Four years after the German Empire claimed the territory now known as Cameroon in 1884 during the scramble for Africa naming it as the Colony of Kamerun, Yaoundé was founded as a trading station to exploit the resources of the new colony. In 1919, after the first world war and Germany's defeat during which the city had been occupied by Belgium from 1915, Kemerun became a League of Nations Mandate territory and was split into British Cameroon and French Cameroon with Yaoundé named as the French colonial capital in 1922. It retained that status until the second world war when Cameroon's largest city Douala became the capital during the war years, however the capital was transferred back to Yaoundé in 1946. It continued as the capital of French Cameroon and then as the capital of the newly merged Republic of Cameroon after independence.

Yaoundé is located in south-central Cameroon, nestled between the Nyong and Sanaga rivers on a hilly plateau. It has a population of 1,395,200 in the wider metropolitan area whilst 1,154,400 live in the actual city itself. Although Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and its commercial capital with its port handling Cameroon's exports including oil, cocoa and coffee, Yaoundé remains its administrative centre and the seat of the country's government. It also has some industries including timber, tobacco, printing and the production of clay and glass items. Given its good transport links including two airports, Yaoundé also acts as a distribution hub for Cameroon's agricultural industry outputs from rubber, to sugar cane and the staple coffee and cocoa This video shows a compilation of pictures showing various aspects Yaoundé and what its like living there. You can also explore Yaoundé using our interactive map of the city below.

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