MODULE 1: MAN IN HIS ENVIRONMENT

TOPIC: MAN IN HIS ENVIRONMENT

Lesson 1: A Rapid Growth of the World’s Population.

Definition: Population refers to the total number of human beings or inhabitants living in a
particular area of the earth surface at a given period of time. This area or place could be a
village, town, division, a region or a country.

The sum total of the population of all the countries on earth make up the world population.
The population of a country is counted every after 10years by the authorities during a census,

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survey, vital registration and migration records.

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i. Census: A census is the process of counting the total number of people in a country
within a few days. The last census in Cameroon was conducted in the year 2005 recording

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a total population of about 17.5million persons (17,463,836). Today, the total population
of Cameroon is estimated to be about 25million persons.

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ii. Surveys: This involves the counting of only a selected parts and aspects of the
population. From this, general conclusions about the population are made. The process of

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obtaining this information is called sampling.

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iii. Vital registration: This gives information on aspects of the population such as birth,
death marriages. This is obtained from councils and presbyteries (churches).

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iv. Migration records: This gives information about the movement of people (migration).
This can be obtained at the border between territories, motor parks, airports, police
stations and sea ports.

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A) Historical Evolution of World Population.

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For a very long period in the past, the total number of people living on the earth remained
very small and hardly increased. But by the year 1000AD, the approximate population was

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250million. By 1650 and 1750, the world population had increased to 500 million. This rapid
increase was because of:

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- Improved socio-economic conditions
- The Agrarian (agricultural) revolution

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- The industrial revolution that improved the general quality of life
- Improvement in medical facilities and medicines that eradicated some killer diseases.

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- Better sanitary conditions that reduced diseases.

Between 1850 and 1950, the world’s population increased to about 2515 million and between
1950 and 1980, the world’s population doubled for a third time. Planet earth had about 4.5
billion people living in it.

By the year 2000, the global population was 6 billion. This increased to about 7 billion in the
year 2010. Today, it is estimated that the world’s population is 7billion and above and by the
year 2045, the population is expected to reach 9billion. This rapid increase in world
population especially since 1950 had been described as population explosion or galloping
population increase.

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B) Factors of Rapid Population Growth.
They are also called demographic indices i.e those aspects that through them information

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about population change can be obtained. They are divided into two groups.
1. Natural indices.

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i. Birth Rate (BR): These are the total number of children born in a population alive or
number of live birth in a period of time usually one year expressed as a thousand of the

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total population. It is calculated using the formula below.

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ii. Death Rate (DR): These are the total number of people who die (deaths) in a population

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during a period of time usually one year expressed as a thousand of the total population. It
is calculated using the formula

D
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iii. Natural Increase Rate (NIR) or Natural Population Growth Rate (NPGR): This is
the change in the total population resulting from the differences in the number of births
and deaths. This rate is obtained by differences between births and deaths in a population
in a year expressed as per thousand of the total population of the same year. It is
calculated using the formula

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2. Economic Indices.
i. Net Migration: This is the difference between the number of people who are moving into
a country (immigration – I) and those moving out of a country (emigration – E). when
there are more immigrants than emigrants, there is a positive change in population
resulting in population growth. On the other hand, if the number of emigrants is more
than that of immigrants, the population growth will be slow and might even reduce.
ii. Population Growth Rate (PGR): This is the measure of manner in or degree of change
(increase or decrease) in the total population of a place. It measures how fast or slow a
population is changing, this change comes as a result of either natural increase or natural
decrease and net migration.it is calculated using the formula

Where;

E D
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B=Birth Rate

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D=Death rate
I=Immigration or Immigrants

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E=Emigration or Emigrants.
C) Implications of the Rapid Population on Natural Resources.

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- Much pressure on resources
- Food shortage in many parts of the world especially the poor countries which has led to

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starvation in many parts of the world.
- Exhaustion of resources through over exploitation as overfishing, overgrazing, over
cropping and over felling of forest.

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- Environmental pollution.
- Environmental degradation as deforestation, soil erosion, and impoverishment.
- Overcrowding over space and other infrastructures.

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However, the problems mentioned above can be addressed using the following

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approaches.
 Improvement in agriculture so as to increase food supply.
 Encourage industrialization which would increase money to buy food and also discover

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new types of food and resources.
 Improve transport networks so that food and resources can be distributed easily from

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areas of surplus to areas of scarcity.
 Development of technology that help in the discovery of new resources thereby
increasing the amount of available resources.
 Control the rate of population growth i.e by reducing the number of children born.

PRACTICAL WORK : Calculation of the Demographic Indices.

A) Theoretical basis: Recall of definition of Birth rate, Death rate and natural growth rate.
B) Practical Exercise and Contextualization with situation: Calculation of Indices.

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 In the year 2005, the population of country Y was 25,000,000 people. 60,000 children
were born and a total of 25,000 deaths were recorded. Using the above information,
calculate birth rate, death and the natural increase rate.
a)

BR =2.4%

b)

c)
DR=1%

E D
=
=

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E
NIR=

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Exercise 2: In the year 2010, the total population of country X was estimated at 17,000,000
persons. Out of this, 100,000 births were recorded, 30,000 deaths, 10,000 immigrants and

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2500 emigrants were registered. Using the above information, calculate: Net migration and
population growth rate.
Solution.

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a) Net Migration = Immigrants – Emigrants
=10,000 – 2500

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Net Migration=7500 persons.
b) PGR =

D
=

D
=
PGR=0.5%

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Assignment

Lesson 2: Uneven Distribution of World Population.

Population distribution refers to the manner I which people are spread over the
surface of the earth. The areas of the earth that have people living there are called the
Ecumene while those areas that do not have human beings are called non-ecumene.

A) Concept of Population Density.

Population density is the number of people living in a particular area size usually one
square kilometer. It is expressed as the number of people or persons per km2. The formula for
the calculation of population density is as follows;

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Population Density =

B) Spatial Distribution.
1. Areas with high population densities: These are the densely populated areas of the
world. They have population densities above 50pers/km2. They are called the crowded
lands of the world. The main areas include the Nile valley, North western Europe,
Northeast and Southwest USA, South East Asia and Southern Asia i.e the Ganges Valley.
2. Areas with moderate population densities: These are the moderately populated areas of
the world. They have population densities between 10 and 50 inhabitants per km2. The
main areas are; the Coastal areas of Africa, South America, Southwest and Southeast

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Australia, the rest of Europe and Central Asia.
3. Areas with low population densities: These are the sparsely populated areas of the

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world. Their population densities are below 10 persons per km2. These are the empty
lands of the world. They include

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- Hot desert areas (Sahara, Namib, Kalahari, Australian)
- Dense tropical rainforest bio-climatic zones (Congo basin and Amazonia)

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- High mountain chains as the Atlas, Alps, Rockies, Himalayas.

