Heavy, dark rain clouds were rolling in as we emerged at the top of a hill from the neatly planted rows of trees covered in moss and ferns. As far as the eye could see in every direction beneath the sagging clouds were oil palm trees. Lush and green, this plantation was representative of both a long history and uncertain future in Cameroon tied to large-scale agricultural production.
Cameroon—known as “Africa in miniature” given its resplendent cultural and ecological variation—harbors a rich and complex history. Like several other countries in the Congo basin region, Cameroon has a wealth of natural resources that have often been tied to a history of exploitation. German colonization began in the late 1800s, which was followed by split colonization in 1919 between French Cameroun and British Cameroon until the country achieved independence in 1960. Today, Cameroon remains officially bilingual with Anglophone and Francophone regions, in addition to over 280 languages spoken...
