GAROUA, APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE OF. — Located in French Cameroon, it borders Lake Chad to the north. It was erected on 9 January 1947 from the northern territory of the Apostolic Vicariate of Foumban and entrusted to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. In this vast area, missionary work had only just begun, especially since the center is the completely Islamized town of Adama.
The rest of the territory is inhabited by pagans, the majority of whom are animists. The seat of the Ordinary can communicate with the various districts. The climate is very hot and dry. The population is approximately 1,100,000 inhabitants, of whom 503,357 are Muslims and 509,000 are pagans. In the northern regions, the population density is approximately 15 per sq. km, and only 4 per sq. km in the more Islamized region of Ngaoundéré. The languages spoken include Fulfulde, a type of Arabic dialect, Sara, and Bannato. Protestants have also begun some foundations north of Ngaoundéré and number approximately 2,745 adherents. The area covers 140,000 sq. km, with 609 indigenous Catholics, 403 foreign Catholics, and 408 catechumens. There are 20 missionaries in total, including 8 sisters, distributed across 7 quasi-parishes, 8 primary stations, and 8 secondary stations.