Wau, South Sudan
| Wau | |
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| Motto: Arabic: واو نار English: Wau is Fire | |
 Wau
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| Coordinates: 07°42′00″N 28°00′00″E / 7.7°N 28°ECoordinates: 07°42′00″N 28°00′00″E / 7.7°N 28°E | |
| Country |  South Sudan |
| State | Western Bahr el Ghazal |
| County | Wau County |
| Elevation | 1,420 ft (433 m) |
| Population (2011 Estimate) | |
| • Total | 151,320 |
| Time zone | GMT+3 |
Wau (Arabic: واو Wāw; also Wow or Waw) is a city in South Sudan.
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[edit] Location
It lies on the western bank of the Jur River, in Wau County, Western Bahr el Ghazal State, in northwestern South Sudan. Its location lies approximately 650 kilometres (400 mi), northwest of Juba, the capital and largest city in that country.[1] The geographical coordinates of the city of Wau are: 7° 42' 0.00"N, 28° 0' 0.00"E (Latitude: 7.7000; Longitude: 28.0000).
[edit] History
Wau was initially established as a zariba (fortified base) by slave-traders in the 19th century. During the time of Anglo-Egyptian condominium rule in Sudan, the city became an administrative center.
Burr and Collins in 1994 described Wau:[2] as follows:
No one has ever been “at home” in Wau. Situated on the fringe of the Dinka country, it is surrounded by a host of disorganized and diverse peoples . . . It was and remains a town belonging to no single ethnic group, deriving its importance only from its position as a commercial and administrative center . . . Located in the midst of the vast Nilotic plain hundreds of miles from nowhere, it was miserable under the best of circumstances . . .
During Second Sudanese Civil War, it was a garrison town of the Khartoum-based Sudanese Armed Forces, and was the scene of extensive fighting in the spring of 1998. Battles erupted again in the town in the spring of 2007, killing several hundred people.
[edit] Overview
The city of Wau is the headquarters of Wau County, in which it lies. It also serves as the capital of Western Bahr el Ghazal State, one of the ten (10) states which constitute the Republic of South Sudan. The city is a culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse urban center. Its residents include peoples of Fertit, Dinka, Luo, and Arab ethnicity.
[edit] Population and demographics
In 2008, Wau was the third-largest city in South Sudan, by population, behind Juba the capital and Malakal, in Upper Nile State. At that time, the estimated population of the city of Wau was about 128,100.[3] In 2011, the city's population was estimated at about 151,320.[4]
| Year | Population[5] |
|---|---|
| 1973 | 52,800 |
| 1983 | 58,000 |
| 1993 | 84,000 |
| 2010 | 128,100 |
| 2011 | 151,320 |
[edit] Transport and infrastructure
- Wau is the terminus of a narrow gauge branch line of the Sudan Railways. A plan exists, as of 2008, to open a standard gauge line north from Gulu in Uganda to Wau. Through trains from Khartoum to Mombasa would be possible only if one of the lines was regauged.
- Wau Airport - The airport, (IATA: WUU, ICAO: HSWW) has a single unpaved runway which measures 1,506 metres (4,941 ft) in length.
- The city hosts University of Bahr El-Ghazal and many secondary and primary schools.
- The Catholic University of South Sudan maintains a campus in the city.[6]
- Wau Stadium - A soccer stadium in the middle of town
- The Cathedral in Wau is known as the Largest of former Sudan
- There are five (5) main roads out of town:
- B38-North leads directly north to Gogrial, South Sudan
- B43-South leads souheast to Tonj, South Sudan
- A44-South leads directly south to Tumbura, South Sudan
- B41-West leads west to Raga, South Sudan
- B43-North leads northwest to Aweil, South Sudan
- Southern National Park - Located about 100 kilometres (62 mi), by road, south of Wau along A44-South
[edit] Economy
Wau is a vibrant economic center in the newly established Republic of South Sudan. The major contributors to the local economy include the following: (a) Wau Airport (b) University of Bahr El-Ghazal, (c) Western Bahr el Ghazal State Government (d) the Wau Campus of Catholic University of South Sudan (e) Wau County Government (f) A branch of Buffalo Commercial Bank (g) A branch of Equity Bank (South Sudan)[7] (h) A branch of Ivory Bank (i) A branch of Kenya Commercial Bank (South Sudan)[8]
[edit] Geography and climate
Wau has two seasons: a dry season from November to March, and a rainy season the rest of the year, as depicted in the referenced box below:
| Climate data for Wau, South Sudan | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 35 (95) |
36 (97) |
37 (99) |
37 (99) |
35 (95) |
33 (91) |
31 (88) |
31 (88) |
32 (90) |
33 (91) |
35 (95) |
35 (95) |
28 (82) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 31 (88) |
27 (81) |
29 (84) |
29 (84) |
28 (82) |
27 (81) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
26 (79) |
26 (79) |
27 (81) |
26 (79) |
27.2 (80.9) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 28 (82) |
18 (64) |
21 (70) |
22 (72) |
21 (70) |
21 (70) |
20 (68) |
20 (68) |
20 (68) |
20 (68) |
19 (66) |
17 (63) |
21 (70) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 0 (0) |
0 (0) |
20 (0.79) |
60 (2.36) |
130 (5.12) |
160 (6.3) |
190 (7.48) |
200 (7.87) |
160 (6.3) |
120 (4.72) |
10 (0.39) |
0 (0) |
1,050 (41.34) |
| % humidity | 34 | 31 | 35 | 50 | 59 | 64 | 70 | 71 | 67 | 63 | 50 | 40 | 52.8 |
| Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 70 |
| Source: Weatherbase[9] | |||||||||||||
[edit] Notable people
Some of the notable people from Wau incliude the following:
- Luol Deng - National Basketball Association (NBA) player
- Deng Gai - Another NBA player
- Alek Wek - British fashion model
[edit] Photos and maps
- Photos of Wau, Taken In 2010
- Detailed Map of The City of Wau
- Photos of Wau River Lodge, A Private Establishment
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Estimated Road Distance Between Juba And Wau
- ^ * Burr, J.M. and Collins, R.O. (1994) Requiem for the Sudan: War, Drought and Disaster Relief on the Nile. Westview Press, Boulder, CO, USA, p. 74
- ^ Estimated Population of Sudanese Cities & Towns In 2010
- ^ Estimated Population of Waw In 2011
- ^ Estimated Population of Wau (1973 - 2010)
- ^ Catholic University Maintains A Campus In Wau
- ^ Equity Bank Expands In South Sudan
- ^ KCB Eaxpands Branch Network In South Sudan
- ^ "Weatherbase - Waw, South Sudan". Weatherbase. http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherall.php3?s=8826&. Retrieved 2011-07-07.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Wau |
- Location of Wau At Google Maps
- Human Rights Watch (1999) Famine in Sudan, 1998: The Human Rights Causes.
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