East Province (Cameroon)
| East Region | |
| Region | |
| Country | Cameroon |
|---|---|
| Departments | Boumba-et-Ngoko, Haut-Nyong, Kadey, Lom-et-Djérem |
| Coordinates | 4°00′N 14°00′E / 4.000°N 14.000°ECoordinates: 4°00′N 14°00′E / 4.000°N 14.000°E |
| Capital | Bertoua |
| Area | 109,002 km2 (42,086 sq mi) |
| Population | 824,204 (2013) |
| Density | 8/km2 (21/sq mi) (10th) |
| Governor | Abakar Ahamad |
 Location of East Region within Cameroon
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The East Region (French: Région de l'Est) occupies the southeastern portion of the Republic of Cameroon. It is bordered to the east by the Central African Republic, to the south by Congo, to the north by the Adamawa Region, and to the west by the Centre and South Regions. With 109,011 km² of territory, it is the largest region in the nation as well as the most sparsely populated. Historically, the peoples of the East have been settled in Cameroonian territory for longer than any other of the country's many ethnic groups, the first inhabitants being the Baka (or Babinga) pygmies.
The East Region has very little industry, its main commerce consisting of logging, timber, and mining. Instead, the bulk of its inhabitants are subsistence farmers. The region is thus of little political import and is often ignored by Cameroonian politicians. This coupled with the low level of development in the province have led to its being dubbed "the forgotten province".
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.
The soil of the East is predominantly ferrallitic, rich with iron and red in colour. The southern three quarters of the region consists of metamorphic rock such as gneiss, schist, mica, and migmatite. Starting at about the level of Bertoua and going north, however, granite becomes the dominate soil component. While the region supports an abundance of plant life, it is not particularly fertile due to leaching caused by the humid environment. Eastern dirt hardens quickly in the sun, and it is often used as a building material by poorer inhabitants.
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