With an estimated population 1,430,000 (2004), Yaoundé is the capital city of Cameroon and second largest city in the country after Douala. It lies in the centre of the nation at about 750 meters above sea level and is located at 3°52' North, 11°31' East. The city is situated on a hilly, forested plateau between the Nyong and Sanaga rivers in the south-central part of the country.

Major industries in the city include cigarettes, dairy products, breweries, clay, glass goods, and lumber. Yaoundé is a regional distribution center for coffee, cacao, copra, sugar cane, and rubber. The city is also contains several small manufacturing and processing industries (cigarette factory, brewery, sawmills, and printing presses) and is also the market for one of the richest agricultural areas in the country. 

Yaoundé was founded in 1888 by German traders as a base for the ivory trade and an agricultural research station. During the World War I, the city was occupied by Belgian troops and became the capital of French Cameroon. It has continued as the capital of the Republic of Cameroon until the present day. From 1940 to 1946, it was replaced as the capital by Douala, but after independence it became the seat of government of Cameroun in 1960, of the federal government in 1961, and of the united republic in 1972. 

The city centre houses government offices, hotels and the central market. Attractions include the Cameroon Art Museum, the Cameroon National Museum, and the Afhemi Museum. There is a small zoo in the Mvog-Betsi neighborhood. The city is also home to an international airport while railway lines run to Douala and N'Gaoundéré.  

The city has numerous markets, with the market at Mokolo being one of the biggest. Compared to the hotter, noisier Douala, Yaounde is cooler. The city also boasts some unusual and surprisingly modern architecture, particularly with regards to many of the government ministries. The city also hosts The University of Yaoundé, the only University in the country. Natural features in the vicinity include Nachtigal Falls and a chain of grottoes known as Akok-Bekoe (Grottoes of the Pygmies).

References: 

www.britannica.com/eb/article-9077820/Yaounde
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaoundé