Cameroon everyday life
Currency: F CFA BEAC (XAF)
Exchange rate: 656 per € (fixed exchange rate)
Time zone: UTC + 1
Country code (phone): 00237
Climate (for capital): tropical mountain climate
Entry and residence regulations
First return flight
According to historyaah, Cameroon is a country located in Central Africa. The Federal Foreign Office has information on Cameroon’s entry requirements for entry from Germany. The border was closed due to Covid in mid-March 2020 and at the moment, entry for non-Cameroonians is only possible to a very limited extent.
The Embassy of the Republic of Cameroon offers documents (visa application) to download and up-to-date visa information, just in case.
From the end of March to the beginning of April, return flights for Europeans “stranded” in Cameroon were organized by the Federal Foreign Office. There was something similar from the French side.
But there was also the reverse case: Cameroonians who were stuck abroad due to the Corona crisis.
Housing and supply
Public Transport Supply
Inexpensive and qualitatively acceptable housing opportunities in the big cities are rare. Even in the provincial cities, living space is not particularly cheap, but houses with courtyards or gardens are easier to rent there.
- Real estate Yaoundé
- Real estate douala
- List of Government Recognized Real Estate Agents
In cities like Douala or Yaoundé, the supply is comparable to European standards. The shopping offer ranges from street vendors by hawkers to the small city district market to large supermarket chains. There is just about anything! The supply is more limited in smaller towns, and in rural areas, especially in the northern provinces, there are only goods for daily use at the weekly markets. In the north, many products are more expensive because of the longer transport routes; this applies to imported goods that do not come from Nigeria, but also to fruits and vegetables that have to be transported from the south. Therefore information about the cost of living depends on many factors.
There is not the same security of supply for electricity and water as in Germany, but the security of supply is very different from region to region and also depends on the season.
Leisure sports in the big cities range from karting to horse riding and golf. Otherwise, many hotels or sports clubs have swimming pools or tennis courts. Team sports such as handball or, of course, soccer, are practiced everywhere and joggers can also be found almost everywhere, especially in urban areas. Sports with a regional focus are water sports on the coast and horse riding in northern Cameroon. Many areas of Cameroon are ideal for hiking and cycling. In general, sport is one of the best ways to establish social contacts in Cameroon.
Religion
Religion plays an important role in Cameroonian society. With regard to religious affiliation, almost 70% of Cameroonians describe themselves as Christians, of which almost 40% of the population profess the Catholic Church, around 26% are Protestants (e.g. Église évangélique du Cameroun (EEC), Église presbytérienne camerounaise (EPC), Union des églises baptistes du Cameroun (UEBC), Église baptiste camerounaise (EBC), Église évangélique luthérienne du Cameroun (EELC), etc.)
20% are Muslims and 10% practice traditional religions or belong to other religious communities. Ultimately, however, these numbers should be treated with caution, as religious “mixed forms” are widespread.
Catholic Cathedral Douala
The African phenomenon of increasing sectarianism is also widespread in Cameroon and is gaining more and more supporters among the impoverished sections of the population.
Traditionally, Islam in Cameroon is Sufi and is mainly influenced by the Tijaniya order. He is characterized by great tolerance.
From the 1990’s onwards, Saudi Arabia began to become more involved in Cameroon and the influence of the conservative Islamic faith gradually increased.
There is no state religion in Cameroon. The Cameroonian constitution guarantees its citizens freedom of religion and the state generally respects this fundamental right.
For a long time, the relationship and dealings between the religions were characterized by mutual respect and tolerance. The interreligious dialogue worked quite well. Admittedly, followers of traditional religions in the Muslim north were often viewed with contempt, and there were isolated conflicts between Christians and Muslims, but unlike neighboring countries, Cameroon has not known any religious violence.
What effects will Boko Haram and the associated destabilization of the north have on religious coexistence in Cameroon?
After the Islamic full-body veiling was banned in the regions of Extreme-North, North, East and Littoral due to the attacks in 2015, there were repeated attacks against Muslim women, even if they only wear a headscarf. The religious coexistence or coexistence of Muslims and non-Muslims in Cameroon seems to be at stake.
Another focal point is the war in the Anglophone regions, where religious affiliations can also be easily exploited.
Completely independent of Boko Haram and the Anglophone crisis… in the end, the Cameroonian state, religious leaders, but also international donors are obliged to act for mutual tolerance and against religious radicalism.