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C) Factors of uneven Distribution.
a) Physical factors.
1. Climate: Areas that have enough rainfall and no extremes of temperature have high
population concentration e.g Northeast Asia. This is because it favours human activities
like agriculture while areas with very high or low temperatures have low population
concentration e.g desert zones.

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2. Relief: Steep slopes are not crowded with people because its difficult to build houses,
roads, etc as well as hindering the growth of crops. On the other hand, flat or lowland
areas attract human settlement because it ease the use of machines, construction, etc.
3. Water supply: Areas with a reliable fresh water supply for drinking, irrigation attracts
population concentration. For example, Western Europe, South East Asia. Lack of
drinking water or for irrigation repel population like in the deserts.
4. Soils: Areas with fertile soils attract population. This is because crops can be grown to
feed the population. But poor soils repels human settlement.
5. Vegetation: Grassland vegetation is easy to clear and construct roads, railways and attract
population like in the Paris basin. Areas with dense forest such as the equatorial rainforest

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and the Amazon are very thick and difficult to penetrate thereby repelling population.
6. Natural resources: Areas with few natural resources like coal means there are lack of

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industries and employment opportunities thereby repelling population. But areas with
resources, industries and job opportunities will attract population concentration.

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b) Human factors
7. Employment opportunities: Areas with industries attract people because jobs are

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available e.g the coastal industrial region of Cameroon, while areas with no industries and
natural resources means limited jobs.

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8. Communication: Well linked areas with all modes of transport (road, railway, air and

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water) attract huge population e.g USA, Britain. Remote areas which are isolated and
have poor transport networks do not attract people.
9. Political factor: The actions of government like creation of new towns will attract

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population while those that the government is not willing to invest in development will
repel population concentration.

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PRACTICAL WORK 2: Population Densities in Cameroon.

A) Theoretical basis: Recall of the notion of population density.

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B) Practical Exercise: Calculation of the density for different regions of Cameroon.
Surface Area (km2)

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Regions Population
Adamawa 884,289 63,701
Centre 3,098,044 68,953

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East 771,755 109,002
Far North 3,111,792 34,263

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Littoral 2,510,263 20,248
North 1,687,959 66,090
North West 1,728,953 17,300
South 634,555 47,191
South West 1,316,079 25,410
West 1,720,047 13,892
Below is the population density of the regions
Population Density=

Adamawa=
2

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 =44.94pers/km2
East =
=7.08pers/km2
Far North=
=90.82pers/km2
Littoral=
=123.97pers/km2

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North=
=25.54pers/km2

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North West=

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=99.93pers/km2
South=

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=13.44pers/km2

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South West=
=51.79pers/km2

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West=

B
=123.81pers/km2
Population Distribution of Cameroon.
1. Areas of high densities: The coastal lowlands from Douala to Limbe and the slopes of

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Mount Cameroon, the Western highlands, the Western part of the Southern low plateau,
the Mandara mountain and the Diamare plains.

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2. Areas of moderate densities: The rest of the Far North region, Garoua depression,
Ngaoundere to Bertuoa corridor, the Yaounde-Edea corridor and the Mungo corridor.

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3. Areas of low densities: These include the Southern and South eastern parts of Cameroon,
Adamawa plateau, the Ndian and parts of the Mamfe basin.

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Lesson 3: Man in the Equatorial Zone.

A) Location: The equatorial zone is located between latitude 00 and 50 North and South of

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the equator. This zone covers the;
- The Amazon Basin in South America
- The coastal plains of Ecuador in South America

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- The Congo Basin in Central Africa
- The coastlands of West and Central Africa including the coastal lowlands and the
Southern Cameroon low plateau in Cameroon.

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B) Brief representation of climatic characteristics.
The climate of this zone is called the equatorial climate. It has the following

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characteristics;
- The prevailing winds are mainly the trade winds (North East trade winds and South East

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trade winds)
- Rainfall is usually accompanied by thunder and lightning
- The amount of rainfall is very high i.e above 2000m on average. For example Douala

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receives 4016mm per year while Debundscha receives 10,000mm per year.
- Coastal areas experience regular land and sea breezes.
C) Methods of Resources Exploitation.

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1. Traditional Method.

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This constitutes the main method of resource exploitation in this zone. It involves the use
of local tools in farming for family consumption. Here,

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- A site to be farmed is chosen in October and cleared with the use of cutlasses and axes.
- The farm is burnt between November and December
- Between January and February, the crops are planted following the arrival of the first

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rain. Multi cropping on the same piece of land is common here.
- Weeding is done as the crops are growing
- The crops are harvested at different times as they get mature.
2. Modern Method: This method is used in the commercial farm or plantation. Crops here
include cocoa, coffee, rubber, banana and oil palms grown for export. This method is also
used in the exploitation of the forest for timber. Portable engine saws are used to fell
down trees and sawn into timber logs.
D) Problems faced.
- The soils are constantly leached because of continuous rainfall throughout the year.
- The hot and humid atmosphere over the equatorial zone is often tiring to workers
- The hot wet nature of the environment increases the rate of decay of agricultural products.

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- Thick nature of the forest hinders the easy penetration of the forest for the extraction of
resources.
- The hot and wet climatic conditions promote the growth of bacteria, insect-pests, etc
which spread diseases like malaria to crops, animals and to man.
E) Solutions to the Problems.
- Organic and artificial fertilizers should be applied to the farms to increase soil fertility
- Tubers eaten within the shortest possible time.
- Grains should be preserved with insecticides in drums
- Man should cultivate the habit of wearing long sleeve dresses to prevent insect bites.
- Multi cropping should involve the planting of leguminous plants like groundnuts and soya

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beans along non-leguminous plants.
NB: Leguminous plants help in improving soil fertility.

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FURTHER STUDY 1: DEFORESTATION

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Definition: Deforestation is the removal of forest cover of an area by man without proper
replacement. It can also be defined as the clearing of the earth’s forest on a massive scale

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which often results in damage to the land.

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A) Causes of deforestation.
1. Agriculture: More farms are needed to grow more food to feed the increasing population

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of the world. This has led to the clearing of more forest.
2. Increase in population: To meet the demand of the ever increasing population, more

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agricultural lands and settlement are created permanently by clearing forests.
3. Overgrazing: It occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended

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periods without sufficient recovery periods. This reduces the productivity and

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biodiversity of the land.
4. Forest fires: They may be natural or man-made and causes huge forest loss.

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5. Urbanization and industrialization: Large amounts of forest lands are cut in order to
promote urbanization and industrialization. This creates harmful effects on environmental

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and ecological balance.
6. Construction of dams: For building big dams, large scale deforestation of forest takes

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place which breaks the natural ecological balance of the region.
7. Commercial logging: To harvest timber to create commercial items such as papers,

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furniture and homes.
B) Manifestations
 Clear cutting i.e when large portions of land with trees are cut down all at once. This act
is described by the Natural Resources Defense as Ecological Trauma.
 Soil erosion and the presence of gullies on the landscape.
 Increased warmth of the environment
 Very large areas of land that once had trees lying without vegetation.
 The absence of big animals in the environment whose home is forest.
C) Consequences of deforestation.
1. Loss of biodiversity: Deforestation has led to the destruction and extinction of many
plant and animal species.

