Oku 1028796 206198545 2008-04-17T08:02:22Z Neo-Jay 561624 upgraded sections '''Oku''' is a region in the [[Northwest Province, Cameroon|Northwest]] [[Cameroon]]. The term Oku also refers to the people who live in this region and the primary language that they speak (although [[English language|English]] is also widely spoken). Oku is a rural area containing about thirty-five villages. The nearest really large city is [[Bamenda, Cameroon|Bamenda]], but [[Kumbo, Cameroon|Kumbo]], which is closer (about 18 miles from the village of Keyon, or about seventy minutes by car), is large enough to have [[telephone]] lines and a [[Baptist]]-run [[hospital]]. Oku is also relatively near to the [[Nigeria|Nigerian]] border, and travel across the border is common, as many people in the region have relatives in Nigeria. ==Geography and climate== Oku is a very mountainous region, around four thousand feet (1200 m) above [[sea level]], and thus rather cool considering its latitude. It is not cold enough for snow, but at night temperatures drop below human comfort range. Mount Oku, a [[stratovolcano]], reaches a height of 3011 metres (9880 feet). The broader Oku or Foumbot volcanic field also includes many [[scoria cone]]s and [[maar]]s, several of which are filled by [[crater lake]]s. Two of the crater lakes, [[Lake Nyos]] and [[Lake Monoun]], have been the subject of extensive research. Quantities of [[gas]] build up in the lakes and occasionally are released; being [[density|heavier]] than air, they pour down the mountainside and can [[suffocation|suffocate]] entire villages. Some of the locals believe that a god lives in the lake and must be appeased. The region is an important one for [[biodiversity]], especially the [[Kilum-Ijim Forest]]. Oku has few good roads, and none that would be called good by most [[Westerners]]. ==Economy== Oku is characterized by [[subsistence farming]]. There is a shortage of [[arable land]], and the people farm even the steep hillsides. A typical practice is to plant beans, [[maize|corn]], and potatoes together in the same furrows. ==Religion== The religion of the region is predominantly a mixture of assorted local traditional beliefs (chiefly [[ancestor worship]], also [[animism]] and [[paganism]]) with diluted forms of [[Christianity]] (mostly [[Lutheran]] and [[Catholic]], but also [[Baptist]] and [[Charismatic (movement)|Charismatic]]; the [[Brethren]] are also represented). As of [[2004]], the current [[Fon (Cameroon)|Fon]] (i.e., the traditional king of the people, but with no formal political power), who has a [[Baptist]] background, is attempting some religious reforms, to move the people away from some of the more un-Christian traditional practices; these reforms have met with considerable resistance. ==References== *Some information contributed by a personal friend of Bill & Adele Crabbs, residents of [[Bucyrus, Ohio]] who have also lived in the village of Keyon, Oku for several months at a time on more than one occasion. *{{VNUM|1=0204-03-}} [[Category:Geography of Cameroon]] [[Category:Volcanoes of Cameroon]] [[de:Oku]] [[eo:Okuoj]]