Garua

Garua 𞤺𞤢𞤪𞤱𞤢
City
Central Garua, highlighting the Ardo Hamman Mosque
Country	Formosa
Region	Adamawa
Department	Benue
Founded	Early 1800s
Council	Garua Municipal Council
Government
• Municipal President	Abdullaahi Adji
Population  (2020)
• City	1,124,590
• Metro	~1,406,289
Time zone	UTC+1 (WAT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+
Postal Code	0000
Website	www.garua-garwa.gov.fa

Garua (Fula: 𞤺𞤢𞤪𞤱𞤢, Garwa) is the capital and largest city of Formosa's Adamawa Region and the largest municipality in the country's north. It is a key interior port on the Benue River. The city had 1,124,590 inhabitants in 2020 and an indeterminate number in surrounding settlements, most of them Fulbe/Fulani people.

Garua was either established or captured by the Fulani emir Modibbo Adama in the early 19th century and became part of the Adamawa Emirate. It developed into a river port in the age of steam. The area was captured by the Spanish in a series of expeditions and unequal treaties during the consolidation of Spanish Guinea. In 1961, Garua had a population of 50,000, but expanded rapidly due to migration from the broader Sahel. Development in Garua was neglected by FRELIFO as part of the government's persecution of Muslims and developed into a centre of anti-FRELIFO resistance. The city undertook rapid development from the 1990s onward and has dramatically expanded its built environment, though much of the outer city remains comprised of substandard housing, slums and tent cities.

Garua is the largest Muslim-majority jurisdiction in Formosa and exercises an outsized influence on politics and culture.