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2. Exposing soil to heat and rain: Heavy rainfall and high sunlight quickly damage the top
soil in cleared portions of the tropical rain forest.
3. Flooding: Trees helps regulate water flow from rivers to streams but because of
deforestation, water results to flooding down stream.
4. Climate change: Deforestation has caused the climate to become extreme and increase
CO2 concentration in the atmosphere leading to global warming.
5. Displacement of indigenous communities: Deforestation has caused some indigenous
local people’s means of life and survival to be threatened due to the loss of forests.
6. Soil erosion: Without trees, the soil is free to be washed by rain water or blown by wind.
7. Disruption of the water cycle i.e the role of trees in the water cycle is that they absorb

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rainfall and produce water vapour.
8. It results to increase greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

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D) Solutions
- Reforestation: It is the process of replanting trees to solve the problem of deforestation.

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- The increased use of other sources of fuel e.g the use of bottled gas, kerosene, electric
cookers, etc.

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- The creation of forest reserves to protect some valuable tree species.
- Afforestation schemes: This is the process of planting trees in areas where they have

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never existed.

Lesson 4: Man in the Tropical Zone.

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A) Location: It is located between latitude 50 and 150 North and South of the equator. This

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region lies in the interior of continents extending up to the sea in west in the tropical belt.

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It covers the following areas;
- West, Central and East Africa. In Cameroon, it covers the western highlands (North west

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and west region), the Adamawa plateau and the Northern lowlands.
- The Brazilian and Guyana Highlands and Orinoco Basin in South Brazil.

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- Parts of the Decan plateau in the Indian sub-continent
- Northern Australia.

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B) Characteristics of climate

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The climate is called the tropical continental climate.
- It has two seasons i.e the hot rainy season and the cool dry season.
- Temperatures are high throughout the year with the hottest month having 320C and the

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coldest month having 210C
- Annual temperature range is 110C

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- Annual rainfall is 850mm, occurring mainly in the form of convectional rainfall.
- The prevailing winds in the Northern Hemisphere are the North East Trade Winds also

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called Harmattan in Africa. In the Southern Hemisphere, the main winds are the South
East Trade Winds also called the Monsoon winds in Africa.

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C) Resources.
The climate of this area has favoured the growth of grass and not forest. This grassland

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vegetation has many names such as the Savanna in Africa, North Australia, Campos in
the Brazilian and Guyana highlands.
Grassland areas are homes for a variety of wild animals like lions, leopards, tigers, deer,
zebra, etc. They are a resource to man living in this zone as it serves as a source of protein
food and also a source of income as tourist visits animal reserves.
D) Method of exploitation.
1. Farming: Agriculture is one of the main activities of man I this region. Two types of
farming methods are used here;
a) Rotational bush fallowing: It involves the cultivation of crops such as cereals (maize,
millet, sorghum and rice) and leguminous plants (beans, groundnuts and melons). Other
crops planted are tobacco, cotton, tea, coffee, and sisal.

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 With this type of farming system, the farm is shared into plots and different crops are
planted while other plots are left uncultivated. After a period of about five years of
cultivation, the farm is allowed to fallow and the farmer moves to the uncultivated plots
and start over again.
b) Pastoral Nomadism: This is the act of moving with cattle from one place to another by
nomads in search of pasture and water for the cattle. As they wander with the cattle, the
matured ones are sold in urban markets.
E) Problems Faced.
1. The natural grasses lack nutritive value for successful rearing of animals.
2. The prolonged dry season (drought) limits the growing season of crops only to the short

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rainy season unless irrigation is practiced.
3. The long dry season also hinders pastoral nomadism since grasses wither and water

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courses often dry up.
4. Some areas suffer overgrazing exposing the soil to water and wind.

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5. Soils here are less fertile and often develop hardpan making them unsuitable for
agriculture.

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6. Pests like locust and tsetse flies attacks crops and animals thereby reducing agricultural
output.

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F) Proposed Solutions.


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Irrigation schemes are commonly used today to combat the problem of drought.
 Nomads avoid forest fringes or areas to prevent tsetse flies bites.
 Pesticides are used on crops to protect crops from locust attack

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 Soil fertility is improved using artificial fertilizers, natural manure from animal dungs and
leguminous plants.

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DIRECTED OR GUIDED WORK 1: MAIN FOOD CROPS OF CAMEROON.

Food crop cultivated in Cameroon provide the food stuffs needed to feed the population. The

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different bioclimatic zones of Cameroon support different goods while some support all food

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products though in different quantities.

A) Naming of major food crops of Cameroon.

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1. Tubers: They are cultivated in the equatorial zone of the country. Tubers include;
a) Cassava: It is intensively cultivated in the southern parts of Cameroon especially in the

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centre, littoral, south and south west regions.
b) Cocyam, yams and potatoes: They are intensively cultivated in the rich volcanic soils of
Bakossi, bakweri, and Foumbot. Irish potatoes are found in parts of the western highlands
(Bamileke lands, Santa, Bambili and the whole of the Bui division of the North west
region)
2. Cereals: They are dominant in the tropical grassland. They include;
a. Maize: It is found al over the country but widely spread on the western highlands. It is a
stable food for most tribes such as the Bali, Nso and Kom.
b. Millet: Millets are of two types i.e the fine or smaller grains and the coarse grains. The
coarse grains are called sorghum. It is absent in the southern parts of the country due to
the humid climate but it is dominant in the northern part.

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c. Rice: It is cultivated on alluvial valeys and depressions in Cameroon. These are are; the
Nanga-Eboko along the Logone river, the Lagdo areas, Ndop plains, Mbo plain,
Mentchum and Noun valley.
d. Groundnuts: It is cultivated all over the country in different quantities at subsistence
levels. It is widely cultivated in the North in greater quantities due to the favourable
climate and soil characteristics.
3. Other crops.
a. Plantains and bananas: It is cultivated mostly in the forest zones of Cameroon. They are
convenient food crop because once plan ted, it can be harvested for many years.
b. Wheat: It is not cultivated all over the country. It is cultivated only at Wassande near

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Ngaoundere by SODEBLE.
c. Beans: It is mostly cultivated in the western and northern parts of the country with small

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scale cultivation found in other regions.

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B) Methods of cultivation.
Farming begins in October with the clearing and burning of the farms. Crops like yams are
planted from January, followed by cocoyams, cassava and potatoes in the different regions in
March. Maximum period for crops to mature is 8 months. Harvesting begins from June.
However, this is different for other crops especially cereals like maize, rice, groundnuts, etc.
C) Importance of food crop cultivation in Cameroon.
- It supplies food for the fast growing population in Cameroon.
- It has provided income to the rural and some urban population of Cameroon.
- Cameroon is reputed at the international level with its yams cultivated, which leaves the
country to neighboring countries like Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

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GUIDED WORK 2: PRESERVATION (STORAGE) OF FOODSTUFF IN
CAMEROON.

spoiling or been wasted or lost.

