340:
146:
290:
20:
406:
and stand about 40 m tall. Below these stand thinner, shorter trees with large concentrations of leaves at their tops. The bottom layer is made up of undergrowth of saplings and grasses, although this layer is thin when the larger trees grow close together and block the sunlight. Tree species include
125:
The South
Cameroon Plateau lies between 2 and 6° N and 10 and 16° E. It covers about 225,100 km², more than half of Cameroon's total area. The plateau is characterised by sloping terrain and gently rolling hills. The altitude varies from 250 to 800 m and averages 600 or 650 m. The
269:, the result of decomposing crystalline and sedimentary stone. The soil colour varies from red or reddish brown in the interior to yellow along the coast, where greater humidity causes a colour change. The soil is made up of decomposing crystalline rocks (granite, gneiss, schists, and
318:
Rainfall averages 1,500–2,000 mm per year, and precipitation is common even during the dry seasons. However, rainfall is higher near the coast and in the south and diminishes toward the northeast. The coastal city Kribi, for example, receives 2,970 mm of rain each year,
431:. This primary rainforest exists in the plateau's south and east. Where human activities have affected the forest, for farming, timber, pasture, and urban growth, secondary growth has taken over as the forest has recovered. This is evident around Yaoundé.
315:. The long dry season is from December to March (or slightly longer in the northern reaches of the plateau), the short rainy season from March to June, the short dry season in August, and the long rainy season from September to December.
330:
The temperature remains fairly steady year round, averaging 25°C. This fluctuates slightly with the seasons. The long, rainy season is the coldest time of year, and the long dry season is the warmest. Humidity is high year round.
389:
zones. This means that upstream, they follow a tropical regime, with high water during the long rainy season and low water during the long dry season. However, further south, they receive constant rainfall and flow steadily.
155:
To the southwest, large inselbergs and tall hills separated by deep gullies predominate. The plateau gives way to the
Cameroon coastal plain in escarpments. This topography has resulted in the creation of the
109:, those rivers flow steadily year-round, but the Sanaga and rivers north have a complex regime characterised by high- and low-water periods upstream and constant flow downstream. The predominant vegetation is
82:, with colouration ranging from red or brown in the interior to yellow on the coast. The soils are subjected to silica leeching, so they are not productive without fertiliser.
438:
to the north. This consists of vast grasslands punctuated by trees. The savanna has increased as human activities have cut back the forest through activities such as burning.
441:
The plateau's rainforests house large numbers of animal species. These include birds, monkeys, and snakes. Others are elephants, chimpanzees, and many rodents.
363:
273:), or sedimentary rocks in the coastal area. Soils are deep, averaging 10 m., although they are thinner in the north, where rainy seasons are shorter.
161:
157:
149:
258:, mica, migmatite, and schists occur. The plateau's western portions are made up primarily of gneiss. These rocks are millions of years old.
173:
165:
735:
297:
270:
134:
lies to the plateau's north. From an altitude between 800 and 900 m. there, the plateau slowly slopes south and west from the region of
135:
366:; that is, they reach a high water point during the rainy seasons and a low point during the dry seasons. There, rivers such as the
381:
The Sanaga and rivers north of it follow a complex, or mixed, Sudano-Guinea regime because the territory they drain lies in both
350:
Numerous rivers run through the South
Cameroon Plateau, particularly in the southeast. These bodies of water drain into both the
720:
774:
62:
basin in the southeast. The plateau is characterised by hills and valleys in the southwest and a more gentle
378:
have carved out valleys. The rivers flow slowly and experience seasonal flooding during the rainy season.
164:
meets the sea in a series of rapids. Some of the plateau's highest points are in this region, such as
58:. It slopes south and west until giving way to the Cameroon coastal plain in the southwest and the
24:
97:. Rainfall is high, especially along the coast. The average temperature changes little from 25°C.
191:. The hills of the eastern portion are gentler than those of the west. These hills are known as
398:
Dense vegetation covers the plateau, especially in the south. This includes vast tracts of
127:
281:
by percolating water prevents the soils from being very productive without fertilisation.
8:
386:
304:
277:
deposits in the soil are quite hard and are used to make bricks. Constant leaching of
716:
355:
234:
make up the South
Cameroon Plateau's basement. Deposits of these rocks appear along
130:
lies northwest of the plateau and separates it from the interior
African plain. The
420:
382:
215:
71:
278:
131:
51:
39:
711:
Gwanfogbe, Mathew, Ambrose
Meligui, Jean Moukam, and Jeanette Nguoghia (1983).
