Wau, South Sudan

Wau
واو
City
Huts outside Wau, 2008
Huts outside Wau, 2008
Motto(s): 
Arabic: واو نار, romanized: Wau Naar Wau Nuur Wau Mayi Nom
English: "Wau is Fire, Wau Is Light, Wau Shall Not Sleep"
Wau is located in South Sudan
Wau
Wau
Wau is located in Africa
Wau
Wau
Coordinates: 07°42′00″N 28°00′00″E / 7.70000°N 28.00000°E / 7.70000; 28.00000
Country South Sudan
RegionBahr el Ghazal
StateWestern Bahr el Ghazal
CountyWau County
Elevation
433 m (1,420 ft)
Population
 (2022)
 • Total320,752[1]
Time zoneUTC+2 (CAT)

Wau (Arabic: واو, romanized: Wāw; also known as Wow, Waw, or Wau Town)[2] is a town, locally referred to as a city, in northwestern South Sudan on the western bank of Jur River (Luo River.) It is the capital of Western Bahr el Ghazal region in South Sudan.[3] It lies approximately 650 kilometres (400 mi) northwest of the capital, Juba.[4] It is a diverse small urban center (town) and a trading hub. The city has been a municipality since 2012 and is governed by a mayor who the state governor usually appoints. The city comprises several neighborhoods including Nazareth, Hai Fahal, Sika Hadid, and Daraja.

  1. ^ "Wau County, Western Bahr El Ghazal State". Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  2. ^ PSI et al. (2014), p. 4.
  3. ^ Fighting in Wau; Red cross calls for civilians to be spared Archived 18 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine Radio Tamazuj
  4. ^ calculate travel time. "Estimated Road Distance Between Juba And Wau". Travelmath.com. Retrieved 11 April 2013.