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Food preservation refers to the different methods or techniques used to prevent food from

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A) Methods of preservation/conservation.
1. Traditional methods.

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a) Drying and smoking: This is the most common method used by most Cameroonians.
Drying is done to preserve fish and meat using the sun, especially in the coastal areas of

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campo and Maroua. Fish and meat are dried under the sun with lots of spices on them.
Fish is also dried through smoking.

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Plantains are preserved by drying under the sun. it is a common practice in the Kupe
Muanenguba and Meme Division of the South west region.

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Cassava is preserved by transforming it into a mash and then fried with heat into garri.

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Maize and beans is preserved by mixing both with ash from the fire places. The potash
acts like local insecticides.

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b) Salting: It stops the growth of bacteria. It is not widely practiced but however used.
2. Modern Method.

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a) Canning: It is mostly used by food processing industries in Cameroon located within the
Douala industrial zone. They canned foods like tomatoes, cooking oil, dairy products (e.g

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milk, cheese), chocolate with preservatives added to it.
b) Freezing: It is widely used in areas with electricity. It is used to preserve all kind of food

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stuffs like fish, meat for long periods of time.
c) Insecticides: Different kinds of insecticides are used in preserving cereals.

PRACTICAL WORK 3: Identification of Biological Resources in Cameroon.

A) Theoretical basis: Recall of notions of like

1. Resource: A resource can simply be defined as anything obtained or extracted from the
environment to meet the needs of a specie. It can also be defined as anything readily
available for use by man. There are two main categories of resources i.e natural e.g solar
energy, forest, etc and man-made resources e.g houses, roads, cloths, etc.
2. Biodiversity: Biological resources or biodiversity are the different types of life forms
found on earth. They are

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 a. Plants: The different plant species in Cameroon are found mainly in the equatorial zone
and are mostly the hard wood type. The different species are Ebony, Ayos or Obeche,
Azobo, Doussie, Camwood, Iroko, etc. other species which are not of the hard nature are
Cypress and Eucalyptus.
b. Animals: A wide variety of animals exists and lives in the equatorial forest and parts of
the tropical grasslands. They include; monkey, gorilla, chimpanzee, squirrels, antelope,
elephant, rhinoceros and hogs. Some of these plants and animals species are kept in
reserves for fear of extinction.
 Protected areas: These are reserves created for plants and animals. They are carved out
by the government to ensure the sustainability of biodiversity. These reserves are

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classified as follows.
i. National parks

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- Benue National park
- Bouba Njida National park

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- Boumba Bek National park
- Campo Ma’an National park

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- Faro National park
- Korup national park

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- Lobeke National park

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- Kalamaloue National park.
ii. Reserves

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- Dja Fauna reserves
- Douala-Edea wildlife reserve.
iii. Gardens (Artificial reserves for plants and wildlife).

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- Limbe Botanical gardens

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- The Mvog-Beti Zoological garden in Yaounde
- The Limbe zoo

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B) Pratical Exercise: Identification of natural resources from photographs. They are
important I that;

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 They serve as a source of income as tourist visit these sites.
 They help to generate employment opportunities like eco-guards.

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 Facilitate infrastructural development like tarring of roads linking these areas.
C) Contextualization with situation: Identification of protected species in our locality e.g the

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Bannerman Turaco in the Bambui Uplands extending to the Oku mounts. Their
importance are;
- Prevents them from extinction
- Create access for the future generation to know about their existence
- For touristic purposes.

PRACTICAL WORK 4: Measures of Soil Conservation in Cameroon.

A) Theoretical basis: Definition of terms like;

1. Soil: This is the thin upper layer of the earth surface on which plant grow.
2. Soil erosion: It is the removal of the top soil by agents of denudation such as running
water and wind.

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3. Soil conservation: This is the proper use of the soil so that its fertility is maintained for
long periods.

Measure/Methods of Soil Conservation.

1. Afforestation: This is the plating of trees where there were not or are not enough to
protect the soil from the different agents of erosion. Tree roots bind and hold soil particles
together and leaves intercepts rainfall and reduce the impact of rain on the soil. Trees also
acts as wind breaks reducing the speed and ability of winds to remove the top soil. This
method has been encouraged by the government of Cameron. E.g Operation Green Sahel
in the Far North, compulsory planting of trees by logging companies after lumbering.

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2. Fallowing: This involves allowing much used land to rest so that it regain it natural
fertility. This method is common in the forest regions of Cameroon where shifting

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cultivation and bush fallowing are practiced.
3. Cover cropping: This is the planting of cover crops in farms where the gestation period

S
(maturity) before crops can be harvested is long. It is commonly used in the rubber, palm,

S
tea and banana plantations in the south west region of Cameroon. Cover crops include;
leguminous plants, sweet potatoes and creepers planted in the topsoil to protect crops

E
from the full force of the heavy tropical down pours (rainfall).
4. Controlled grazing: This is aimed at limiting the number of cattle to be fed in a

L
particular area. This prevents the soil from been stripped off it vegetal cover completely.
This is mostly practiced in the Nkambe, Jakiri and northern regions where the number of

B
cattle in ranches is to meet up with the carrying capacity of the ranch. These cows are
moved to new fenced areas so as to allow the already pasture ones to be regenerated.
5. Terracing: This involves the cutting of hill slopes into a step-like manner surfaces so as

' S
to create sufficient level ground for cultivation. The outer walls retain water and slow
down the speed of water downslope. It is commonly used in Mandara highlands in north
Cameron.

Y
6. Crop rotation: This involves the growing of different crops over the years in the same

D
field so that one crop type benefits from the nutrients released by another crop. This
method allows wide range of crops to be grown without depleting the soil. This method is

D
used consciously and unconsciously by many farmers.
B) Practical Exercise: Enquiring on soil conservation.
 Identifying from pictures; terraces, ridges and furrows, wind breaks.

A
 Sketching the shaped of these measures.
C) Contextualization with life situation: Describing measures of soil conservation in our
locality.
NB: The most common methods of soil conservation in the western highlands is crop
rotation, controlled grazing.

FURTHER STUDY 2: FIREWOOD CRISIS

Rural communities in Cameroon exploit the forest for a livelihood especially plants for
medicine and firewood for cooking. Firewood usage in Cameroon has become a problem
today due to its insufficiency in most parts of the country.

17
A) Causes of firewood crisis.
1. Population increase: As the population is increasing, there is shortage of fuel wood for
all
2. The creation of forest reserves: This has reduced the area cover for firewood
exploitation.
3. Over reliance on firewood as a source of cooking fuel: A majority of Cameroon’s
population rely on the use of fuel wood in cooking and baking.
4. The pressure to create new settlements has led to the expansion of houses into the suburbs
where firewood gathering was done.

