Mbalmayo

Mbalmayo is a city in Cameroon's Centre Province. The town had 60,091 inhabitants in 2012. It is the capital of the Nyong and So'o division. It is located at the banks of the Nyong river between Ebolowa and Yaoundé. It is an agricultural centre and has an important function as a centre of education. Site of the Mbalmayo National Forestry School.

History

Mbalmayo had existed since 1910 during the German rule of the then Kamerun. Mbalmayo was founded by Mbala Meyo, one of the first ruler of the town. As was the custom of chiefs who rule large communities prior to colonialism, villages and town were named after the chief. This trend of events could be seen in the other neighboring town and villages such as Akonolinga, Nanga Ebogo and Abong Bang, just to name a few.

The Germans had administrative control over the town and made use of the Nyong river for transportation of timber which was a major source of income. Due to its economic potentials, the Germans before the First World War had intended to establish an administrative headquarters in Mbalmayo. Also partly because they found a rock in the Nyong river with a protruded rounded waitwhich was attractive especially for touristic that separates the wa however, after 1919, immediately after the war, when Germany had to cede power to the Allied Forcesthe project was never realized. The Town was handed to the French as French protectorate by the United Nations