town located in northern Cameroon. It is situated in the foothills of the Mandara Mountains, along the Mayo (“River”) Kaliao. An important marketing centre, it lies at the intersection of roads from Mokolo (northwest), Bogo (northeast), and Garoua (southwest). The town's agricultural exports are shipped by road to Garoua and then by boat on the Benue River to Nigeria. A textile research institute, a cotton factory to the south, and an agricultural school reinforce Maroua's position as a major trade centre. The town is a handicraft centre (embroidery, leatherwork and metalwork, jewelry, pottery) and also contains an ethnographic museum. It has a hospital, a customs station, a veterinary station, a Protestant church, and several mosques. Waza National Park is nearby to the north. Pop. (2004 est.) 297,600.