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Cameroon GCE Ordinary Level History study materials
Cameroon GCE Ordinary Level History study resources

Cameroon GCE Ordinary Level History practice questions

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Question 1History

Which European power established the first permanent trading post on the coast of present-day Cameroon, at Bimbia, in the 19th century?

  1. Britain Correct answer.
  2. France
  3. Germany
  4. Portugal

Explanation

British traders, notably the Bimbia chiefs' partners, set up a lasting coastal trading presence in the 1800s before German annexation in 1884. Portugal had earlier coastal contact but did not establish the durable post associated with Bimbia. Germany and France came later in the scramble for the territory.

Question 2History

In which year did Germany formally annex Cameroon as a protectorate?

  1. 1884 Correct answer.
  2. 1874
  3. 1894
  4. 1904

Explanation

Germany declared a protectorate over Cameroon in July 1884, following treaties signed by Gustav Nachtigal with local rulers such as King Bell of Douala. This date marks the start of formal German colonial rule. The other dates fall outside the annexation period.

Question 3History

Who was the German explorer and official who signed protectorate treaties with Douala rulers in 1884?

  1. Karl Peters
  2. Gustav Nachtigal Correct answer.
  3. Otto von Bismarck
  4. Eduard Schnitzer

Explanation

Gustav Nachtigal was the German consul who concluded the treaties with Douala chiefs, bringing Cameroon under German protection. Bismarck was the Chancellor who authorised the colonial policy but did not sign the local treaties himself. Peters and Schnitzer operated in other parts of Africa.

Question 4History

What was the main purpose of the German policy of forced labour on Cameroon's coastal plantations?

  1. To train Cameroonians for careers in the colonial civil service
  2. To supply cheap labour for cash-crop production such as cocoa and rubber Correct answer.
  3. To encourage local communities to establish their own export farms
  4. To prepare Cameroonians for service in the German navy

Explanation

German planters needed abundant cheap labour to cultivate export crops, so colonial authorities imposed forced recruitment on local populations. The policy served plantation profits rather than education or local enterprise. It became a major grievance behind early anti-colonial resistance.

Question 5History

The 1884 Douala chiefs' treaty with Germany is significant in Cameroonian history mainly because it:

  1. transferred sovereignty over the territory to Germany Correct answer.
  2. abolished the coastal slave trade immediately
  3. granted Douala merchants equal rights in Berlin
  4. created a joint Anglo-German administration

Explanation

The treaty placed the Douala area under German protection and sovereignty, providing the legal basis for colonial rule. It did not create a shared administration with Britain. Nor did it directly abolish the slave trade or grant commercial rights in Germany.

Question 6History

Which Cameroonian resistance leader is associated with the 1904–1907 uprising against German rule in the Douala region?

  1. Charles Atangana
  2. Rudolf Duala Manga Bell Correct answer.
  3. Ibrahim Njoya
  4. Martin-Paul Samba

Explanation

Rudolf Duala Manga Bell led Douala opposition to German land alienation and was executed in 1914 for his resistance. The 1904–1907 disturbances in the Douala area are linked to the same tradition of protest against German policies. Samba and Atangana were associated with other regions and roles.

Question 7History

After World War I, Cameroon was divided between Britain and France under which arrangement?

  1. A League of Nations mandate Correct answer.
  2. A bilateral treaty of partition
  3. A German-French condominium
  4. A United Nations trusteeship

Explanation

Cameroon became a League of Nations Class B mandate after World War I, with Britain and France administering separate portions. The United Nations trusteeship came only after World War II. It was not a bilateral treaty or a condominium.

Question 8History

Which part of Cameroon was administered by Britain as a mandate and later trust territory?

  1. East Cameroon
  2. Southern Cameroons Correct answer.
  3. Littoral
  4. Adamawa

Explanation

Britain administered the western strip as Southern Cameroons, while France administered the larger eastern portion. East Cameroon, Adamawa and Littoral formed part of the French-administered territory. Southern Cameroons is the correct British zone.

Question 9History

The French policy of 'assimilation' in Cameroon aimed to:

  1. transfer all administrative posts to Cameroonian chiefs
  2. restore traditional Cameroonian institutions without change
  3. eliminate French language from colonial schools
  4. make a small elite adopt French culture and citizenship Correct answer.

