The constitution

Constitution of Cameroon

The Constitution of Cameroon is the supreme law of the Republic of Cameroon. The document consists of a preamble and 13 Parts, each divided into Articles...

 divides Cameroon into 10 semi-autonomous regions, each under the administration of an elected Regional Council

Regional Council (Cameroon)

Regional Councils are, nominally, the governing bodies of the regions of Cameroon. As defined by the Constitution of Cameroon, the councils have control of cultural, economic, educational, health-related, social, and sport-related issues in the regions. The members of each council are delegates...

. A presidential decree of 12 November 2008 officially instigated the change from provinces to regions. Each region is headed by a presidentially appointed governor. These leaders are charged with implementing the will of the president, reporting on the general mood and conditions of the regions, administering the civil service, keeping the peace, and overseeing the heads of the smaller administrative units. Governors have broad powers: they may order propaganda in their area and call in the army, gendarmes

Gendarmerie

A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...

, and police. All local government officials are employees of the central government’s Ministry of Territorial Administration, from which local governments also get most of their budgets.

The regions are subdivided into 58 divisions (French ). These are headed by presidentially appointed divisional officers , who perform the governors' duties on a smaller scale. The divisions are further sub-divided into sub-divisions , headed by assistant divisional officers . The districts, administered by district heads , are the smallest administrative units. These are found in large sub-divisions and in regions that are difficult to reach.

The three northernmost regions are the Far North , North , and Adamawa . Directly south of them are the Centre  and East . The South Province  lies on the Gulf of Guinea and the southern border. Cameroon's western region is split into four smaller regions: The Littoral  and Southwest  regions are on the coast, and the Northwest  and West regions are in the western grassfields. The Northwest and Southwest were once part of British Cameroons; the other regions were in French Cameroun.