Departments of Cameroon

These leaders are charged with implementing the will of the president, reporting on the general mood and conditions of the regions, administering the civil service, keeping the peace, and overseeing the heads of the smaller administrative units.

Governors have broad powers: they may order propaganda in their area and call in the army, gendarmes, and police.

These are headed by presidentially appointed divisional officers (préfets), who perform the governors' duties on a smaller scale.

The divisions are further sub-divided into sub-divisions (arrondissements), headed by assistant divisional officers (sous-prefets).

The Northwest and Southwest were once part of British Cameroons; the other regions were in French Cameroun.