Explanation

Assimilation sought to turn a limited number of educated Africans into French citizens culturally and legally. It did not preserve traditional institutions untouched, hand over administration to chiefs, or remove French from schools. Its reach was deliberately limited to a small elite.

Question 10History

What was the main feature of the French system of 'direct rule' in Cameroon?

  1. Administration exclusively through traditional rulers
  2. Rule by chartered trading companies
  3. Administration by the League of Nations directly
  4. Administration through French officials with limited reliance on chiefs Correct answer.

Explanation

Direct rule placed French administrators in charge of districts, with chiefs used only as subordinates rather than autonomous authorities. This contrasts with British indirect rule. Chartered companies and the League itself did not govern directly.

Question 11History

Under British indirect rule in Southern Cameroons, the administration worked mainly through:

  1. missionary societies
  2. elected legislative councils
  3. directly appointed British district officers in every village
  4. traditional rulers and native authorities Correct answer.

Explanation

Indirect rule relied on chiefs and native authorities to govern local affairs under British supervision. It did not place an officer in every village, create elected councils, or delegate government to missions. This approach reflected British practice elsewhere in West Africa.

Question 12History

Which body was created after World War II to supervise the former mandated territories, including Cameroon?

  1. The Organisation of African Unity
  2. The League of Nations Assembly
  3. The Berlin Conference
  4. The United Nations Trusteeship Council Correct answer.

Explanation

The United Nations Trusteeship Council replaced the League mandate system after 1945 and supervised trust territories. The League had been dissolved, the OAU was founded in 1963, and the Berlin Conference took place in 1884–85.

Question 13History

Which political party in French Cameroon campaigned strongly for independence and was led by Ruben Um Nyobè?

  1. Union Camerounaise
  2. Rassemblement Démocratique du Peuple Camerounais (RDPC)
  3. Union des Populations du Cameroun (UPC) Correct answer.
  4. Cameroon National Union

Explanation

The UPC, founded in 1948 and led by Ruben Um Nyobè, demanded immediate independence and reunification. It was banned by the French authorities, and Um Nyobè was killed in 1958. The other parties emerged later or represented different political positions.

Question 14History

What was the outcome of the 1961 plebiscite in Southern Cameroons?

  1. Southern Cameroons remained a British mandate
  2. Southern Cameroons joined Nigeria
  3. Southern Cameroons became an independent state
  4. Southern Cameroons joined French Cameroon by reunification Correct answer.

Explanation

The plebiscite offered a choice between joining Nigeria and reunifying with Cameroon; the Northern part chose Nigeria and the Southern part chose reunification. Southern Cameroons therefore joined the Cameroon Republic in 1961. It did not become independent or remain a mandate.

Question 15History

On what date is Cameroon's national day, marking the 1972 referendum that created the United Republic?

  1. 1 January
  2. 20 June
  3. 20 May Correct answer.
  4. 11 February

Explanation

Cameroon commemorates 20 May, the date of the 1972 referendum that replaced the federal structure with a unitary state. It is a public holiday celebrated with parades. The other dates mark different national events.

Question 16History

Which constitution established Cameroon as a federal republic in 1961?

  1. The 1972 Constitution
  2. The 1984 Constitution
  3. The 1996 Constitution
  4. The 1961 Federal Constitution Correct answer.

Explanation

The 1961 Federal Constitution created a federation of two states, East and West Cameroon, following reunification. The 1972 Constitution replaced the federation with a unitary state. The 1984 and 1996 constitutions came later and did not create the federation.

Question 17History

What change did the 1972 referendum bring to Cameroon's political structure?

  1. It restored the federal system
  2. It divided the country into three states
  3. It replaced the federation with a unitary state Correct answer.
  4. It created a British-style monarchy

Explanation

The 1972 referendum approved a new constitution that abolished the two-state federation and established a unitary republic. This centralised power under President Ahmadou Ahidjo. It did not restore federalism, create a monarchy, or divide the country into three states.

Question 18History

Who was the first president of the Federal Republic of Cameroon after reunification in 1961?

