Culture
Culture & Tradition
The Grand North
The northern nomadic and Islamic part referred to as “Le Grand Nord” covers three geographic regions with tribes like Fulbe, Musgum, Matakum, Tikar, Haoussa and mbororo. Fulfulde and Hausa are the common languages alongside Arabic, French and English. The staple food is Fufu from Guinea corn, millet and rice served with okra soup and “Nkenenkene” alongside beef and mouton.
Our Culture & Traditions
Just like her geographical diversity, Cameroon’s culture is assorted and fascinating to explore. With over 250 tribes, numerous dialects, traditions, people, dances, meals, religions and languages, Cameroon is a true touristic heaven in Africa. Its best-known music, “makossa” a popular style that gained fans across Africa inspired the 2010 FIFA world cup song. In Cameroon, four main cultural groups exist spanning from the North down to the south of the country as the geographical landscape changes. The culture of each of these groups are shaped mainly by the environments in which they are found and also by their migratory origins among many other factors. The four main cultural groups are the Grand North, the Forest Dwellers, the Midland Savannah, and the Coastal Riverine cultural group.
The Forest Dwellers
The Southern Forest dwellers covering the East, Centre and South Regions “Grand South”. These forest dwellers, have decentralized traditional systems of administration. The tribes include the Bulu, Eton, Beti, Bafia, Ewondo, Pygmies and the Baka. They live on Cassava based meals like “bobolo” and “Nkwem” complemented by meat from wild animals like monkeys, porcupine, pangolin etc.
The Midland Savannah
The midlands or Savannah part embodies the West and North West Regions. Their traditional administration is organized and centralized with the “Fon” as the head. Tribes include the Nso, Bali, Mankon, Bangwa, Kom, Bamileke, Bamoun, Winmbum, Pinying, Bafut amongst others. These grasslanders eat mainly corn fufu and vegetables and “achu” a cocoyam base meal. The “condre” a plantain meal is unique to the Bameleke. Socially, the men are chauvinist and polygamous.
The Coastal Riverine
Lastly is the coastal part with riverine people referred to as the “Sawas”. Tribes here include; the Bassa, Douala, Bakweri, Bakundu, Bafaw, Bakossi, Bassosi, Banyang etc. Their Staple meals are mainly Cassava, cocoyam and plantain based, served as “timba na mboussa”, “Kwakoko”, “Moyondo”, “Mpou”, “Ekwang”, “mekere na ndongah”, fufu and “eru” amongst others- all complimented with varieties of fish from local waters. Dressed in “Kabba” and “Sanja” a Sawa man is full of life and dynamism. They are welcoming and tolerant to all other cultures from the country.
