Wau
واو | |
---|---|
![]() Huts outside Wau, 2008 | |
Motto(s): | |
Coordinates: 07°42′00″N 28°00′00″E / 7.70000°N 28.00000°E | |
Country | ![]() |
Region | Bahr el Ghazal |
State | Western Bahr el Ghazal |
County | Wau County |
Elevation | 433 m (1,420 ft) |
Population (2022) | |
• Total | 320,752[1] |
Time zone | UTC+2 (CAT) |
Wau (Arabic: واو, romanized: Wāw; also known as Wow, Waw, or Wau Town)[2] is a city in northwestern South Sudan, on the western bank of the Jur River, that serves as capital for Western Bahr el Ghazal (and formerly Wau State).[3] It lies approximately 650 kilometres (400 mi) northwest of the capital Juba.[4] A culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse urban center and trading hub, Wau is also the former headquarters of Western Bahr el Ghazal. 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, Lokloko, Sika Hadid, Daraja, and many more.