Mbalmayo, Centre Region, Cameroon

🇨🇲 Mbalmayo is a town in Cameroon's Centre Region. It is the capital of the Nyong-et-So'o Division It is located at the banks of the Nyong river between Ebolowa and Yaoundé. It is an agricultural centre.

History Mbalmayo was founded in 1910, under the German rule of the then Kamerun, by Mbala Meyo, an early ruler of the town. As was the custom before colonialism, the town was named after the chief.

The Germans ruled the town and used the Nyong river to transport timber which was a major source of income. It is in the part of Cameroon that the League of Nations made a French protectorate.

Economy Mbalmayo is an industrial town that is about 41 km from Yaoundé the Capital of Cameroon. Mbalmayo is located in the Central Region of Cameroon. It is situated along the Nyong River, south of Yaoundé. Since it is deeply entrenched in the dense equatorial forest zone that stretched to the South, its natural physical environmental features makes it strategically economical located. The main economic activities are forestry and agriculture. There is a plywood factory powered by electricity from the Edea Hydroelectric Power Station. It is a big commercial center.

It is also a commercial centre due to its position at the junction of three transportation routes: it lies on the main road south from Yaoundé; it is the terminus of the Camrail railway from Douala; and serves as a river port on the Nyong River, which is seasonally navigable for 249 km (155 mi) from Mbalmayo east to Abong Mbang. In order to improve and to increase its economic activities, the Government of Cameroon in 1989, through partnership with the African Development Bank was able to construct a 101 km road that links Mbalmayo with Ebolowa, the capital of the South Province. Amongst its economic activities, Timber exploration is a major source of revenue for Mbalmayo and Cameroon in general. There is the Mbalmayo's forest reserve which is one of Cameroon's oldest forest reserve. Other cash crops include palm oil, palm kernel oil, coffee and cocoa.