Garoua is less than 200 kilometers from Maroua. The two towns have lots of similarities in terms of the ethnic groups that live in them. This is the place of origin of the first president of the republic; Ahmadou Ahidjo. It was initially the capital of the was is today referred to as the great North; this includes the territories of the Adamawa, the Norh and Far North provinces. This lasted up till 1983 when it was split up into the different administrative units earlier mentioned. This town is also an important tourist site and has an international airport that serves as a stop over for pilgrims from Mecca. It has the greatest mosque in the northern part of the country. It has a population of more than 200 000 inhabitants and is a centre of business for businessmen who do internal and external business with Nigeria. It is also a good tourist destination especially for those interested in seeing the lamidos and their traditional palaces.
This town is also one of the most prosperous agricultural centers in Cameroon. It is the site for the agro industrial firm involved in cotton production (SODECOTON) as well as other primary products like sorghum, onions, maize etc. It is also an important centre of grazing cattle, goats and sheep in Cameroon; reason why strategies have been put in place to improve on its productivity through the creation of a national laboratory and veterinary ( Lanavet).