What’s the history behind Cameroon’s name and colonial past?
Posted on Oct 09, 2025 / Travel
The name “Cameroon” comes from the Portuguese word “Camarões,” meaning “shrimp,” after explorers saw tons of them in the Wouri River. It was first a German colony in the late 1800s before being divided between the British and the French after World War I. That’s why the country still has both French and English-speaking regions today. The colonial era left a deep mark on its education, architecture, and political systems. In 1961, the French and British parts joined to form the Republic of Cameroon. Since then, the country’s worked to blend its dual heritage into one national identity. The history’s complex but central to understanding modern Cameroon’s mix of cultures and languages.
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