Sangmélima

Sangmélima
Town
sangmélima in 2014
Sangmélima Location in Cameroon
Coordinates: 2°56′N 11°59′E
Country	Cameroon
Region	South Region
Division	Dja-et-Lobo
Elevation	643 m (2,110 ft)
Population  (2012)
• Total	64,227

Sangmélima is a town on the Lobo River, and also the chief town of Dja et Lobo, in the South Region Republic of Cameroon. The language spoken there is Bulu. French, is also spoken as it is one of the official languages in Cameroon.

History

In 1963, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sangmélima was founded.

People

The population is of the Bulu clan, part of the Beti-Pahuin tribe. The Bulu migrated to the area during the 19th century, having been slave hunters until the British sent elements of the Royal Navy in 1827 to the coastal areas in bid to stop the slave trade. Cameroon's President Paul Biya is a Bulu, from a village near Sangmélima.

Economy

The economy is largely rural, with many chicken farms.

Transport

The National Road 9 passes through the town, and National Road 17 begins there. There is an airstrip near the town.

Ecology

The Dja Faunal Reserve ('Réserve du Biosphère du Dja') is a 5,260 km² reserve that extends to the east of the town, and which was designated a World Heritage Site in 1984. UNESCO calls it: "one of the largest and best-protected rainforests in Africa, with 90% of its area left undisturbed". There are also said to be "vast forested areas" to the south of the town.