Natural Resources Cameroon is dependent primarily on its agricultural and timber resources. High-yield deposits of bauxite exist in northern Cameroon. Natural gas is found near Douala, and offshore deposits of petroleum are exploited. A small amount of gold is mined. The majority of the people are farmers who live in small towns or villages in southern and central Cameroon.
Seminomadic herders inhabit the north.
Douala, on the Bight of Bonny, with an estimated population of 637,000, is the chief port. Cameroon contains about 140 ethnic groups who speak 24 major languages. Among the more important ethnic groups are the Bamileke, a Bantu-speaking people, and the Fulani, a Muslim people. French and English are both official languages. Education French principles of education predominate in Cameroon's secondary and technical schools.