  1. John Ngu Foncha
  2. Paul Biya
  3. Ruben Um Nyobè
  4. Ahmadou Ahidjo Correct answer.

Explanation

Ahmadou Ahidjo, who had led French Cameroon, became president of the federation, with John Ngu Foncha as vice-president. Paul Biya became president in 1982. Um Nyobè was an opposition leader who died in 1958.

Question 19History

Which Southern Cameroons leader served as vice-president of the Federal Republic and championed reunification?

  1. Endeley
  2. Augustine Ngom Jua
  3. Solomon Tandeng Muna
  4. John Ngu Foncha Correct answer.

Explanation

John Ngu Foncha, leader of the KNDP, campaigned for reunification and became vice-president in 1961. Ngom Jua and Muna later held the position, and Endeley favoured a different political course. Foncha is the leader most associated with the reunification campaign.

Question 20History

Which event in 1990 is widely associated with the return of multi-party politics in Cameroon?

  1. The Bamileke uprising
  2. The creation of the United Nations trusteeship
  3. The signing of the Foumban Agreement
  4. The legalisation of opposition parties after widespread protests Correct answer.

Explanation

In 1990, after pressure and protests, the government legalised opposition parties, ending the one-party system that had existed since 1966. The Foumban Conference of 1961 concerned the federal constitution, and the trusteeship ended in 1960. The Bamileke uprising occurred in the late 1950s.

Question 21History

Which of the following is a major export crop that shaped Cameroon's colonial and post-colonial economy?

  1. Barley
  2. Cocoa Correct answer.
  3. Wheat
  4. Olives

Explanation

Cocoa, along with coffee, cotton and rubber, became a leading export crop during colonial rule and remains important to the economy. Wheat, barley and olives are temperate crops not suited to Cameroon's climate. The plantation economy was built around tropical cash crops.

Question 22History

The construction of the Douala–Yaoundé railway during the colonial period was intended mainly to:

  1. provide a route for military invasion of Chad
  2. transport agricultural produce and timber from the interior to the coast Correct answer.
  3. serve as a tourist route to the mountains
  4. link Cameroon to the Nigerian railway network

Explanation

Colonial railways were built to move export commodities from producing areas to ports, and the Douala–Yaoundé line served that purpose. It was not a tourist project, did not connect to Nigeria, and was not designed for invading Chad. Transport infrastructure followed economic extraction needs.

Question 23History

What was the main grievance behind the Bamileke and Bassa uprisings in the late 1950s?

  1. Rejection of reunification with Southern Cameroons
  2. Opposition to forced labour, taxation and French colonial rule Correct answer.
  3. Demand for the restoration of the German colonial administration
  4. Support for British annexation of the territory

Explanation

These uprisings expressed widespread resentment of forced labour, heavy taxation, land alienation and French colonial repression. They were not calls for a return to German rule or for British annexation. Reunification was a separate political question.

Question 24History

Which factor best explains why the German colonial economy in Cameroon relied heavily on forced labour rather than wage incentives?

  1. German law prohibited the payment of wages to Africans
  2. Planters needed large cheap workforces and local people preferred independent farming Correct answer.
  3. The League of Nations required unpaid labour
  4. There were no local populations available for work

Explanation

Because local communities preferred their own farms to low colonial wages, planters used coercion to secure labour. German law did not ban wages outright, and populations were available but unwilling on colonial terms. The League mandate came after German rule ended.

Question 25History

Which statement best assesses the legacy of the 1961 reunification for Southern Cameroons?

  1. It gained complete independence outside Cameroon
  2. It was absorbed into Nigeria after a second plebiscite
  3. It joined a larger state but soon lost the federal autonomy it had been promised Correct answer.
  4. It immediately became the dominant partner in the federation

Explanation

Southern Cameroons entered the federation as West Cameroon with promised autonomy, but the 1972 referendum abolished the federal structure, reducing that autonomy. It did not become the dominant partner or gain independence. No second plebiscite transferred it to Nigeria.

Question 26History

Which German colonial administrator governed Kamerun during the period of the major Douala and hinterland resistance campaigns of the 1880s and 1890s?

