Dschang
Encyclopedia
Provinces of Cameroon
The Republic of Cameroon is divided into ten regions:In 2008, the President of the Republic of Cameroon, President Paul Biya signed decrees abolishing "Provinces" and replacing them with "Regions". Hence, all of the country's ten provinces are now known as Regions.Most of these provinces were...
of Cameroon
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
, with an estimated population of 87,000 (est) in 2001, growing dramatically from 21,705 recorded in 1981. The 2006 Population is estimated to be 200,000 inhabitants.
Dschang is the capital of the division of Ménoua
Menoua
Menoua is a department of West Province in Cameroon. The department covers an area of 1,380 km² and as of 2001 had a total population of 372,244.The capital of the department lies at Dschang.-Subdivisions:...
. The Bamiléké
Bamileke
The Bamileke is a folk whose native ancestral area is in the western highlands of Cameroon's West Province, west of the Noun River and southeast of the Bamboutos Mountains and in the Moungo region of the Littoral, Southwest, and Centre Provinces. They are a part of the Semi-Bantu ethnic groups...
are the predominant ethnic tribe.
Colonial era
The documented history of Dschang began in 1895, when it was "discovered" by a GermanGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
military mission. In 1909, the city replaced Fontem as the capital of a Germany military district. The region where Dschang now exists was then not the place of any major settlement but, instead, was an area that two bordering chiefdoms fought over. The name Dschang translates to "dispute" in the local language.
Following Germany's defeat in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Cameroon became a British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
possession in 1917. The country was subsequently handed over to the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1920, who declared Dschang to be the capital of Ouest Province, and developed the city's vacation resort in the 1940s. This resort now forms the basis of Dsh's plans to promote Dschang as a tourist destination.
Post-colonial era
On January 1, 1960, Cameroon became an independent state, and the regional administration was moved to the city of BafoussamBafoussam
Bafoussam is the capital of the West Province of Cameroon, in the Bamboutos Mountains. It is the prefecture of the Mifi department, one of three arrondissements in the department. The city had a population of 239,287 inhabitants . The city is the region's center of trade. People are farming...
. Dschang suffered from this move, as much more effort was invested in the infrastructure of Bafoussam.
Following the institution of the Université de Dschang (University of Dschang) in 1993, however, foreign interest and developmental investment of the city began to increase, and plans for a drive to increase tourism and the exploitation of mineral deposits will contribute to the city's development.
The current Mayor of Dschang is Pr. Bernard Momo.
Economy and infrastructure
Due to its high elevation of over 1400 m , Dschang is favoured by relatively cool temperatures and attractive scenery. It is therefore regarded as a mountain tourist resort. Since colonial times, Dschang has been an important agricultural center. Pig production plays a major role.Deposits of the aluminum-bearing ore bauxite
Bauxite
Bauxite is an aluminium ore and is the main source of aluminium. This form of rock consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al3, boehmite γ-AlO, and diaspore α-AlO, in a mixture with the two iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite, and small amounts of anatase TiO2...
have been discovered nearby ; however, a lack of infrastructure has prevented full-scale mining operations to date.
Transport
The town is reached by year-round trafficable dust roads or asphalt roads. There are bus connections to BafoussamBafoussam
Bafoussam is the capital of the West Province of Cameroon, in the Bamboutos Mountains. It is the prefecture of the Mifi department, one of three arrondissements in the department. The city had a population of 239,287 inhabitants . The city is the region's center of trade. People are farming...
and Yaoundé
Yaoundé
-Transportation:Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport is a major civilian hub, while nearby Yaoundé Airport is used by the military. Railway lines run west to the port city of Douala and north to N'Gaoundéré. Many bus companies operate from the city; particularly in the Nsam and Mvan neighborhoods...
.
There is also an airstrip.
Higher education
Since 1993, Dschang has a universityUniversity of Dschang
The University of Dschang is a university located in Dschang, Cameroon.-Faculties:The university has five faculties and Higher schools:*Faculté des Lettres et Sciences HumainesDoyen: Professeur Dimi Charles...
with faculties for Agricultural Sciences; Economic Sciences and Business Management; Humanities; Law and Political Sciences; and Sciences. The Faculty for Agricultural Sciences has been the first faculty and the university continues to be very strong in this thematic area.
Culture
The population of Dschang mainly speaks Yemba, a BamilekeBamileke
The Bamileke is a folk whose native ancestral area is in the western highlands of Cameroon's West Province, west of the Noun River and southeast of the Bamboutos Mountains and in the Moungo region of the Littoral, Southwest, and Centre Provinces. They are a part of the Semi-Bantu ethnic groups...
language.
In early 2011, the Musée des Civilisations du Cameroun à Dschang has been inaugurated. This museum offers to discover the origin of the Cameroonian people and the diversity of the country's four large cultural domains via their history, but also their artistic productions, their architectures, and their political and social organizations.