D
B) Manifestations
- The burning up of saw dust for fuel

E
- A reduction in the number of firewood sales point
- The increased use of electricity poles and old furniture

S
- Continue transfer of people engaged in firewood business to other businesses.
C) Consequences.

S
- A reduction in source of income
- Shortage of fuel supple

E
- Forceful entering into protected areas.

L
D) Solutions
- The use of bottled gas
- The use of saw dust

B
- Use of solar energy
- Energy from incinerators

S
- Use of bio gas

'
- Burning of animal dung
- Use of wind power.

D Y
Lesson 5: Man in the Hot Desert Millieu or Region or Zone.

A) Location: Hot deserts also called tropical deserts are located between latitude 150 and 300

D
North and South of the equator. These deserts include;
- The Sahara desert, Kalahari desert and Namib desert in Africa.
- The Arabian and the Thar desert in central south Asia

A
- The Atacama or Peruvian desert in South America
- The California and Mexican deserts in North America
- The Great Australian desert in Australia.

18
 E D
S S
B)
1.
-
Characteristics
Climatic characteristics
Skies are cloudless

L E
B
- High diurnal (daily) temperature ranges
- High annual temperature range of over 90C
- Very high sunshine intensity

' S
- Low annual rainfall amount usually less than 250mm
- Strong winds blow over the deserts due to absence of vegetation

Y
- Very high temperatures often above 500C during the day and very low night temperatures
often near 00C.

D
2. Vegetation characteristics
- The vegetation here is very scanty

D
- The vegetation is made up of scattered grass and low shrubs (cacti and thorn bushes) and
coarse grass that are capable of surviving long dry periods.

A
3. Other characteristics.
- There are three types of hot desert surfaces i.e sandy, rocky, and stony.
- The surfaces are very dry with very few or no streams and very low rainfall amounts
- Water is very scarce
- Water is mostly found only in an Oasis. An oasis is an area in the desert where water
appears on the surface. It usually have fertile soils, high population concentration, much
grass growing and agricultural practice.
C) Resources: The resources of this area include its land used for agriculture, vegetation
used to rear animals, natural resources, etc.
- Arable farming: This is a traditional method of resource exploitation and it involves the
cultivation of crop such as dates, cotton, wheat, barley, maize, etc. This farming method
is practiced with the help of irrigation.

19
- Pastoral Nomadism: Animals mostly reared here are camels, sheep and goats. The
number of animals kept is not many because there is scanty grass thereby giving poor
pastures. The camel also called the ship of the desert is used for the transportation of
people and goods over long distances. Donkeys are also used to transport people and
goods.
- Mining: This is an important activity in deserts such as the Sahara, Arabian, that have
minerals. The main mineral resources are iron ore, manganese, cobalt, and zinc. The most
important of them all is petroleum also called liquid gold.
D) Problems faced in Hot Desert areas.
o High shortage of water due to little rainfall which does not encourage agriculture

D
o The soils are too dry to support plant growth.
o The hot climate and its dry conditions does not encourage large human settlement

E
o The movement of large amount of sand by strong winds often buries roads, farmlands and
even oasis.

S
E) Solutions.
- Trees have been planted to serve as wind breaks. This was the main reason for Operation

S
Green Sahel in Northern Cameroon.
- Dams have been constructed to provide water for irrigation and Hydro-electricity.

E
Example the Aswan Dam on River Nile in Egypt.

L
- Areas with mineral resources have used these minerals to develop human settlements. For
example Gold at Kalgoorlie in the Australian.

B
FURTHER STUDY 3: Products Gathered From the Wild (Nature) in Cameroon.

Products from the wild are products found in the natural environment which man has done or

' S
contributed nothing to its existence.

A) Identification of main products.

Y
Local or Common Name NTFPs Scientific Name
Bitter kola Garcinia cola

D
Bush mango Irvingia gabonensis
Bush pepper Piper quinensis

D
Chewing stick Garcinia mannii
Eru Gnetum Africana
Kola nuts Cola nitidia

A
Monkey kola Cola lepidota
Njansang Ricinodendron heudeloti
Pygeum Prunus africanus
Rattan cane Lacosperma spp
Snail Helix aspersa
Fuel wood Acacia seyal delile
Alligator pepper Aframomum spp
Bush plum Dacroyde edulis
Ngongo Marantaceae
Bush onion Afrostirax kamerunensis
Cashew nuts Anacardium Occidentale

20
Classification of non-timber forest products.

1. Wild vegetables: The main wild vegetable collected and used by the local people is eru.
Eru is an evergreen, leafy plant that grows in and around the forested part of the country
in forest openings, secondary forest, fallow farm lands or in active mixed crop farm
holdings.
2. Spices: The wild in Cameroon is served with lots of spices. These spices include bush
mango, bush pepper and njansang.
3. Other products: They include; snails, litter kola, harvested tree backs, etc.
4. Animals: Different animals are hunted and used as a source of protein
5. Fuel wood: Also called firewood, is one of the key non-timber forest products collected

D
by the population living in forested areas and at least all trees are collected and used as
fuel wood.

Methods of collection

S E
S
The collection of these products is in an unorganized manner. Different products are collected
in different times of the year as they mature. For example bitter kola is collected from the

E
month of July to September.

L
The Socio-cultural and Economic importance of these products.

B
- Some of these products serve as traditional medicine for many illnesses for example bitter
kola
- Fuel wood is serving as one of the major sources of energy consumption in the country.

S
- They serve as a source of income to the local population who are engaged in the gathering

'
process.
- They serve as items of trade such as njansang, bush mango, bush meat and tree barks.

Y
- The collection and harvesting of these products help to provide additional employment
opportunities to many citizens.

D
- They serve as export goods for the country
- Many of these products serve as favourite traditional spices in many African dishes in

D
Cameroon.
- Some of these products are of high cultural value.

A
Lesson 6: Man in the Mediterranean Zone.

A) Location: They are located between latitude 300 to 450 North and South of the equator..
they are found in the western side of continents and include the following;
- The coastlands of the Mediterranean sea
- Central California, USA
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Central Chile, South America
- South West Australia (New South Wales)

21
 E D
S S
E
B) Climatic characteristics.
- The climate here is known as the Mediterranean climate

L
- It has hot dry and sunny summer seasons and mild rainy winter season
- Temperatures in summer are high about 210C and low in winter about 100C.

B
- Has moderate rainfall amount of between 400mm to 900mm per year.
- The rainfall type is mainly cyclonic or depression rainfall. It is not heavy but fall for long
hours.

' S
- Off shore trade winds blow in the summer season while on-shore westerly winds blow in
the winter season.

Y
C) Resources: The resources in this zone include the soil, vegetation, different animal
species, streams and rivers.

D
D) Traditional method of resource exploitation.
1. Agriculture: This is the main method of resource exploitation. It is done through;

D
a. Arable farming: This region is famous for the growing of citrus fruits such as oranges,
lemons, limes, citrons and grapes. The cultivation of these fruits is called Viticulture. This
farming method is carried out during the dry season with the help of irrigation.