  1. Jesko von Puttkamer Correct answer.
  2. Karl Ebermaier
  3. Theodor Seitz
  4. Eugen von Zimmerer

Explanation

Jesko von Puttkamer was governor of Kamerun for much of the 1890s and is associated with the era of early resistance to German penetration, including the campaigns against Douala and Bakweri communities. Later governors such as Seitz and Ebermaier came in the twentieth century.

Question 27History

Which treaty or agreement of 1884 transferred sovereignty over the Douala area to Germany, marking the formal start of German colonial rule in Kamerun?

  1. The Berlin West Africa Conference Act
  2. The Treaty of Fes
  3. The Anglo-German Agreement of 1885
  4. The Germano-Douala Treaty signed with Douala chiefs Correct answer.

Explanation

In July 1884 German representatives signed a treaty with Douala chiefs, notably around the Akwa quarter, ceding sovereignty to the German Empire. This treaty is the formal legal basis for the German protectorate over Kamerun.

Question 28History

Which African kingdom in the Bamenda highlands resisted German penetration in the early twentieth century and was subdued only after a military expedition?

  1. The Kingdom of Bali Nyonga
  2. The Kingdom of Bamum Correct answer.
  3. The Duala chiefdoms
  4. The Kotoko sultanate

Explanation

The Kingdom of Bamum, ruled by Sultan Njoya, was incorporated into German Kamerun after military pressure, and Njoya later cooperated with the Germans while developing a written script. The other listed polities were either coastal or northern and followed different trajectories.

Question 29History

The League of Nations mandate system after World War I required the mandatory power in Cameroon to:

  1. Govern the territory as an integral part of its own national territory
  2. Hand the territory to the United Nations
  3. Report annually to the League and promote the welfare of the inhabitants Correct answer.
  4. Grant immediate independence to the territory

Explanation

Mandates were not annexations; the mandatory power had to administer the territory and submit annual reports to the Permanent Mandates Commission of the League. The principle of tutelage, rather than annexation, distinguished mandates from colonies.

Question 30History

Which of the following best describes the 'indigénat' system as applied in French Cameroon?

  1. A scheme granting French citizenship to all Africans
  2. A code of customary law applied to European settlers
  3. A land registration system for European plantations
  4. A set of administrative penalties imposed on Africans without ordinary judicial process Correct answer.

Explanation

The indigénat was a regime of administrative sanctions imposed on colonised subjects outside the regular courts, allowing administrators to punish Africans for infractions not defined in ordinary law. It reinforced the unequal legal status between citizens and subjects in French colonial territories.

Question 31History

Which Cameroonian nationalist figure was a trade unionist and political leader who founded the Union des Populations du Cameroun (UPC) in 1948?

  1. Ruben Um Nyobè Correct answer.
  2. John Ngu Foncha
  3. Félix-Roland Moumié
  4. Ahmadou Ahidjo

Explanation

Ruben Um Nyobè was the founding leader of the UPC, formed in 1948 as a nationalist party demanding independence and reunification. He was killed by French forces in 1958 while leading the armed struggle.

Question 32History

In 1955 the French government banned the UPC, prompting many of its leaders to take up arms. This armed struggle is often referred to as:

  1. The Rassemblement
  2. The Maquis Correct answer.
  3. The Mau Mau
  4. The Chimurenga

Explanation

The UPC's guerrilla campaign in French Cameroon, especially in the Sanaga-Maritime and Bamileke regions, is known as the maquis, a term borrowed from the French Resistance. It was suppressed with heavy military force before and after independence.

Question 33History

Which colonial power administered Northern Cameroons as a separate trust territory, with its future decided by a plebiscite in 1961?

  1. France
  2. Britain Correct answer.
  3. Portugal
  4. Belgium

Explanation

Northern Cameroons was administered by Britain as part of its Nigerian trust territory, and in the 1961 plebiscite its population voted to join Nigeria rather than Cameroon. Southern Cameroons, also under British administration, voted to join the Republic of Cameroon.

Question 34History

What was the principal reason Britain administered Southern Cameroons as part of Nigeria rather than as a separate territory?

