| Primary
Source |
| Imperialism |
Colonial Policy | [P|S|M] |
Atlas German Colonies, with Yearbook, edited by the German Colonial Society, 1906, Kamerun
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Kamerun
Size : 496600 square km (= Deutsches Reich)
Population : about 3500000 (?) inhabitants, among them 1903: 710, 1904 :
626 Europeans, of whom 612 resp. 738 Germans. Main indigenous tribes in the
hitherto explored areas : In the North and Northeast the grassland tribes of
Adamaua, under Fullah rule, of whom the Bata, Tikar, Baia and Wute are the best
known. Closer to the coast down to the southern border follow the Bafut and
Bali, Banjang, Bakundu and Ngolo, Bamboko, Bakwiri, Duala, Batanga and Mabea and
finally the Bule (Fang). The region between coastal and grassland tribes, thus
the middle valley of the Sanaga and Njong, is populated by Bakoko tribes, on
which, futher east, follow the Jaunde, Bane and Jengone, which (p.10) all are
related with the Bule, which inhabit almost the entire south. In the river areas
of the Dscha, Bumba and Ssanga the Janguma, Njem, Ndsimu, Bomome and Maka dwell.
To be mentioned are further the Nguma on the Lokundje, tribal fellows of the
Njem and Maka.
Morphology : The highest mountain range on the Atlantic rim is the range
of Mt. Kamerun (4070 m.) which in northern direction blends into the Bakossi
Mountains. In general, the protectorate's surface rises in terrasses in
earterly/northeasterly direction (Adamawa Mountains up to 3,000 m, Nguakeli in
the south c. 1500 m). An imaginary line drawn from Bali along the mouth of the
Mbam to the tributaries of the Ssanga roughly indicates the border of the
continuous coastal jungle.
Rivers : (from north to south) : The Rio-del-Rey area with several
tributaries, also the Kamerun river in which the Mungo, Dibambu and Wuri feed,
both are vast estuaries covered by mangrove. The very important, but not
navigable Sanaga with the Mbam; the Njong the upper stretch of which is
navigable, with the Nkele; finally the smaller tributaries : Lokundje, Kribi and
Kampo. Adamawa is crossed by the navigable Benue, the largest tributary of the
Niger, an important traffic route to the sea (Niger Navigation Act of 1885). The
Dscha with Bumba in the southeast resp. the Ssanga connect the area with the
Congo navigation.
Climate : The average yearly temperature on the coast is c. 25 degrees
centigrade; February with 27 degrees on average is the warmest, July with an
average 23.48 degrees the coolest month. The rainy and dry seasons are different
from region to region and show not insignificant changes from year to year. The
coastal region near Mt. Kamerun has one of the world's highest amounts of annual
precipitation. The climate is unhealthy, particularly in the forested areas, in
the higher elevated areas of northern Kamerun considerably better.
Trade and Transportation : Export products are palm kernels, palm oil,
raw rubber, ivory, cocoa, timber, cola nuts, copal, tree bark etc., total value
1902 : 6 264 099 M., 1903: 7 139 000 M., 1904: 8 020 731 M.
Imported are manufactured goods, alcoholic beverages, materials, money, salt,
lumber, wooden products, steel and steel products, tobacco, rice, powder etc.,
total value 1902: 13 275 704 M., 1903: 9 637 939 M., 1904: 9
378 283 M.
District offices are located in Victoria, Duala, Edea and Kribi; other
administrative regions : Bamenda, Banjo, Buea, Kampo, Ebolwoa, Fontem, Garua,
Jabassi, Johann-Albrechtshohe, Joko, Kusseri, Lolodorf, Ossidinge, Rio del Rey,
Ssanga-Ngoko, Jaunde. Seat of government is Buea.
Other places where Europeans reside : on the coast Bibundi, Debundja,
Bimbia, Bell, Joss, Akwa, Deidodorf, Malimba, Kl.-Batanga, Londji, Plantation,
Gr.-Batanga; on the Mungo: Mundame; on the Sanaga: Lobetal, Marienberg; on the
Njong: Dehane; on the Lokundje: Bipindi etc.
Schutztruppe: 1 commander, 39 officers, 11 medical doctors, 79 NCOs,
about 1150 coloureds. (as of 1905/06). Police troops placed under German
military personnel are allocated to the individual stations.
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Source:
Deutscher Kolonial-Atlas mit Jahrbuch (Atlas German Colonies with
Yearbook), edited by the Deutsche Kolonialgesellschaft (German Colonial
Society). Berlin 1906, p.10 |
GM
(digitalisation) and AG
(translation)
posted on the web for psm-data;
many thanks to
Staatsbibliothek
zu Berlin / Preußischer Kulturbesitz
Kartenabteilung
Dokument in deutscher
Sprache
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