Cameroon
/ˌkaməˈruːn
/
A country on the west coast of Africa between Nigeria and Gabon; population 18,879,300 (est. 2009); languages, French (official), English (official), many local languages, pidgin; capital, Yaoundé. French name Camerounkamʀun.
The territory was a German protectorate from 1884 to 1916, after which it was administered by France and Britain, latterly under League of Nations (later United Nations) trusteeship. In 1960 the French part became an independent republic, to be joined in 1961 by part of the British Cameroon; the remainder became part of Nigeria. Cameroon became a member of the Commonwealth in 1995.