  1. Administrative convenience given the territory's small size and shared boundaries Correct answer.
  2. Pressure from the United Nations to merge the territory with Nigeria
  3. A League of Nations ruling that required integration with Nigeria
  4. A treaty with France ceding the territory to Nigeria

Explanation

Britain chose to administer the small Southern Cameroons territory as an integral part of its Nigerian administration, using Nigerian civil servants and institutions. This arrangement later complicated the plebiscite and reunification process.

Question 35History

The 1961 plebiscite in Southern Cameroons offered voters a choice between:

  1. Independence and union with Nigeria
  2. Remaining a British trust territory and union with Cameroon
  3. Union with Cameroon and independence
  4. Union with Nigeria and union with the Republic of Cameroon Correct answer.

Explanation

The United Nations-organised plebiscite asked the people of Southern Cameroons whether they wished to achieve independence by joining Nigeria or by joining the Republic of Cameroon. A majority chose union with Cameroon, and reunification took effect on 1 October 1961.

Question 36History

Which conference brought Southern Cameroons and French Cameroon representatives together at Foumban in 1961 to discuss the terms of reunification?

  1. The Foumban Constitutional Conference Correct answer.
  2. The Douala Convention
  3. The Buea Accord
  4. The Yaoundé Round Table

Explanation

The Foumban Conference of July 1961 gathered delegates from Southern Cameroons and the Republic of Cameroon to negotiate the constitutional arrangements for reunification. Its outcome shaped the federal structure adopted later that year.

Question 37History

Under the 1961 federal constitution, the Federal Republic of Cameroon was composed of how many federated states?

  1. Two Correct answer.
  2. Six
  3. Four
  4. Three

Explanation

The 1961 constitution created a federation of two states: West Cameroon, corresponding to the former Southern Cameroons, and East Cameroon, the former French Cameroon. Each state had its own government and legislature within the federation.

Question 38History

Which Southern Cameroons political party, led by John Ngu Foncha, campaigned for union with French Cameroon in the 1961 plebiscite?

  1. The Cameroon People's National Convention
  2. The Kamerun United National Congress
  3. The Union des Populations du Cameroun
  4. The Kamerun National Democratic Party Correct answer.

Explanation

The Kamerun National Democratic Party, led by John Ngu Foncha, campaigned for reunification with French Cameroon. Its main rival, the Kamerun United National Congress, favoured union with Nigeria.

Question 39History

Which of the following was a principal grievance of the Bamileke and Bassa populations in the late 1950s in French Cameroon?

  1. The abolition of traditional chieftaincies
  2. Forced labour, land alienation and political repression under French rule Correct answer.
  3. The imposition of the English language in administration
  4. Exclusion from the plantation economy

Explanation

Discontent in the Bamileke and Bassa regions centred on forced labour, land expropriation for European plantations and harsh repression of nationalist movements. These grievances fed support for the UPC insurgency.

Question 40History

Which economic activity dominated the German colonial economy in the Mount Cameroon region and relied heavily on imported and forced labour?

  1. Iron smelting
  2. Gold mining
  3. Fishing and salt production
  4. Large-scale plantation agriculture, especially cocoa and rubber Correct answer.

Explanation

German Kamerun's economy was built around plantations producing cocoa, rubber, palm oil and bananas, concentrated on the fertile slopes of Mount Cameroon. Because local populations resisted wage labour, the Germans resorted to forced recruitment and labour from distant regions.

Question 41History

Which of the following best explains why the German colonial economy in Kamerun relied heavily on forced labour rather than voluntary wage labour?

  1. There were no plantations in German Kamerun
  2. Local populations had viable subsistence economies and resisted plantation work Correct answer.
  3. German law prohibited the payment of wages to Africans
  4. African communities preferred to work on European plantations for low pay

Explanation

Because many communities could sustain themselves through subsistence farming and trade, they were unwilling to accept the low wages and harsh conditions of plantation work. The colonial state therefore used coercion, taxation and chieftaincy pressure to compel labour.

Question 42History

What was the main purpose of the system of 'native courts' established under British indirect rule in Southern Cameroons?

