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Situated in West Africa, Cameroon is shaped like an elongated triangle. It borders with Chad in the north and northeast, Central African Republic in the east, Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in the south, the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic Ocean) in the Southwest, and to the west and northwest lies Nigeria.

There are four geographical regions. The southern region extends from the 226 mile coastline eastward to the Middle Congo Basin between the southern frontier and the Sanaga River. It consists of coastal plains of an average width of 27 miles and a densely forested plateau at an average elevation of 960 feet. The central region extends from the Sanaga River northward to the Benue River and includes the Adamawa Plateau, at elevations of 2,500 ft to 4,500 ft. This is a transitional area where forest gives way to savanna. The northern region is essentially a vast savanna plain that slopes down to the Chad basin. The west is dominated by forested mountains with peaks reaching above 8,000 ft. Of the two main rivers, the Benue is navigable several months during the year, and the Sanaga is not navigable.

Yaounde, Cameroon's capital, is an African city with an international profile.Cameroon's tropical climate is ideal for agriculture and bestows the country with a lush beautyCameroon is united in its love for dancing and music. The distinctive national musical style known as makossa has perennial popularity.

Most Cameroonians identify themselves with a particularethnic group, which is really an extended community of people with similar background, language, and customs. Cameroonians know the town or village they "belong to", even if removed by several generations of relocation and intermarriage. Cameroon is thus an intricate tapestry of cultures, not easily understood in terms of the European concepts of political districts and administrative boundaries.Cameroon is located in west Africa, just east of Nigeria. It extends from the Atlantic ocean northward to Lake Chad. The Congo rain forest extends into the southeastern part of the country, and the Sahara desert encroaches on the north. Along the western edge of Cameroon is a volcanic mountain range. Fako (Mt. Cameroon), the country's highest point at 4100 meters, is only a few miles from the southwestern coast.

Southern Cameroon is densely forested. Lumber, palm oil, bananas, and plantains are some important products of this region. Douala, Cameroon's largest city and economic center, is located at the mouth of the Wouri river and is a major port city. Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon, is located in the southeast. Traditional culture of the peoples of southern Cameroon (such as the Duala, Bulu, and Bakweri) centers on the family and village, lacking large-scale political structures.

Further inland, the climate is drier and the vegetation sparser. This region is sometimes called the Grassfields. Important crops include cassava (a starchy root vegetable), groundnuts (peanuts), cocoa, and coffee. This region is home to some of Cameroon's most industrious peoples, such as the Tikar (a British designation encompassing a number of ethnic groups) and the Bamileke. Bamenda and Bafoussam are prominent cities in this region.

In the north, conditions are drier still, and cattle herding is a major occupation. Cotton is grown also. This part of country is predominantly muslim. It is home to the Fulbe (known elsewhere as Fulani), and the Nigerian language Hausa is widely spoken here. The north has a long tradition of civilization and political development, predating the arrival of Europeans by many centuries. The chief cities of northern Cameroon are Maroua, Garoua, and Ngaoundere.

Superimposed on this "natural" north-south division of the country is an east-west division resulting from European colonialism. After the first world war, the westernmost quarter of the country was under British rule, while the larger central and eastern portion was controlled by the French. Consequently, Cameroonians are divided into "anglophones" (English speakers) and "francophones" (French speakers). The country is officially bilingual, but the francophones dominate not only because they are a numerical majority, but because the country's most important centers (Douala and the capital Yaounde) are francophone.

Because of its great geographical and cultural variety, Cameroon is sometimes called "Africa in miniature".