Nicholas. A woman in Cameroon does not have the same rights and privileges as men, and some laws were directed towards women. For exampl e, husbands in Cameroon have the ability to deny their wifes right to work or to find a job. Although many women in Cameroon are economically empowered and active in civil society, they often lack the opportunity to enter politics and participate in their countrys male-dominated political sector. Idi Amin knows the whole time that Dr. Garrigan is having an affair with his wife Kay. As a result, Idi orders his men to find Kay and dismember her. This shows how brutal Idi Amin is and his true nature. Violence towards women is generally high in Cameroon as well. Women are the most common victims of domestic violence. Spousal abuse is not legal grounds for divorce in Cameroon. These women were portrayed in an offensive way to make a point to human beings Just like males; they should not be the victims of violence by men. Women should have right to work or to find a Job, and not to be discouraged by their husband. In Cameroon, the law does not impose effective penalties against men who commit violence towards women. It is awful that the government is not enforcing the law to stop in abuse of women in Uganda and Cameroon. There are many responsibilities for both men and women in Cameroon. Men in Cameroon are responsible for money and assets such as land ownership and agricultural productions. Men are also more dominant than women and controlling. Women are responsible for home and children, such as cooking, cleaning and child rising. Many have a part time Job along with household duties. Women generally do not own any assets; their husband controls them. Girls are engaged very early for marriage. As early as 14 years old. A man can is allowed to have more than one wife. Women should be treated with respect and dignity. Females are human beings Just like males; they should not be the victims of violence by men. Women should have right to work or to find a Job, and not to be discouraged by their husband. In Cameroon, he law does not impose effective penalties against men who commit violence towards women. Also I think it is terrible that the government is not enforcing the law to stop in abuse of women. In the end, Women should never be portrayed as sex object or a property to another. Heart of Darkness is a novella written by British novelist, of Polish descent, Joseph Conrad. The main characters in the Heart of Darkness are Mr. Kurtz and Charles Marlow. The novel takes place mainly on the Congo River in the heart of the Africa country, the Congo. Charles Marlow is the captain owned by a steamboat of a trading company in Belgium. MarloWs mission is to find the mysterious man named Mr. Kurtz that he keeps hearing about. Francis Ford Coppolas Apocalypse Now is a movie that was released in 1979, inspired by the novel Heart of Darkness. The main characters in Apocalypse Now are Lieutenant Willard and Colonel Kurtz. There are many similarities and differences of incidents that can be found between the Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now. In the film Apocalypse Now, the main character is Willard, who is a lieutenant for the United States Army that is sent into the Jungles of Vietnam and Cambodia. Willards mission is to locate and kill Colonel Kurtz. Meanwhile, in the Novella Heart of Darkness, MarloWs mission is to rescue Mr. Kurtz from the Inner Station on the Congo River. Mr. Kurtz is a major character in both the novel and movie. In the novel, Kurtz is an ivory trader that has gone insane throughout time due to the lack of civilization and contact with the outside world. He has developed a different lifestyle and has become a savage for ivory. Kurtz in the film, on the other hand is a colonel that becomes vicious and loses all of his morals. Kurtz in both the novel and movie becomes a psychotic rebel whom is worshipped as a god. Kurtz in both the movie and novella, begins his mission as a man of great idealism with high morals, but later on becomes a monster. The scene that is comparable in both the novella and movie is the attack of the natives. In Apocalypse Now, while Willard and his team are sailing up on the N?ng River, they are getting closer to Colonel Kurtz by the minute. The fog is extremely heavy; they cannot see a thing; neither can the audience. The fog is clearing away as and him are going. Chief, who is the man that is driving the boat, says to Willard you dont know where the hell you going, do ya? Apocalypse Now, Coppola). Chief becomes extremely nervous and filled with anxiety due to the fog and not knowing where his team and him are headed. He tells Willard, l cant see a thing Captain. Im stopping this boat. I aint risking no more lives (Apocalypse Now, Coppola). The next scene shows that Chief has become mad with the fact that Willard is not giving him an answer. Next thing you know, the na tives are attacking them along the shores. The natives have spears and are throwing them at the boat. Chief becomes a mad man and