A
Food crops cultivated here are wheat (major food crop), barley, rice, vegetables especially
beans, flowers and Olives from which cooking oil is obtained is also planted.
b. Pastoral nomadism: The main animals reared in the Mediterranean regions are sheep
and goats. These animals are grazed mainly in mountain areas. During winter, animals are
driven down the valleys and in the summer they are moved tp the mountain. This seasonal
up and down movement of animals is called transhumance. Some animals are used to
assist farming. This is called animal traction.
E) Problems faced in Mediterranean areas.
- Farmland is lost to urban expansion due to population increase.
- Fast expansion of deserts affecting farmlands and causing food insecurity
- Overgrazing is common as most lands for grazing cannot be regenerated.

22
- Poor soil husbandry results in salinization of farmland and a reduction in soil fertility.
- Drought and or water shortage in most southern Mediterranean countries of Egypt,
Cyprus, Tunisia, Israel and Libya.
 Irrigation schemes have been constructed to help increase water supply and boost food
production.

FURTHER STUDY 4: Traditional Fishing in Cameroon.

Traditional fishing is the act of catching fish using local equipment by the local population.
Traditional or artisanal fishing zones in Cameroon are;

D
- The creeks of Idenau and Bakassi
- The mangrove swamps of Ndian and Douala

E
- The rivers draining into the sea
- On the reservoirs, lakes in the interior of the country.

S S
L E
B
' S
D Y
D
A
23
B) Method of fishing
Small fishing wind driven boats and dugout canoes moved by either hand paddle or an
engine attached to them are used. These boats have fishing nets and the fishermen stay at
sea for a short time and return to sell daily catch to the customers or buyam sellam.
Some local people living along rivers draining into the sea sometimes use explosives such
as dynamites to stun the fish. They also use poison-gamaline and poisonous plants to kill
fish.
C) Methods of conservation
Smoking is the commonly used method of conservation as over 70% of the fish caught is
smoked dry to ensure that the fish is preserved for some time. However, refrigeration

D
method is coming in as a new method to conserve fresh fish. This method is not yet very
popular.

E
D) Problems faced
- Lack of capital to buy refrigeration facilities

S
- The use of poisonous substances in catching fish, deplete the fish resource
- The local fishermen always have conflict with industrial fleet carrying out fishing in the

S
coastal waters.

E
DIRECTED OR GUIDED WORK 3: WATER PROBLEMS (CRISIS) IN OUR
REGION

B L
Water problem is the inability to have water in the right quantity and quality for human
activities or usage. It means the same thing as water scarcity or water shortage.

A) Sources of water

S
The main water sources in our locality or available to us include;

'
- Rivers
- Rain

Y
- Streams
- Seas

D
- Oceans.
B) Uses of water.

D
Water is a universal liquid which has so many uses. They include;
- For cooking purposes

A
- Drinking
- Other household uses
- For industrial works and
- For the generation of hydro-electricity.
C) Water management
Water problem can be managed through the construction of reservoirs to increase quantity
and improvement in sanitary and waste disposal measure so as to increase the quantity of
water. Trees can also be planted around catchments and reservoirs to help increase the
amount of water.
D) Problems of quantity and quality

24
- Less agricultural output has compel people to head towards urban areas for jobs, which
has increase the unemployment rate in towns.
- People usually travel over long distances to fetch drinking water especially during the dry
season.
- Animal rearing and crop farming has reduced due to water shortage.

MODULE 2: SPACE OCCUPATION

TOPIC: SPACE OCCUPATION

Lesson 7: Country-sides in Africa

D
The country side is an area in a relatively underdeveloped state, still having much of its
natural beauty in place. The country side is also known as the rural landscape i.e the physical

E
and man-made feature found in a rural area or the country-side.

S
A) Agricultural Landscape

S
This is an extensive area used for the cultivation of crops and the rearing of animals. In the
past, rural areas were mainly agricultural landscapes but today, other features have developed

E
in rural areas.

L
Changes in the rural landscape
- Today, we have many craft work centres in rural areas

B
- There is increasing trade in non-agricultural products
- There are transformation industries in rural areas
- There are also financial institutions such as credit unions in rural areas.

' S
- There are common initiative groups (CIGs) in rural areas of Cameron.
B) Rural settlement.

Y
These are settlements where most of the people are involved in primary activities such as
fishing, farming, hunting, forest exploitation and mining.

D D
Types of rural settlements.
1. An Isolated dwelling: This is a single house on a landscape
2. Hamlets: A group of huts not more than 20 of them

A
3. Village: A group of houses with at least 500 people.

Characteristics of rural settlements.

a) Form: The form of a rural settlement refers to the layout or shape of the settlement on the
landscape. It also refers to the arrangement of the buildings and routes on the landscape.
Examples are; open space, loose-knit, double, linear and cross-road village or cruciform.
b) Pattern: This is the arrangement of settlements in a particular area. There are two main
types and include;
- Nucleated settlement pattern: This is a settlement where houses are close to each other.
This pattern develops in areas of difficult relief, scarcity of resources as water, and fertile
soils where population densities are very high and great insecurity.

25
- Dispersed settlement pattern: This is a settlement which house are scattered over a
cultivable land. It develops in areas with low population densities, abundant land for
farming, great security and peace and water available everywhere.
c) Building materials: They include sun dried bricks, mud, ropes, bamboos, sticks, stones,
grass and thatches.
d) Housing style of settlements.
C) Attractive and Repulsive Aspects of Rural Areas.
i. Attractive Aspects.
1. Low rate of pollution: There is low rate of water, land and air pollution in rural areas.
2. Calm and fresh environment: Some rural areas are very calm and fresh, making them

D
comfortable for rest. This is why many people return to villages after retirement.
3. Low level of congestion: This is because there is low population density with few

E
vehicles in rural areas.
4. Low risk of road accidents: This is because there are few vehicles in rural areas.

S
5. Available land for agriculture: The low population density in rural areas gives an
opportunity for more land for agriculture.

S
6. Cultural festivals: There are many cultural festivals with spectacular dances in rural
areas. For example the Lela in Bali, the Wagan in Bamoun, the Asamba in M’mockmbie.

E
During these dance, people enjoy by eating variety of dishes and drinking.

L
ii. Repulsive Aspects
1. Poor or absence of communication networks: Internet, radio, television and telephone
networks are poor or absent in some villages and as a result, people are forced to move to

B
towns.
2. Inadequate social facilities: There are few social facilities such as hospitals, schools,

S
hotels, night clubs, etc in rural areas.

'
3. Inter-tribal conflicts: There are inter-tribal conflicts in rural areas. For example, in April
2008, a land dispute occurred between the Olidi and Yive tribes in the South west region

Y
of Cameroon. Two persons died and about 8000 people were displaced.
4. Natural disasters: Landslides have forced people to move to towns. For example in

D
2003, landslides occurred in Magha, Bamumbu in the South west region of Cameroon,
leaving 26 persons dead and more than 40 homeless. The effects of natural disasters are

D
higher in rural areas because people live very close to nature and they try to adapt to the
catastrophe rather than monitor them.

