Adamawa Plateau

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Adamawa Plateau
Landscape near Ngaoundal in Cameroon's Adamawa Province
Highest point
Elevation2,650 m (8,690 ft)[1]
Coordinates9°48′N 14°05′E / 9.800°N 14.083°E / 9.800; 14.083
Geography
CountriesCameroon, Central African Republic and Nigeria

The Adamawa Plateau (French: Massif de l'Adamaoua) is a plateau region in west-central Africa stretching from south-eastern Nigeria through north-central Cameroon (Adamawa and North Provinces) to the Central African Republic.[1] The part of the plateau that lies in Nigeria is more popularly known as Gotel Mountains.

The Adamawa Plateau is the source of many waterways, including the Benue River. The average elevation is about 3,300 feet (1,000 meters),[2] but elevations can reach as high as 8,700 feet (2,700 meters).[1] It is important for its deposits of bauxite.[1] The vegetation is mostly savanna. The endangered toad Amietophrynus djohongensis is known to exist in the wild only in the Cameroonian part of the Adamawa Plateau.[3][4]

The plateau is sparsely populated, and cattle raising is the main occupation in the area.[2] The province and plateau were named after Fulani Muslim leader Modibo Adama, whose jihads significantly affected the population of the area.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Encyclopædia Britannica - Adamawa Plateau". Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved September 15, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c "MSN Encarta - Adamawa Plateau". Archived from the original on 2009-11-02. Retrieved September 15, 2007.
  3. ^ Joger, U.; Tandy, M. & Amiet, J.-L. (2004). "Amietophrynus djohongensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2004. IUCN: e.T54630A11178521. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2004.RLTS.T54630A11178521.en.
  4. ^ Frost, Darrel R. (2015). "Amietophrynus djohongensis (Hulselmans, 1977)". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 23 October 2015.