351:
235:
102:
768:
750:
737:
408:
403:
55:
19:
402:, which grows in three or four strata. The tallest trees are straight with
375:
371:
359:
324:
204:
106:
262:
184:
75:
59:
339:
307:
of the Guinea subtype. The area experiences four seasons each year: two
412:
399:
312:
308:
251:
113:, especially to the plateau's south. To the north, forests give way to
110:
94:
90:
293:
169:
367:
344:
320:
247:
243:
239:
227:
188:
63:
289:
200:
145:
424:
266:
139:
79:
47:
435:
274:
255:
196:
177:
114:
428:
231:
219:
86:
67:
416:
98:
223:
533:
531:
528:
473:Gwanfogbe et al. 9 says 600 m; Neba 16 says 650 m.
766:
596:
594:
584:
582:
572:
570:
568:
566:
564:
554:
552:
727:Modern Geography of the Republic of Cameroon,
460:
458:
456:
454:
591:
579:
561:
549:
74:make up the plain's basement. The soils are
658:
656:
619:
617:
615:
451:
303:The South Cameroon Plateau experiences an
46:) is the dominant geographical feature of
494:
492:
490:
488:
323:in the southeast gets 1,502 mm, and
203:. The lowest point of the plateau is the
338:
288:
183:To the southeast, the transition to the
144:
105:and the Congo River basin. South of the
18:
653:
612:
767:
485:
434:Forest gradually gives way to Guinean
261:The plateau's soils are predominantly
195:and can easily be seen in the area of
238:south of Yaoundé, where schists and
70:occur, especially in the southwest.
85:The plateau experiences four major
13:
393:
14:
786:
729:3rd ed. Bamenda: Neba Publishers.
250:and schists occur; and along the
715:Hong Kong: Macmillan Education.
187:takes place on a gently sloping
50:. The plateau lies south of the
692:
683:
674:
665:
644:
635:
626:
603:
540:
519:
510:
501:
476:
467:
23:Guinean savanna in Cameroon's
1:
705:
680:Gwanfogbe et al. 18; Neba 33.
537:Gwanfogbe et al. 19; Neba 37.
120:
101:in the region drain into the
507:Gwanfogbe et al. 9; Neba 16.
7:
334:
66:in the southwest. Isolated
10:
791:
358:. The rivers south of the
284:
210:
207:valley in the southeast.
36:Southern Cameroon Plateau
444:
44:Plateau Sud-Camerounais
713:Geography of Cameroon.
650:Gwanfogbe et al. 25–6.
347:
300:
160:near Kribi, where the
152:
43:
32:South Cameroon Plateau
27:
342:
292:
148:
54:and southeast of the
22:
775:Plateaus of Cameroon
725:Neba, Aaron (1999).
671:Gwanfogbe et al. 18.
641:Gwanfogbe et al. 25.
632:Gwanfogbe et al. 23.
600:Gwanfogbe et al. 14.
588:Gwanfogbe et al. 17.
576:Gwanfogbe et al. 16.
558:Gwanfogbe et al. 19.
516:Gwanfogbe et al. 12.
327:gets 1,638 mm.
242:are found; near the
128:Western High Plateau
747: /
482:Gwanfogbe et al. 7.
464:Gwanfogbe et al. 9.
