Wau, South Sudan

Wau
واو
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
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)
  Total
320,752
Time zoneUTC+2 (CAT)

Wau (Arabic: واو, romanized: Wāw; also known as Wow, Waw, or Wau Town) is a town, locally referred to as a city, in northwestern South Sudan on the western bank of Jur River. It is the capital of Western Bahr el Ghazal region in South Sudan. It lies approximately 650 kilometres (400 mi) northwest of the capital, Juba. 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.