Dschang

Where is Dschang?

Dschang is in the West Region of Cameroon, 55 to 60 km from Bafoussam by road.

Dschang is the capital of the Menoua division, in the West region, at an altitude of about 1,400 metres. With 63,838 inhabitants at the 2005 census, it was the country's eighteenth-largest city. The local language is Yemba, one of the languages of Bamiléké country, and the town is best known for its university.

History and origin of the name

A German military post was set up at Dschang in 1903. Placed under French administration after the First World War, the town became the capital of the Bamiléké region, and its cool climate made it a place of rest: the Centre climatique opened in 1942. After independence the regional seat moved to Bafoussam, and the town declined until the university was founded in 1993.

What to see

• The Museum of Civilisations, on the shore of the municipal lake, born of a partnership between Dschang and Nantes: it presents Cameroon's four main cultural areas, Sawa, Grassfields, Sudano-Sahelian and Fang-Beti.
• The Centre climatique, opened in 1942 during the Second World War as a place of rest, and described as the first holiday village in Central Africa.
• The Foréké-Dschang chiefdom, which covers nearly a third of the municipality to the south: its land drops down a great cliff of about 700 metres towards the Mbos plain.

Economy and local life

The University of Dschang, which grew out of a university centre set up in 1977 around agricultural training, now has five faculties, including one of agronomy. Around the town, farming dominates, and pig rearing is widespread.

What to eat

The sources consulted do not describe a dish specific to Dschang. The town lies in the heart of Bamiléké country, home of nkui, a slippery sauce served to mothers after childbirth, and kondrè, more particularly associated with Bafang.

Practical information

The altitude gives the town a cool climate, with an average temperature of around 20 °C and a rainy season from March to November. Dschang is 55 to 60 kilometres from Bafoussam and 70 to 85 kilometres from Nkongsamba by road. The parts of Menoua bordering the South-West have been affected by the Anglophone crisis: in May 2018 the prefect suspended motorbike taxis in several villages, some of them in the Dschang subdivision.

Distances by road

• Bafoussam: 55 to 60 km
• Nkongsamba: 70 to 85 km

Approximate distances, city centre to city centre. Travel time depends heavily on road conditions and traffic.