Bana, Cameroon
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Bana is a sub-prefecture and commune in the West Province of
Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
, some 8 km east of
Bafang Bafang is a town and commune in Cameroon situated in the Haut-Nkam division of the West Province. It lies at the heart of the territory of the Bamiléké people, and has a population of roughly 33,324. (2012) Religion Its cathedral, Cathéd ...
and 2 km south-west of Babouantou.


Geography

Bana is accessed by road P15 which comes from Bamena in the east which passes through the heart of the commune and continues west to join the N5 road in the north-east of
Bafang Bafang is a town and commune in Cameroon situated in the Haut-Nkam division of the West Province. It lies at the heart of the territory of the Bamiléké people, and has a population of roughly 33,324. (2012) Religion Its cathedral, Cathéd ...
. The word ''Bana'' means "birth place" (Ba = place, Na = born). The inhabitants are called ''Née'' however they often call themselves ''bana'' in French. Née signifies insistence, harassment, pursuit which may reflect the qualities of the founder of the town. The language spoken in the commune is Fe'fe' which the locals simply call ''Bana''. The commune is located at a high altitude of 1,418 metres and consequently has a cool climate.


Geology

The land is of volcanic origin with
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...
ic bedrock (25%),
granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies under ...
(45%), and
gneiss Gneiss ( ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. Gneiss forms at higher temperatures a ...
(18%). The soil is fertile. The wooded landscape is the result of a long interaction between the people and the land.


Hydrography

The rivers which cross the territory of the commune are: * Schi madeu (near the chefferieA Chefferie in Cameroon is a traditional chiefdom, part of the administrative organisation, governed by decree 77/245 of 15 July 1977 (JOC 08/01/1977)) * Schi Tie´ko * Schi Luma * Schi hua doh * Schi Sabe between Bana and Batcha * Maga´Schi * Pa´schi (translated: "Red River") * Schi gale * Schi apa ntoo * Schi ko Tcheu´


Districts

The commune four districts: *Bana *Badoumkassa *Bakassa *Batcha


Batcha

Batcha is a village located on one of the old
Bafang Bafang is a town and commune in Cameroon situated in the Haut-Nkam division of the West Province. It lies at the heart of the territory of the Bamiléké people, and has a population of roughly 33,324. (2012) Religion Its cathedral, Cathéd ...
- Bangangté roads in the east of Bana. Local people and some
Mbororo The Wodaabe ( ff, Woɗaaɓe, Adlam: ), also known as the Mbororo or Bororo (Adlam: , ), or Pullo, have a name that is designated to those of the Fula ethnic group who are traditionally nomadic and considered to be "ignorant of Islam." For thi ...
(
Fulani The Fula, Fulani, or Fulɓe people ( ff, Fulɓe, ; french: Peul, links=no; ha, Fulani or Hilani; pt, Fula, links=no; wo, Pël; bm, Fulaw) are one of the largest ethnic groups in the Sahel and West Africa, widely dispersed across the region. ...
) nomadic herders live here attracted by the large pastures on the steep slopes of the mountain range that runs from Bana to Batcha and beyond. The community features a large natural area sheltered by hills and mountains and especially by Mount Banatcha near Bana (according to sources) which rises to 2097 m. ''Batcha'' in
bamiléké The Bamileke are a Central African people who inhabit the Western High Plateau of Cameroon. Languages The Bamileke languages belong to the Grassfields branch of the Niger-Congo language family, which is sometimes labeled as a " Bantuoid lang ...
means "land" or "visit".


Badoumkassa

Bandoumkassa is a village at an altitude of about 1700 metres. The average temperature here is 16 °C with an average temperature of 13 °C during rainy season. People live mainly from agriculture and small businesses. Most houses are made with bricks. Some elites have built very large and luxurious mansions. This district has been led for the past thirty years by His Majesty Victor Kamaha II who was a senior officer in the Cameroon police.


Bakassa

Bakassa is a village in the south of Bana. This is one of the largest villages by both population and area in the Bana arrondissement. This mountain village lies between other riverbank villages: Bana, Banfeko, Badoumkassa, Bassap, Bapoutcheu Ngaleu, etc. It can be reached by road via all these villages. Agriculture is the main activity including food crops and coffee. This village has a particularly cool climate because of the altitude. This is one of the oldest chiefdom in the district headed, for many years, by His Majesty F. Ngako. He is the doyen of age and longevity of his reign for the arrondissement of Bana and the department of Haut-Nkam. ;Traditional Bronze reliefs at the entrance to the Bakassa chefferie Image:Bronze Bakassa 4.jpg Image:Bronze Bakassa 3.jpg Image:Bronze Bakassa 2.jpg Image:Bronze Bakassa 1.jpg


History

Bana was once a customary kingdom founded in 1379 by Fon Tchokogwe(Nza), a first-degree chefferie (chiefdom) led by Fon Sikam Happi V. His successor in 2003 was Konchipe Happi IV. The first chefferies in this part of
bamiléké The Bamileke are a Central African people who inhabit the Western High Plateau of Cameroon. Languages The Bamileke languages belong to the Grassfields branch of the Niger-Congo language family, which is sometimes labeled as a " Bantuoid lang ...
country were founded in the 17th century on the heights of the Ndumla plateau. The founders of these chefferies followed in the path of
Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...
people who also settled the area as evidenced by the results of the archaeological mission by F. Paris in 1974 with the discovery of stone tools on the same heights. The chefferie is in the No. Ndum district: Ndum means "over" or "above" while Ndak means "Low", The lowlands are traditionally reserved for the elite. From 1916 to 1920 Bana was the capital of the Western Division under French administration.


Economy

The main economic activities are agricultural with the production of
coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...
and other vegetables.


Bana Picture Gallery

File:Vue de Bana au Cameroun.jpg, A View of the Village File:Rue Bana.jpg, A Street in the Village File:Marche Bana.jpg, The Market Square in Bana. The market is held every day. File:Hotel Bana.JPG, Hotel in Bana File:Statue d'un chef coutumier à Bana.jpg, Statue of a traditional chief at the Chefferie File:Entree Chefferie Bana.jpg, Entry to the Chefferie File:Lion de la chefferie de Bana.jpg, Lion guarding the entrance to the Chefferie File:Case à la chefferie de Bana.jpg, A Hut at the Chefferie File:Chief of Bana and Bandja with US ambassador.JPG, Visit by the US ambassador (wearing traditional indigo clothes) to the Chiefs of Bana (left) and Bandja (right) File:Gift from the chief of Bana.JPG, The Chief of Bana presents a gift to the US Ambassador. File:Plante Bana Cameroun.jpg, Manioc plants in Bana File:Drying Manioc.jpg, Drying Manioc in Bana File:Bananier Bana Cameroun.jpg, Banana tree in Bana


See also

*
Departments of Cameroon The Regions of Cameroon are divided into 58 divisions or departments. The divisions are further sub-divided into sub-divisions (''arrondissements'') and districts. The divisions are listed below, by province. The constitution divides Cameroo ...


External links


Bana on Google Maps


References

{{coord, 5, 09, N, 10, 16, E, region:CM_type:city, display=title Populated places in West Region (Cameroon) Communes of Cameroon