751:5.0000°N 12.0000°E
387:equatorial climate
348:
305:equatorial climate
301:
153:
28:
16:Region of Cameroon
364:equatorial regime
356:Congo River basin
216:Metamorphic rocks
72:Metamorphic rocks
782:
762:
761:
759:
758:
757:
752:
748:
745:
744:
743:
740:
699:
696:
690:
687:
681:
678:
672:
669:
663:
660:
651:
648:
642:
639:
633:
630:
624:
621:
610:
607:
601:
598:
589:
586:
577:
574:
559:
556:
547:
544:
538:
535:
526:
523:
517:
514:
508:
505:
499:
496:
483:
480:
474:
471:
465:
462:
254:, where gneiss,
790:
789:
785:
784:
783:
781:
780:
779:
765:
764:
756:5.0000; 12.0000
755:
753:
749:
746:
741:
738:
736:
734:
733:
708:
703:
702:
697:
693:
688:
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661:
654:
649:
645:
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636:
631:
627:
622:
613:
608:
604:
599:
592:
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580:
575:
562:
557:
550:
545:
541:
536:
529:
524:
520:
515:
511:
506:
502:
497:
486:
481:
477:
472:
468:
463:
452:
447:
396:
394:Flora and fauna
337:
287:
213:
172:(1,295 m), and
132:Adamawa Plateau
123:
52:Adamawa Plateau
17:
12:
11:
5:
788:
778:
777:
731:
730:
723:
707:
704:
701:
700:
691:
682:
673:
664:
652:
643:
634:
625:
611:
602:
590:
578:
560:
548:
539:
527:
518:
509:
500:
484:
475:
466:
449:
448:
446:
443:
404:buttress roots
395:
392:
352:Atlantic Ocean
336:
333:
286:
283:
212:
209:
122:
119:
103:Atlantic Ocean
56:Cameroon Range
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
787:
776:
773:
772:
770:
763:
760:
728:
724:
722:
721:0-333-36690-5
718:
714:
710:
709:
695:
686:
677:
668:
659:
657:
647:
638:
629:
620:
618:
616:
606:
597:
595:
585:
583:
573:
571:
569:
567:
565:
555:
553:
543:
534:
532:
522:
513:
504:
495:
493:
491:
489:
479:
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461:
459:
457:
455:
450:
442:
439:
437:
432:
430:
426:
422:
418:
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410:
405:
401:
391:
388:
384:
379:
377:
373:
369:
365:
361:
357:
353:
346:
341:
332:
328:
326:
322:
316:
314:
310:
306:
299:
295:
291:
282:
280:
276:
272:
268:
264:
259:
257:
253:
249:
245:
241:
237:
233:
229:
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221:
217:
208:
206:
202:
198:
194:
190:
186:
181:
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175:
171:
167:
163:
159:
151:
147:
143:
141:
137:
133:
129:
118:
116:
112:
108:
104:
100:
96:
92:
88:
83:
81:
77:
73:
69:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
45:
41:
37:
33:
26:
25:East Province
21:
732:
726:
712:
694:
685:
676:
667:
646:
637:
628:
605:
542:
521:
512:
503:
478:
469:
440:
433:
397:
380:
349:
329:
317:
302:
260:
214:
205:Sangha River
193:half-oranges
192:
182:
154:
124:
84:
35:
31:
29:
754: /
271:michachists
263:ferrallitic
236:fault lines
185:Congo Basin
180:(1,400 m).
174:Ntem massif
166:Mbam Minkom
76:ferrallitic
60:Congo River
742:12°00′00″E
706:References
698:Neba 33–4.
546:Neba 37–8.
400:rainforest
362:follow an
311:, and two
298:Mount Febe
252:Ntem River
240:quartzites
228:migmatites
162:Lobé River
158:Lobé Falls
150:Lobé Falls
121:Topography
111:rainforest
93:, and two
739:5°00′00″N
345:Dja River
321:Moloundou
267:lateritic
248:limestone
244:Dja River
189:peneplain
80:lateritic
64:peneplain
769:Category
689:Neba 34.
662:Neba 31.
623:Neba 33.
609:Neba 29.
525:Neba 23.
498:Neba 16.
425:mahogany
383:tropical
354:and the
335:Drainage
246:, where
218:such as
140:Meiganga
48:Cameroon
436:savanna
413:bubinga
294:Yaoundé
285:Climate
275:Ferrous
256:granite
232:schists
211:Geology
197:Batouri
178:Ebolowa
170:Yaoundé
136:Bedzare
115:savanna
87:seasons
68:massifs
719:
429:obeche
427:, and
376:Sangha
374:, and
372:Boumba
360:Sanaga
279:silica
230:, and
220:gneiss
201:BĂ©labo
107:Sanaga
99:Rivers
89:, two
40:French
445:Notes
421:iroko
417:ebony
409:azobé
309:rainy
296:from
176:near
168:near
91:rainy
717:ISBN
385:and
343:The
325:Yoko
265:and
224:mica
199:and
138:and
78:and
30:The
368:Dja
313:dry
95:dry
34:or
771::
655:^
614:^
593:^
581:^
563:^
551:^
530:^
487:^
453:^
423:,
419:,
415:,
411:,
370:,
226:,
222:,
142:.
117:.
42::
38:(
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