  1. To recruit labour for plantations
  2. To administer customary law and maintain order under chiefly authority Correct answer.
  3. To try Europeans accused of crimes
  4. To collect taxes for the League of Nations

Explanation

Native courts applied customary law and handled local disputes under the supervision of British district officers, forming a key pillar of indirect rule. They extended administration cheaply while preserving the appearance of traditional authority.

Question 43History

Which of the following best characterises the French policy of 'association' as distinct from 'assimilation' in Cameroon?

  1. It aimed to make Africans French citizens with full political rights
  2. It transferred legislative power to African assemblies
  3. It accepted African institutions and elites while keeping ultimate authority French Correct answer.
  4. It required the abandonment of all customary law

Explanation

Association recognised local institutions and customs and relied on cooperative African elites, but real decision-making power remained with the French administration. Assimilation, by contrast, aimed at cultural and political absorption into French citizenship for a small elite.

Question 44History

Which post-independence leader of Cameroon pursued a policy of national integration and 'balanced development' between the former French and British zones?

  1. Ernest Ouandié
  2. Ruben Um Nyobè
  3. Ahmadou Ahidjo Correct answer.
  4. John Ngu Foncha

Explanation

Ahmadou Ahidjo, president from 1960 to 1982, promoted national integration and balanced development between East and West Cameroon as part of his effort to consolidate the new state. He also moved to abolish the federation in 1972.

Question 45History

Which event in 1972 replaced the federal structure of Cameroon with a unitary state?

  1. A United Nations resolution
  2. A national referendum Correct answer.
  3. A military coup
  4. A constitutional amendment by parliament alone

Explanation

A national referendum in May 1972 approved the replacement of the federation by a unitary state, renamed the United Republic of Cameroon. The change reduced the autonomy of the former West Cameroon.

Question 46History

Which of the following best assesses the legacy of the 1961 reunification for Southern Cameroons?

  1. It immediately integrated Southern Cameroons into a unitary state
  2. It had no effect on the region's political institutions
  3. It produced a durable federal arrangement that preserved regional autonomy
  4. It promised equality within a union but gradually reduced the region's autonomy Correct answer.

Explanation

Reunification promised a partnership of equals within a federation, but the 1972 referendum and later constitutional changes progressively reduced the autonomy of the former Southern Cameroons. This gap between promise and practice has remained a source of political tension.

Question 47History

Which of the following was a major export crop that shaped Cameroon's colonial and post-colonial economy?

  1. Rice
  2. Cotton
  3. Wheat
  4. Cocoa Correct answer.

Explanation

Cocoa, along with coffee, timber and palm products, became a leading export crop in southern Cameroon and remained central to the post-colonial economy. Wheat is not a significant Cameroonian crop.

Question 48History

Which factor best explains the persistence of the Anglophone problem in Cameroon after 1972?

  1. The decision of Britain to reclaim the Southern Cameroons
  2. The refusal of Anglophone regions to participate in national elections
  3. The loss of federal autonomy and perceived marginalisation of Anglophone institutions Correct answer.
  4. The complete absence of English-speaking officials in the administration

Explanation

The abolition of the federation in 1972 removed the institutional guarantees that had protected Anglophone identity, and subsequent centralisation, appointment patterns and language policy fed perceptions of marginalisation. This is the core of the Anglophone problem.

Question 49History

Which of the following was a consequence of the 1990 law reintroducing multi-party politics in Cameroon?

  1. The withdrawal of Cameroon from the United Nations
  2. The legalisation of opposition parties and competitive elections Correct answer.
  3. The immediate dissolution of the ruling party
  4. The restoration of the federal system

Explanation

The December 1990 law legalised political pluralism, allowing opposition parties to operate and contest elections. The ruling party retained power, but the political landscape became competitive in form.

Question 50History

Which of the following best explains why the French policy of direct rule in Cameroon still relied on African chiefs?

  1. The French had no administrative personnel in the territory
  2. French law required the preservation of all traditional institutions
  3. Chiefs served as agents of the administration, collecting taxes and enforcing orders Correct answer.
  4. Chiefs held sovereign legislative power

Explanation

Although direct rule placed French administrators at the top of the hierarchy, chiefs were retained as subordinate agents responsible for taxation, labour recruitment and local order. This made the system cheaper and more effective than ruling without local intermediaries.