Lolodorf is a small town-centred region in the south province of the

Republic 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; th ...

, near the western coast of Africa. It is between Ngoumou and

Bipindi Bipindi is a town and commune in Cameroon. Gallery File:ASC Leiden - van Achterberg Collection - 1 - 016 - Marché à Bipindi - Bipindi, Cameroun - 6-12 février 1997.tif, Market, Bipindi, 1997 File:ASC Leiden - van Achterberg Collection - 1 - ...

, in a zone of the Atlantic Littoral Evergreen Forest. Lolodorf, W

It is notable for being the home of Pygmy clans and their camp settlements and hunting areas, such as those of the Lala and

Bakola The Kola people, ''Bakola'', also known as the Koya, ''Bakoya'', are pygmies of the NE Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Locat ...

clans. The Ngumba and Kwassio (speakers of

Makaa–Njem languages The Makaa–Njem languages are a group of Bantu languages spoken in Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo. They are coded Zone A.80 in Guthrie's classification. According to Nurse & ...

) and Bagyeli tribes also reside in the area, the Bagyeli having been forced off their lands by the

logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply cha ...

industry since the 1960s and the effect of the new oil pipeline since 1999. There are also settled

Bantu peoples The Bantu peoples, or Bantu, are an ethnolinguistic grouping of approximately 400 distinct ethnic groups who speak Bantu languages. They are native to 24 countries spread over a vast area from Central Africa to Southeast Africa and into Souther ...

, who previously 'owned' pygmy clans. The name of Lolodorf is German in origin, and relates to the name of a notable of Bikoui village, Loule-Dorf. In 1897 a Christian mission was opened in Lolodorf. Most of the people in the region are now

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρ� ...

. The Lokoundje River flows through Lolodorf, said to be ''"narrow with fast moving water and numerous waterfalls"'', and there is a temporary bridge over the river.

Malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. ...

and sleeping sickness are common problems in the humid climate, and there are a variety of natural remedies in which the Pygmy healers are expert. The nearest market is at the coastal

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

& resort town of

Kribi Kribi is a beach resort and sea port in Cameroon. Location The coastal town of Kribi lies on the Gulf of Guinea, in Océan Department, South Province, at the mouth of the Kienké River. This location, lies approximately , by road, south o ...

, and there is a dirt road to it from Lolodorf of about 110 km, usually taking around 6 hours. Farming, tapping

palm wine Palm wine, known by several local names, is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, date palms, and coconut palms. It is known by various names in different regions and is common in va ...

, gathering fruits and nuts for food, and hunting are the main occupations. There are some

cocoa Cocoa may refer to: Chocolate * Chocolate * ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree * Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao'' * Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter an ...

plantations.

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 ...

was abandoned as a crop in the mid-1990s. There is said to be little river fishing. There is some limited tourism, arriving from Kribi; to see Pygmy camps, wildlife and local musicians. Eight different languages are spoken in the town. There is a volunteer-run

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a tr ...

station at Lolodorf that began broadcasting in 1997. There has been a

weather station A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for measuring atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include tempera ...

in the town for more than 25 years. Nearby villages are Saballi and Jalalli. There is a seminary at nearby

Bibia Bibia is a municipality in the Amuru District of the Northern Region of Uganda. Location Bibia is in the Acholi sub-region of the Northern Region. It is approximately , by road, north of Atiak, the nearest town in the district. Bibia is approxim ...

which trains Presbyterian ministers. Oil companies aim to run an important pipeline through the area, taking oil from Doba in

Chad Chad (; ar, تشاد , ; french: Tchad, ), officially the Republic of Chad, '; ) is a landlocked country at the crossroads of North and Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic ...

to an undersea terminal on the sea coast at Kribi. There is a $600,000 'Indigenous Peoples Plan' as compensation to local people, following an intensive study of the area's economy in 1999. Organisations such a
Forest Peoples
have concerns about the management and distribution of such aid. There is thought to be some

illegal mining Illegal mining is mining activity that is undertaken without state permission, in particular in absence of land rights, mining licenses, and exploration or mineral transportation permits. Illegal mining can be a subsistence activity, as is the c ...

of diamonds and gold in the area.

Further reading