Yaoundé, also spelled Yaunde, city and capital of Cameroon. It is situated on a hilly, forested plateau between the Nyong and Sanaga rivers in the south-central part of the country.
Founded in 1888 during the period of the German protectorate, Yaoundé was occupied by Belgian troops in 1915 and was declared the capital of French Cameroun in 1922. From 1940 to 1946 it was replaced as the capital by Douala, but after independence it became the seat of the government of Cameroun in 1960, of the federal government in 1961, and of the united republic in 1972 (see Cameroon: The mandates).