starts firing at the natives with the machine gun. One of the atives throws the spear and it goes through Chiefs chest. Chief then stares at Willard and proceeds to fall to the ground. Chief chokes Willard due to his anger towards him. I believe Chief blames Willard for his death. In self-defense, Willard puts Chief to a quicker death by suffocating him. In the novella, Marlow is heading deep in the Congo River along with the manager, the helmsman and the pilgrims. As they are drifting closer and closer towards the Inner Station to Mr. Kurtz, the crew hears loud cries and screaming sounds around them. The natives attacked the crew with arrows. The helmsman leaves the wheel nd starts shooting the natives with a rifle, and then stands yelling towards the natives on the shore. Helmsmans action eventually leads to his death, because he takes an arrow to the thigh. In the Heart of Darkness, The pilgrims had opened with their Winchesters, and were simply squirting lead into the bush. A deuce of a lot of smoke came up and drove slowly forward. I swore at it. Now I couldnt see the ripple or the snag either (Conrad, Page 65). Marlow, the steamboat captain, says this after the attack of the natives, in which Marlow cannot see the snag because of the smoke, creates by the gunfire. In the novella Heart of Darkness and the film Apocalypse Now, there are differences and similarities between the two pieces of work. Marlow and Willard are both on a mission for Kurtz, which leads to numerous events that happen along the ?ung/Congo River. The novella was more descriptive than the film, but the movie was more action packed and seemed to be more interesting than the novella. Both pieces of work have excellent insight into the madness of men in the Heart of Darkness and in Apocalypse Now. Cameroon is a country that is involved with many different physical, cultural and political characteristics. Cameroon has a great Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the production of coca beans and bananas. Cameroons whether has a huge advantage for agriculture, simply because it is not too hot or too cold for the most of the time. Cameroon is formed by several groups of ethnic people all over its country. With all the diversity in Cameroon, people will learn different language, culture and the style of food. Cameroon also lies next to the Gulf of Guinea, which is another advantage than other countries that are difficult to have an access to water. I believe Cameroon will be very successful in the next few years; it will be an outstanding country in Africa. Cameroon. Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations. 2007. Encyclopedia. com. (September 17, 2012). encyclopedia. com/doc/162-2586700085. html Cameroon. Philips World Factbook 2008-2009. London: Philips, 2008. Credo Reference. Web. 16 September 2012. Women In Cameroon. Asafeworldforwomen. org. Safe World For Women, 14 Feb. 2011. web. 27 sept. 2012. 2010 Human Rights Report: Cameroon. Www. state. gov. U. S Department of State, 8 Apr. 2011. web. 25 sept. 2012. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York: Penguin, 1999. Print. Apocalypse Now. Dir. Francis Ford Coppola. Perf. Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, and Robert Duvall. Paramount, 1979. Cultures of Cameroon. Travel. Mapsomorld. Compare Infobase Limited, n. d. Web. The Capital of Cameroon is Yaound? ©. The temperature is varied in the northern and southern part of Cameroon. The temperature in the northern region is ranged from around 73 degrees to 79 degrees. Southern region of Cameroon is typically dry. Mount Cameroon 13435 feet above sea level The Population in Cameroon is estimated around 21 Cultural Bamileke, Bamoun, Bassa, Douala, Ewondo, Bulu, Maka, Bakas, Fulani, Kirdi and the Highlander Constitutes. Forty percent of Cameroons population practices Christianity. Forty percent practice its indigenous religion or nothing at all. Twenty percent are nominal Muslims. Agriculture plays a major role in Cameroon The production of cocoa beans is one of the largest in the world. Cotton and production of bananas are also major sources of agriculture. Treatment of Women Nicholas Garrigan- trapped into the plans of crucial dictator Idi Amin. Idi Amin had three wives Idi Amin has no respect for women in the film and women are being treated as property. Forced marriages were considered a big problem in Cameroon Women in Cameroon are lack in participating in politics usband. Apocalypse Now Willard and his team seeking up on the N?ng River Fog was heavy, Willard had no idea where he was going Chief became extreme nervous with the fog The Natives began to attack the boat with spears Chief became a mad man and started firing at the natives Chief dies by spear through the chest Heart of Darkness Marlow was heading deep in the Congo River The crew hears loud cries and screaming sounds around them The natives attacked the crew with arrows The helmsman leaves the wheel and start shooting the natives with a rifle The helmsman dies by an arrow through the thigh