Bafia

Bafia is a town and commune in Cameroon's Centre Region, capital of the Mbam-et-Inoubou department, lying about 120 km north of Yaoundé. It is the historic home of the Bafia (Baepak) people, a Bantu ethnic group culturally close to the Bamun and Tikar, whose social structure remains rooted in clan systems and chieftaincy; the Yambassa people also inhabit the wider area. Bafia fell under German colonial rule in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when administrative and military posts were established and Western education and Christianity were introduced alongside local traditions. After the First World War the territory passed to French administration under League of Nations mandate, which brought further development in infrastructure, education, and health services.

• Yaoundé — around 120 km south.
• Ntui — around 40 km south-east.
• Bafoussam — around 200 km north-west.