Lolodorf
Encyclopedia
Lolodorf is a small town-centred region in the south province of the Republic of Cameroon, near the western coast of Africa
. It is between Ngoumou
and Bipindi
, in a zone of the Atlantic Littoral Evergreen Forest.
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 clans. The Ngumba and Kwassio (speakers of Makaa–Njem languages) and Bagyeli tribes also reside in the area, the Bagyeli having been forced off their lands by the logging
industry since the 1960s and the effect of the new oil pipeline since 1999. There are also settled Bantu peoples, 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.
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
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
& resort town of Kribi
, and there is a dirt road to it from Lolodorf of about 110 km, usually taking around 6 hours.
Farming, tapping palm wine
, gathering fruits and nuts for food, and hunting are the main occupations. There are some cocoa plantations. Coffee
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
radio
station at Lolodorf that began broadcasting in 1997.
There has been a weather station
in the town for more than 25 years.
Nearby villages are Saballi and Jalalli. There is a seminary at nearby Bibia
which trains Presbyterian ministers.
Oil companies aim to run an important pipeline through the area, taking oil from Doba
in Chad
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 as Forest Peoples have concerns about the management and distribution of such aid.
There is thought to be some illegal mining of diamonds and gold in the area.
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. It is between Ngoumou
Ngoumou
-References:* * - Thèse de Donation Avele, Université Montesquieu Bordeaux IV * Charles Nanga, , Mémoire ENA....
and Bipindi
Bipindi
-References:* * - Thèse de Donation Avele, Université Montesquieu Bordeaux IV * Charles Nanga, , Mémoire ENA....
, in a zone of the Atlantic Littoral Evergreen Forest.
It is notable for being the home of Pygmy
Pygmy
Pygmy is a term used for various ethnic groups worldwide whose average height is unusually short; anthropologists define pygmy as any group whose adult men grow to less than 150 cm in average height. A member of a slightly taller group is termed "pygmoid." The best known pygmies are the Aka,...
clans and their camp settlements and hunting areas, such as those of the Lala
Lala
Lala VC was an Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth soldiers.-Details:...
and Bakola clans. The Ngumba and Kwassio (speakers of Makaa–Njem languages) and Bagyeli tribes also reside in the area, the Bagyeli having been forced off their lands by the logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
industry since the 1960s and the effect of the new oil pipeline since 1999. There are also settled Bantu peoples, 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.
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
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
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
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
& resort town of Kribi
Kribi
-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 of Douala, the loargest city in Cameroon and the busiest seaport in the country...
, 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
Palm wine also called Palm Toddy also called "Kallu" written in Malayalam and கள்ளு in Tamil or simply Toddy is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, and coconut palms...
, gathering fruits and nuts for food, and hunting are the main occupations. There are some cocoa plantations. Coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
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 language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
station at Lolodorf that began broadcasting in 1997.
There has been a weather station
Weather station
A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for observing atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind...
in the town for more than 25 years.
Nearby villages are Saballi and Jalalli. There is a seminary at nearby Bibia
Bibia
Bibia is a town in Northern Uganda. It is one if the municipalities in Amuru District, the others being:* Amuru Municipality* Atiak Municipality* Pabbo Municipality-Location:...
which trains Presbyterian ministers.
Oil companies aim to run an important pipeline through the area, taking oil from Doba
Doba
Doba is a city in Chad, the capital of the region of Logone Oriental.Exploitation of oil resources in the vicinity of Doba is expected to produce economic benefits.The town is served by Doba Airport.-Demographics:...
in Chad
Chad
Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...
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 as Forest Peoples have concerns about the management and distribution of such aid.
There is thought to be some illegal mining of diamonds and gold in the area.
Further reading
- Ngima Mawoung, Godefroy. The Relationship between the Bakola and the Bantu Peoples of the Coastal Regions of Cameroon and Their Perception of Commercial Forest Exploitation. African Study Monographs, Suppl. 26: 209-235, March 2001.