Buea, Southwest Region, Cameroon

🇨🇲 Buea is the capital of the Southwest Region of Cameroon. The city is located on the eastern slopes of Mount Cameroon. It has two Government Hotels, the Mountain Hotel and Palamenterian Flats Hotel located around The Government Residential Area. The self-declared state of Ambazonia claims the city as its capital.

History Buea, originally "bue", was founded by a hunter who came from the Bomboko area. Coming from the Bomboko side of the mountain, he named the new-found land in amazement as "a Bue", meaning literally a "son of bué". A prominent King of the tikar clashes with German troops during invasion. Resistance remain popular folklore; currently ruled by the Endeleys. Tea growing is an important local industry, especially in Tole. Buea was the colonial capital of German Kamerun from 1901 to 1919, the capital of the Southern Cameroons from 1949 until 1961 and the capital of West Cameroon until 1972, when Ahmadou Ahidjo abolished the Federation of Cameroon. The German colonial administration in Buea was temporarily suspended during the eruption of Mount Cameroon from 28 April until June 1909. Originally, Buea's population consisted mainly of the Bakweri people. However, owing to its status as a university town and the regional capital, there are significant numbers of other ethnic groups.

Ambazonian secession In September 2017, the Federal Republic of Ambazonia declared its independence from Cameroon, with Buea as its claimed capital. In late-June 2018, the Ambazonia Defence Forces began approaching Buea, and on 29 June they invaded the Mile 16 neighborhood. On 1 July, separatists invaded the Muea neighborhood and battled Cameroonian troops.

Notable institutions Buea hosts the University of Buea, Cameroon's first anglophone university. It is the site of several other higher institutes of learning, including St Francis Schools of Nursing and Midwifery presently known as Biaka University Institute of Buea (BUIB) and one of Cameroon's three Catholic universities.

A handful of colonial era buildings are surviving, notably the palatial former residence of the German governor Jesko von Puttkamer. Other German colonial buildings are still standing, but some of them suffer from lack of maintenance and old age.

The Nigerian Consulate in anglophone Cameroon and the main operational hub of the Naigahelp medical aid organisation are in Buea.

Buea hosts an annex of the National Archives of Cameroon, whose main location is Yaoundé. Next door to the annex is the Cameroon Press Photo Archive, which has been permanently closed since 2001.

Economy The economy of Buea is heavily influenced by its status as a technology hub. Many young people come to the town to study at the University of Buea, and this has created a thriving environment for experimentation, innovation and risk-taking. As a result, the town has become a hotspot for startups, particularly in the technology sector.

The University of Buea's influence has also attracted investors to the town, leading to the establishment of various tech incubators and hubs. For instance, LimbeLabs, which was founded around 2006-2008, was a precursor to ActivSpaces, one of the leading tech hubs in the country. ActivSpaces was launched in 2009 by Ebot Tabi, Bill Zimmerman, Valery Colong, Otto Akama, and Fua Tse. The hub currently has Rebecca Enonchong as Chairman.

Buea's status as a technology hub has also had a positive impact on the town's tourism industry. Mount Cameroon is a popular attraction for tourists, and the town's proximity to the mountain has made it a preferred destination for visitors who want to explore the mountain and its surroundings.

In addition, the town's small size makes it easy to meet and connect with people. It also has considerably light traffic congestion, which makes it easy to move around the town quickly. The proximity of Buea to Douala, which has the largest seaport and the international airport, has also made it an attractive location for businesses.

Transport Transportation to Buea is possible by land with the use of transport buses or private cars. Within Buea, the primary means of transportation are taxis. The closest airport is Douala International Airport (DLA).

Limbe was served by a 600 mm (1 ft 11+5⁄8 in) gauge plantation railway to Limbe, of the West African Planting Society Victoria.

Geography About 300,000 people live in Buea (including the villages of Bokwaongo, Muea; Bomaka; Tole; Mile 16 (Bolifamba); Mile 17; Mile 15; Mile 14 (Dibanda); Bova; Bonjongo; Likombe; Buasa; Great Soppo; Molyko; Small Soppo; Bwitingi; Mile 18 (Wonyamavio); Lower farms; Bokwai; Bonduma; Sandpit, Wonyamongo, Bulu; Bokova and surrounding villages).