Bamenda, Cameroon

Bamenda
Bamenda from the mountain road into town
Nickname(s): Abakwa, which of date is made of three villages Mankon, Bamendankwe and Nkwen
Bamenda Map of Cameroon showing the location of Bamenda
Coordinates: 5°56′N 10°10′E / 5.933°N 10.167°E / 5.933; 10.167
Country	Cameroon
Region	Northwest
Department	Mezam
Government
• Delegate	Vincent Ndumu
Elevation	1,614 m (5,295 ft)
Population (2012)
• City	348,766
• Urban	2,000,000
	(Census)
Time zone	WAT (UTC+1)
Website	Official website

Bamenda, also known as Abakwa and Mankon Town, is a city in northwestern Cameroon and capital of the Northwest Region. The city had a population of about 500,000 people and is located 366 kilometres (227 mi) north-west of the Cameroonian capital, Yaoundé. Bamenda is known for its cool climate and scenic hilly location.

The city is an amalgamation of seven villages - Mankon, Mendakwe, Nkwen, Chomba, Mbatu, Nsongwa and Bandzah

Bamenda's principal ethnic group is the Tikar. In the past, the Tikar faced invasions from peoples in the surrounding hills, and between 1700 and 1800, they joined a confederation established by the Mbum for defense purposes. However, Bamenda also encompasses the Nguemba people.

Bamenda was subjected to German colonialism in the late 19th century, and evidence of Germany's former occupation of Bamenda can still be seen today in structures such as the Fort at the Bamenda station; (the present day fort is used as the Bamenda High Court, the Court of first instance and the office of the Senior Divisional officers) the nearby Bafut Palace. After the defeat of the Germans in World War I (1914–1918) the League of Nations shared German colonial territories among victorious nations. Western Cameroon (the present day North West and South West Regions) were administered jointly with Nigeria under the protectorate of the British until 1961 when following a plebiscite it attained independence by joining the then already independent République du Cameroun.

Today, many of the city's inhabitants are English-speaking, and Cameroonian Pidgin English is the main language spoken in the shops and on the streets of Bamenda. Some anglophone political pressure groups represented in the city such as the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) advocate secession from the rest of Cameroon, which is francophone.