St John in Cameroon

Who we are

St John in Cameroon came into existence on the 1st January 2008 with a status of ‘provisionally registered’ by the Order of St John. The Priory for South Africa is acting as the ‘god parent’ to the new St John organisation, to help it grow and develop programmes in First Aid and home-based care over the next few years. It is then hoped that this will eventually lead to full recognition of the organisation as a St John Association.

Cameroon at a glance

The Republic of Cameroon is situated in central and western Africa. It borders Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the Bight of Bonny, part of the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. On 1 January 1960, French Cameroun gained independence from France under President Ahmadou Ahidjo, and on 1 October 1961, the formerly-British Southern Cameroons united with its neighbour to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon.

The country is called "Africa in miniature" for its geological and cultural diversity. Natural features include beaches, deserts, mountains, rainforests, and savannas. The highest point is Mount Cameroon in the southwest, and the largest cities are Douala, Yaoundé, and Garoua. Cameroon is home to over 200 different ethnic and linguistic groups. The country is well known for its native styles of music, particularly makossa and bikutsi, and for its successful national football team. English and French are the official languages and the majority of Cameroonians are subsistent farmers.

The population of Cameroon in 2005 was 16,348,000. It was ranked 144 out of 177 in the United Nations 2008 Human Development Index.