A
PRACTICAL WORK 5: Patterns and Forms of Rural Settlements on maps and
pictures

A) Theoretical basis: Recall on the definition of forms and patterns of rural settlements.
B) Practical Exercise: Sketch the forms i.e linear, double, open-space, etc and the patterns
i.e clustered, dispersed.
i. Forms

26
 D
ii. Patterns

S E
E S
B L
C) Contextualization with Situation: Bamesso is a village in the Bamboutos Division of
the West region of Cameroon. Bamesso has a nucleated or compact rural settlement
pattern as houses are concentrated around the market, church. Looking at the form of the

S
settlement, it has an open-space settlement form as its buildings are concentrated around

'
the market, church, etc.

Y
Lesson 8: Towns in Africa

D
A town is a densely populated area larger than a village and smaller than a city. In Cameroon,
a town is larger than a village with a population of not less than 2000 persons. Urban

D
settlements are classified according to their population size as follows

Urban Regions Population Size Status

A
Small Town 2001 – 10,000 Urban centre
Large Town 10,001 – 100,000 Urban centre
City 100,001 – 1000,000 Urban centre
Conurbation 1000,001 – 10,000,000 Millionaire cities
Megalopolis Above 10,000,000 Millionaire cities

A) Urban Landscape.
These are the physical and man-made features found in an urban area. Urban landscapes
are different from rural landscapes because they are dominated by;
- Industries
- Commercial banks

27
- Universities
- Tall buildings (sky crappers)
- Money lending institutions (credit unions)
B) Informal Activities.

This involves all activities that are not registered with the government. The development of
these activities in the urban landscape of Africa is due to the rapid growth of the urban
population growing faster than the available paid job opportunities and social amenities. This
situation is described as Pirate urbanization.

C) Problems of African cities.

D
1. High traffic congestion: This is because of reckless movement of people, vehicles and
motorcycles.

E
2. Housing problem: The cost of building or renting a house is high in towns. As a result,
people congest in single room houses.

S
3. High rate of pollution: Land, air and water are highly polluted. Household garbage,

S
industrial waste and faeces from toilets are discharged into streets, water channels, lakes
and streams. There are equally plastic bottles and heaps of waste.

E
4. Problem of water: The quantity and quality of water supplied in African cities as water
usually has taste, odor, and colour.

L
5. Anarchical construction: Houses in African cities are constructed in disorder, leading to
the development of;

B
- Slums: These are overcrowded areas of a city in which housing is typically bad
conditions.
- Shanty town: It is a settlement made of houses without foundations i.e the houses here

' S
are built with boards, and sheets of material picked around. According to UNO, more
than 70% of the urban population (about 60 million people) in Africa live in shanty
towns.

Y
- Ghettos: Areas of a city inhabited by minorities.

D
6. Flood: Many people living in slums, shanty quarters and ghettos in African cities suffer
from constant floods.

D
PRACTICAL WORK 6: Urban Landscapes in Africa.

A) Theoretical basis: Recall definition of town, shanty town, plan, site

A
B) Practical Exercise: Identify from a map and locate main megalopolis of Africa. Sketch
different plans or morphology.

28
 D
C) Contextualization with situation: Depends on the area where your school is located.

E
URTHER STUDY 5: Informal Sector Activities.
A) Definition: This involves all the activities that are not registered with the government.

S
The urban population in Africa has witnessed a rapid growth over the years and this has

S
led to the development of informal activities.
B) Types of informal sector activities.

E
- Shoe shinning
- Selling bottled water along busy streets

L
- Night watching by night watch
- Slop keeping by shop keepers

B
- Gardening by gardeners
- Car washing
- Meat roasting (soya)

S
- Motorbike transportation

'
- Barbing shops.
C) General characteristics

Y
- There is little or no job security
- People do not pay taxes to the government

D
- People work at odd hours example at late night

D
- People earn no salaries
- There is no health insurance.

A
Importance of the informal sector.

- It’s a main source of employment to many Cameroonians. For example, the informal
sector employed about 70% Cameroonians in 2003.
- It is a source of income to many Cameroonians
- It leads to the development of personal skills.
D) Limitations of the informal sector in Cameroon.
 The informal sector in Cameroon results from increased poverty.
 People earn very low income from informal activities
 It results in high crime waves such as theft, killing and prostitution.

29
PRACTICAL WORK 7: Location of Regional Headquarters of Cameroon and Divional
Headquarters of our region.

A) Theoretical basis: Naming of regional and Divisional headquarters.

i. Regional headquarters.
Region Headquarter
1. Adamawa Ngaoundere
2. Centre Yaounde
3. East Bertoua
4. Far North Maroua
5. Littoral Douala

D
6. North Garoua
7. North West Bamenda

E
8. South West Buea
9. South Ebolowa

S
10. West Bafoussam

ii. Divisional Headquarters of the West region.

Division

E S
Headquarter

L
1. Mifi Bafoussam
2. Bamboutos Mbouda

B
3. Noun Foumban
4. Haut plateau Baham
5. Haut Nkam Bafang

' S
6. Menoua Dschang
7. Koung-Khi Bandjoun
8. Nde Bagangte

D Y
B) Practical Exercise and Contextualization with situation: Locating them (regional and
divisional headquarters) on a base map.

D
FURTHER STUDY 6: Measures of Management of Urban Problems in Cameroon.

A
A) Types of urban problems.
- Floods
- Pollution
- Congestion
- Housing problem
- Water shortage
- High crime wave
- High rates of accidents
B) Consequences
- Floods leads to loss of lives and destruction of valuable properties

30
- Pollution in all it forms be it water, air, or land lead to health complications like
respiratory diseases, cholera and typhoid
- Congestion leads to delay in journeys
- Housing problem which come from overcrowding leads to the spread of communicable
diseases like tuberculosis
- Reckless driving along main roads in towns has increase the rate of road accidents
C) Solutions.
 Enlargement of water channel: Houses along water channels in Nkolbisson were
destroyed to increase the water channel.
 Widening of water pipes: The water pipes at Nkolbisson were widened to enable easy

D
flow of water.
 Restructuring of the Mefou dam: The dam built on the River Mefou which contributed to

E
the flood was restructured.
 Cleaning of water bed and outlet: Materials on the water bed and outlet of the Mefou river

S
were removed.


S
It led to the publication of meteorological observations and risks in Cameroon
 Rehabilitation of families: Displaced families were rehabilitated at Tsinga in Yaounde.


E
Supply of portable water: Pipes were constructed to supply water to victims
 Material and financial support: Supports were given to school children affected by the

L
flood.
D) Regulations in force for the management of urban problems in Cameroon.

B
Regulation on building of houses.
 Law No 2004/003, 21st April 2004 on urbanization in Cameroon. This law states that:
o We should not build houses where there are natural risks such as floods, landslides,

' S
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions ,etc.
o Before you build a house, you must have a building permit.

