major fabric production centre. Rutile is mined at Akonolinga. Transportation The Centre is the crossroads of Cameroon, and as such, it is well equipped to handle the large amount of traffic that passes through. Most roads between towns and to neighbouring provinces are paved, and most of these lead to Yaoundé. The capital also serves as the transportation and shipping heart of the area, and to a smaller extent, Cameroon as a whole. National Road 1 heads from Yaoundé all the way to Kousséri and Fotoko in the Far North Province. National Road 2 heads south from the capital to Ambam before continuing into Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. National Road 3, Cameroon's most heavily trafficked and thus most dangerous, covers the stretch between Yaoundé and Douala. National Road 4 travels northwest to Bafoussam in the West Province. National Road 9, one of the few that do not travel through the capital, begins at Mbalmayo and leads to the South Province towns of Sangmélima, Djoum, and Mintom. Finally, National Road 10 travels east from Yaoundé to Ayos and ultimately Bonis in the East Province. The Centre also forms an important hub of transportation by rail, air, and river. Train lines travel from Yaoundé to Douala and to Ngaoundéré in the north. An international airport is located just outside Yaoundé at Nsimalen, and airstrips are at Akonolinga, Bafia, Eséka, Mbandjock, and Nanga Eboko. The Nyong River is navigable from Mbalmayo northeast to Abong-Mbang in the East during the wet season. Tourism Many international visitors to Cameroon see at least the city of Yaoundé, if nowhere else. The majority of these travellers visit on company or government business, so the Centre sees little tourism per se. Yaoundé does offer many hotels, however, to handle the business and diplomatic traffic through the city. It is also the location of several manmade lakes used for sport and bathing. Most of Cameroon's monuments and museums are located in the capital. Several of the province's traditional chief's compounds are accessible to visitors. Among these is the compound of Matip Ma Ndombol of the Ndjogjel district of Eséka. Administration and social conditions Cameroon's president, Paul Biya, has his official residence in Yaoundé, though he spends much of his time abroad. Biya enjoys a great deal of political support from the Centre's Beti majority, thanks in part to his policy of staffing the government and government-owned businesses with plenty