The economy of Cameroon is dependent primarily on its agricultural and timber resources, although receipts from petroleum reserves constitute a primary source of government revenue. High-yield deposits of bauxite exist in northern Cameroon. A significant reserve of natural gas is found near Douala, but it remains unexploited. 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 Biafra, with an estimated population of 810,000, is the chief port. Muslims predominate in the north and Christians in the south. Cameroon contains about 200 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.