Y
o When building our houses we should; provide roads for fire fighters brigade to intervene
during fire disaster, provide roads for vehicles to carry away our domestic waste,

D
construct water channels to take away too much water during rains (drainage).
Regulation on disposal of domestic waste.

D
 Law No 422 of October 1937
o According to Article 8, you should water and sweep your doors, gardens, shops and
roadsides according to time table fixed by the local authority.

A
o According to Article 9, you are not allowed to drop domestic waste on roads, places
owned by people or in risk areas.
o According to Article 10, you are not allowed to pour sewage on roads and water channels.
o According to Article 11, domestic waste has to be deposited in trash cans along roads
daily.
 Decree No 2008/377 of 12th November 2008 and No 2008/378 of 8th December 2008.
o They state that everybody should be involved in the management of urban problems in
Cameroon.
o The management of urban problems in Cameroon is controlled by urban councils.

31
Lesson 9: Relationship Between Towns and Country-sides.

There is a strong relationship between towns and country sides. This relationship is in the
form of flows. A flow is the movement of people, goods and services from one place to
another. These flows can be seen on the map below.

E D
S S
L E
B
' S
D Y
D
A) Economic Relationship

A
 Agricultural relationship: The rural areas supply a town with essential food stuffs such as
vegetables, dairy products and especially with fruits. In return the town acts as a
collecting and marketing center for agricultural commodities.
 Industrial relationship: Urban factories may process the raw materials obtained from the
surrounding area in centres as lumber mills, textile, manufacturing, steelworks, canning
industries, etc. the rural areas in return may use the products supplied by the towns.
 Trade relationship: The rural areas provide a certain proportion of the retail and
customers of a town’s shop. In return, the town supplies specialized services like
professional and health facilities and manufactured goods of all sorts.
 Country sides provide space for the investment of capital from towns. For example, today
we have Credit unions and commercial banks in some country sides.

32
B) Population relationship
 Commuting relationship: People travel into a town to work perhaps from dormitory towns
some distance away from villages. In return, some town dwellers might travel out from
the urban centre to work in small scale agricultural based industries in the surrounding
villages.
 Urban population comes from country side through rural-urban migration.
 Rural population is also increased through urban-rural migration.
 In country side, we have urban-returnees. These are people who return to country side
because of unemployment and high cost of living in town.
C) Cultural relationship.

D
 There are many architectural designs in town originating from rural areas.
 In towns we have various traditional dances coming from country sides through rural-

E
urban migration
 The different traditional dishes in towns come from country sides.

S
D) Social relationship
 People travel into a town from the surrounding region to enjoy the entertainment,

S
recreational or cultural facilities (theatres and museums) offered. Many town dwellers in
the opposite direction travel to the rural area or to the coast for picnics, recreation or

E
sightseeing.

L
E) Information (Communication) relationship
 Towns supply country sides with daily Newspapers such as Cameroon Tribune, The
Herald, The Post, etc. These newspapers help to keep people in country sides informed.

B
 Towns also provide country sides with magazines which also keep them informed.
 Rural areas publish almanacs. An almanac is an annually published book of information.

S
This book informs people in towns on the activities of a particular village.

Y '
FURTHER STUDY 7: External Provision of Fresh Food Supplies to Towns.

Though towns in Cameroon grow some fresh foods, these food supplies are not enough. As a

D
result, there is external provision of towns in Cameroon with fresh foods. This comes in
mainly from the surrounding rural areas and at times from country-sides located at great

D
distances from the consuming urban centres. This can be seen on the map below.

A
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 E D
S S
L E
B
A)
-
Actors involved
Buyam-sellam

' S
Y
- Wholesalers.
B) Problems faced by food provision.

D
1. Poor roads: The road network connecting these country-sides and towns is poor. This
slows the transportation of fresh foods to big towns in Cameroon. Some of these fresh

D
foods get rotten on arriving towns in Cameroon.
2. Check points: There are many check points between these country-sides and towns in

A
Cameroon. The many check points slow down the flow of these fresh foods in Cameroon.
3. Climate variability: This means changes in weather conditions. It leads to low crop
yields in the farms of countries supplying Cameroon. This has reduced the quantity of
fresh food supplies to big towns in Cameroon.
C) Attempted solutions
- The seasonal roads are being maintained
- Trade between Cameroon and these countries is encouraged through free trade
agreements.
- Traders are encouraged through loans from banks and credit unions with low interest
rates.

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FURTHER STUDY 8: Rural Exodus in Cameroon.

A) Definition: It is the mass movement of people especially youths from rural to urban areas
for various reasons.
B) Causes
i. Push factors.
1. Inter-tribal conflicts: The Bali-Bawock and Mbessa-Oku conflicts in the North west
region resulted in rural exodus.
2. Natural disasters: In 2003, a landslide occurred in Magha, Bamumbu in south west
region Cameroon. 26 people lost their lives and more than 40 people were forced to leave
the village to neighbouring villages and towns.

D
3. Land tenure system: This is when farmland is divided amongst many people in a family.
In this situation, people who are willing to work but have little or no land are forced to

E
move to towns. This is observed in the western highlands of Cameroon.

S
4. High population density: High population density in the western region of Cameroon
has forced people to move to towns.

S
ii. Pull factors
These are the perceived attractions of the towns that cause rural dwellers to move into the

E
towns.
5. People leave villages to towns because they hope to be employed in towns.

L
6. People hope to pursue higher education in towns
7. People also move to towns because they hope to enjoy social facilities such as night

B
clubs, cinemas, electricity, stadiums found in towns.
8. People leave rural areas to enjoy the beauty of towns.

S
C) Consequences

'
a. On rural areas
- It leads to depopulation in rural areas.

Y
- Rural areas become dominated by children and old people.
- It leads to shortage in labour force for agriculture in rural areas.

D
- It can result in closure of newly created schools.
b. On urban areas.

D
- It results in high population densities in towns.
- This leads to shortage of houses and high rents in towns

A
- This result in increased crime wave in towns. We have theft, prostitution, killing, drug
selling, etc.
- Rural-exodus increases pollution in towns
- Overcrowding over social facilities such as pipe borne water, hospitals, schools, etc.
How to make our country-sides more attractive.
- Let promote agriculture in rural areas by providing farm tools, fertilizers and loans to
farmers.
- We should open industries in rural areas to provide employment for the rural population.
- We have to reduce inter-tribal conflicts by settling land disputes between villages.
- By providing social facilities such as schools, electricity, hospitals and pipe borne water
in rural areas.

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PRACTICAL WORK 7: Visit a quarter or village where the school is located.

 Make an inventory of the type of infrastructures found and the activities carried out in
their quarter.
 Observe and list some problems of their quarter
 Participate in Human Investment exercises (clean-up exercises) in their school and
quarter.

E D
S S
L E
B
' S
D Y
D
A
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