Douala (city, Cameroon)

Douala (city, Cameroon) or Duala, city in western Cameroon, located on the Wouri River at the point where it enters the Gulf of Guinea. It is the chief port and commercial center and largest city of the country. Douala has an international airport and extensive docks and is a terminus for two railway lines extending into the interior. Industries include the manufacture of aluminum products, beer, soft drinks, and textiles and the processing of lumber and cacao beans. Douala is home to the University of Douala (founded in 1977) and the Cameroon Maritime Museum (1984). The city was named probably for the Duala, a black African ethnic group that originally settled the area. German forces constructed the port of Douala after establishing a protectorate over the area in 1884. After World War I (1914-1918), Douala, along with most German territory in the region, was ceded to France. Population (2001) 1,494,700.