Noun River (Cameroon)

The Noun River, during the dry season, a few kilometers after Bandjoun
Bamendjing Reservoir with Mount Yahou in upper right, NASA 2003

The Noun River is a river of the West Province of Cameroon. It arises at Lake Oku (6°11′34″N 10°27′14″E / 6.19278°N 10.45389°E / 6.19278; 10.45389) and flows south, it is joined by the Monoun River and flows south in the valley between the mountains Ngotsetzezan and Mount Yahou.[1] It turns east at about 5° N latitude.[1] Its mouth is at the Mbam River (4°54′42″N 11°06′02″E / 4.91167°N 11.10056°E / 4.91167; 11.10056), which itself is a tributary of the Sanaga River.

It forms the boundary between the Bamiléké area and the Bamun area, and played a key role in the history of the Bamileke people.

The Noun River was dammed at Bamendjing in 1975[2] (5°41′55″N 10°30′03″E / 5.69861°N 10.50083°E / 5.69861; 10.50083) creating a reservoir with the same name. At its maximum the reservoir is 32 km long and 276 km wide. Its surface area varies between 150 km2 and 300 km2.[3]

The Noun River hosts hippopotamus that can be seen all year long, in the wild parts of the river, along with many birds, such as the palm nut vulture, the bee-eater, the hammerkop, and the kingfisher.

Notes

  1. 1 2 1:1,000,000 - International Map of the World U.S. Army Map Service, Sheet NB-32 (Douala), 2nd Ed., April 1962
  2. ↑ van der Knaap, Martin (1994) Status of fish stocks and fisheries of thirteen medium-sized African reservoirs CIFA technical paper #26, Committee for Inland Fisheries of Africa (CIFA), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome, page 11, ISBN 92-5-103581-4
  3. ↑ van der Knaap, Martin (1994) Status of fish stocks and fisheries of thirteen medium-sized African reservoirs CIFA technical paper #26, Committee for Inland Fisheries of Africa (CIFA), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome, page 11, ISBN 92-5-103581-4 citing Vanden Bossche, J. P. and Bernacsek, G. M. (1990) Source book for the inland fishery resources of Africa: vol. 1 CIFA technuical paper #18.1, Committee for Inland Fisheries of Africa (CIFA), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Rome, ISBN 92-5-102983-0


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