The Mandara Mountains are a volcanic range extending about 190 km (about 120 mi) along the northern part of the Cameroon–Nigeria border, from the

Benue River The Benue River (french: la Bénoué), previously known as the Chadda River or Tchadda, is the major tributary of the Niger River. The river is approximately long and is almost entirely navigable during the summer months. The size of its bas ...

in the south () to the north-west of

Maroua Maroua (Fula: Marwa 𞤥𞤢𞤪𞤱𞤢) is the capital of the Far North Region of Cameroon, stretching along the banks of the Ferngo and Kaliao Rivers, in the foothills of the Mandara Mountains. The city had 301,371 inhabitants at the 2005 ...

in the north (). The highest elevation is the summit of Mount Oupay, at 1,494 m (4,900 ft) above sea level (). The region is densely populated, mainly by speakers of

Chadic The Chadic languages form a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They are spoken in parts of the Sahel. They include 150 languages spoken across northern Nigeria, southern Niger, southern Chad, the Central African Republic, and northern Ca ...

languages, including both the Mofu and the

Kirdi The Kirdi () are the many cultures and ethnic groups who inhabit northwestern Cameroon and northeastern Nigeria. The term was applied to various peoples who had not converted to Islam at the time of colonization and was a pejorative, although ...

ethnic groups. Extensive

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

research has been undertaken in the Mandara Mountains, including work at

Diy-Gid-Biy The Diy-Gid-Biy (DGB) sites are archaeological sites located around the Mandara Mountains of northern Cameroon and Nigeria, overlooking the several kilometers long Shikewe watershed. These sites get their name Diy-Gid-Biy from the Mafa language, ...

(DGB) sites.

Geology

The Mandara Mountains were formed millions of years ago when a continental plate of

basement rock In geology, basement and crystalline basement are crystalline rocks lying above the mantle and beneath all other rocks and sediments. They are sometimes exposed at the surface, but often they are buried under miles of rock and sediment. The baseme ...

deep beneath the African continent rose up, fragmenting and splitting as it was pushed to the surface. The climate was significantly wetter in those times, so enormous amounts of precipitation formed numerous rivers that rushed through these fractures, carving them deeper and wider, resulting in the range's notably rugged terrain.

Volcanic activity Volcanism, vulcanism or volcanicity is the phenomenon of eruption of molten rock (magma) onto the surface of the Earth or a solid-surface planet or moon, where lava, pyroclastics, and volcanic gases erupt through a break in the surface called a ...

also played a role in the formation of the range. Eruptions of

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or ...

formed

volcanic cone Volcanic cones are among the simplest volcanic landforms. They are built by ejecta from a volcanic vent, piling up around the vent in the shape of a cone with a central crater. Volcanic cones are of different types, depending upon the nature and ...

s whose vents were eventually plugged with hardening magma. These hardened cores are called

volcanic plug A volcanic plug, also called a volcanic neck or lava neck, is a volcanic object created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano. When present, a plug can cause an extreme build-up of high gas pressure if rising volatile-charged ma ...

s. In the case of the Mandara Mountains, the plugs were much more erosion-resistant than the exterior of the cones, which wore away over time. Eventually, only the plugs remained, forming the stark, needle-like spires such as Kapsiki Peak that the range is known for. Gallery File:Mont Mandara 06.jpg, Cross sectional view File:Mont Mandara 05.jpg, View of small Mountains File:Mont Mandara 01.jpg, The mountain peak File:Mont Mandara 03.jpg, View of a pointed Rock form File:Mont mandara.jpg, Sunset view File:Mont Mandara.jpg File:Monts.jpg

Climate

The ecoregion has tropical savanna climate, moderated by elevation. Average annual rainfall varies from 800 to 1000 mm depending on location. Most rain falls during the long wet season from May to October, and the rest of the year is dry.

Ecology

The higher elevation and rainfall of the mountains sustained plant communities distinct from the surrounding lowlands. Open woodlands, dominated by the tree ''

Isoberlinia doka ''Isoberlinia doka'' is a hardwood tree native to African tropical savannas and Guinean forest-savanna mosaic dry forests where it can form single species stands. The tree is exploited for its economic value as a commercial timber. The leaves ...

'', were once the dominant plant community in the ecoregion, In relatively intact woodlands the trees reach 12 to 18 meters high, and tree cover averages 50% or more. Grasses form the understory The highest-elevation areas, from 1,200 to 1,494 meters elevation, are home to a mix of lowland (Sudanian) and montane and submontane (

Afromontane The Afromontane regions are subregions of the Afrotropical realm, one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms, covering the plant and animal species found in the mountains of Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. The Afromontane regions of ...

) species, including some rare and endemic plants and reptiles. The vegetation has been profoundly altered by heavy grazing, burning, and conversion to agriculture, and only fragmented and degraded areas of woodland remain. Mozogo-Gokoro National Park and

Mayo-Louti Forest Reserve Mayo-Louti is a department of North Province in Cameroon. The department covers an area of and as of 2001 had a total population of 334,312. The capital of the department is Guider. Subdivisions The department is divided administratively into ...

in Cameroon cover lower-elevation portions of the mountains. The high peaks, which are of the greatest biological interest, are unprotected.

People

The Mandara Mountains sustain a relatively dense population, despite the topography and relatively poor soils. Historically the mountains were a refuge for people resisting conquest or enslavement by states on the surrounding plains, and the mountains sustain a great diversity of languages and traditional religions.Riddell, James C., and David J. Campbell. “Agricultural Intensification and Rural Development: The Mandara Mountains of North Cameroon.” African Studies Review, vol. 29, no. 3, 1986, pp. 89–106. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/524085. Accessed 7 Aug. 2021. Local people developed a system of intensive agriculture involving the construction of terraces and measures to retain and improve soil fertility. Terraces were built on hillsides to protect soil from erosion, and can extend from valleys to the high mountain slopes. Crop rotation between sorghum, millet, and legumes maintains soil fertility and reduces pests. Trees are used for shade, fodder, and green manure. ''

Khaya senegalensis ''Khaya senegalensis'' is a species of tree in the Meliaceae family that is native to Africa. Common names include African mahogany, dry zone mahogany, Gambia mahogany, khaya wood, Senegal mahogany, ''cailcedrat'', ''acajou'', ''djalla'', and '' ...

'' and ''

Acacia albida ''Faidherbia'' is a genus of leguminous plants containing one species, ''Faidherbia albida'', which was formerly widely included in the genus ''Acacia'' as ''Acacia albida''. The species is native to Africa and the Middle East and has also been ...

'' are the most important, along with about 30 other species. Domestic sheep, goats, and cattle are kept and fed in pens during the crop-growing season, and their manure is deposited on the terraces after each harvest. Domestic animals are allowed to graze on the terraces' plant stubble after harvest to ensure that the manure fertilizes the fields. Household, human, and plant waste is used to improve the soil on terraces.

References

External links