Douala - Douala (English spelling)

A city in southwest Cameroon, Central Africa. Located deep in the Gulf of Guinea. It is the country's largest city, with a population of 1,494,700 (2001 estimate) and 2,131,832 (2010 estimate). The capital, Yaoundé, is the second largest. It is the commercial and industrial center that supports the country's economy, and its economic sphere extends to neighboring Central African countries and Chad. It has an international sea and air port, and is a transportation hub connected to various parts of the country by road and rail. In 1884, German explorer Gustav Nachtigal (1834-1885) made it the headquarters of German Cameroon, and it became its capital from 1855 to 1901, and since then it has developed as a base of economic activity. The city occupies a plateau that is divided into east and west by the Wouli River. Port facilities are lined up along the east bank of the Wouli River, and the central business district is adjacent to it. The industrial district is located in the eastern suburbs, where machinery, textile, food, chemical, and other factories are concentrated. Due to the rapid expansion caused by population influx, the city is facing many urban problems, including housing, education, unemployment, environmental pollution, and disaster prevention.

[Hiroshi Kadomura]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中部アフリカ、カメルーン南西部の都市。ギニア湾の奥に位置する。同国最大の都市で、人口149万4700（2001推計）、213万1832（2010推計）。首都ヤウンデがこれに次ぐ。同国の経済を支える商工業の中心都市で、その経済圏は隣国の中央アフリカ、チャドに及ぶ。海空の国際港があり、国内各地と道路、鉄道で結ばれる交通の要衝でもある。1884年ドイツの探検家ナハティガルGustav Nachtigal（1834―1885）がドイツ領カメルーンの本拠地とし、1855～1901年その首都となり、以後は経済活動の拠点として発展した。市街はウーリー川を挟んで東西に分かれる台地上を占める。ウーリー川の東岸に沿って港湾施設が並び、それに接して中心業務地区がある。東部郊外には工業地区があり、機械、繊維、食品、化学などの工場が集中する。人口流入による膨張が急なため、住宅、教育、失業、環境汚染、防災など多くの都市問題を抱えている。

［門村　浩］

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