Cameroon had a difficult coming of age. After the Germans were defeated in World War I, the colony was divided between the British and the French. Both colonies achieved independence in 1960. A year later, they formed a loose federation, with capitals in Yaounde and Buea. The federation proved difficult to manage, however, and in 1972 the two Cameroons were finally united as a republic.
In its first years as a new nation, Cameroon appeared to be a model for developing African countries: a stable, multicultural society, with a well-maintained infrastructure and a high standard of living. The only thing lacking was democracy—the country had always been under strict one-party rule, and in the years after independence, tensions slowly developed. The ruling party, headed by Paul Biya, finally agreed to hold democratic elections in 1992, and although the opposition was heavily intimidated—six members were shot and its rallies were dispersed by riot police—Cameroonians for the first time were allowed to choose who would run their country.
The ruling party's victory did little to ease the pressures building in the country, however. Despite its rich resources, Cameroon began to languish economically and had to be rescued by the International Monetary Fund. Biya was re-elected again in 1997 and 2004.
