Gabu is the largest town in eastern Guinea-Bissau and capital of the

Gabu Region Gabú Region is the easternmost region in Guinea-Bissau. Its capital is Gabú. The region borders Senegal to the north, Guinea to the east and south and the Guinea-Bissau regions of Tombali and Bafatá to the west. It covers an area of 9,150& ...

History

From 1537, the town was the centre of the eponymous kingdom of

Kaabu The Kaabu Empire (1537–1867), also written Gabu, Ngabou, and N'Gabu, was an empire in the Senegambia region centered within modern northeastern Guinea-Bissau, larger parts of today's Gambia; extending into Koussanar, Koumpentoum, regions ...

, also written Ngabou or N’Gabu. Its population was originally a Mandé people from what is currently Mali, and the kingdom was initially vassal to the

Mali Empire The Mali Empire ( Manding: ''Mandé''Ki-Zerbo, Joseph: ''UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, Abridged Edition: Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century'', p. 57. University of California Press, 1997. or Manden; ar, مالي, Māl ...

. As the latter waned, Sama Koli, Gabu's governor, proclaimed himself king, but maintained many of the trappings of Malian cultural heritage. The kingdom built earthen ramparts around the settlement (now vanished) and established trade relations with the Portuguese on the coast. In the early nineteenth century, the Fula ethnic group converted to Islam and began the Kansala War to end Mandé dominance. It ended with a big fire which caused extensive damage and casualties on both sides. Gabu there after became linked with the Imamate of Futa Jallon and was finally assimilated into the Portuguese Empire. The Portuguese named the town "Nova Lamego" ie "New Lamego", after the Douro town of Lamego. It was renamed Gabu (sometimes spelled CabuLonely Planet ''Africa on a Shoestring'' 4th edition, p238) after Guinea Bissau's independence.

Trade

Gabu is now mostly known as a market town with the second largest market of Guinea-Bissau, notably trading coal and ceramics as well as agricultural products. Traders come from as far afield as

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

and Senegal.

Climate

Gabú has a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen ''Aw''), similar to that of the capital

Bissau Bissau () is the capital, and largest city of Guinea-Bissau. Bissau had a population of 492,004. Bissau is located on the Geba River estuary, off the Atlantic Ocean, and is Guinea-Bissau's largest city, major port, and its administrative and m ...

but with – due to its inland location – about a quarter less rainfall and larger diurnal temperature variations. As with all of Guinea-Bissau, there are two extremely contrasting seasons: a dry season from November to May with dusty

harmattan The Harmattan is a season in West Africa that occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. It is characterized by the dry and dusty northeasterly trade wind, of the same name, which blows from the Sahara over West Africa into the ...

winds and hot to sweltering, rainless weather, and a monsoonal wet season from June to October featuring heavy thunderstorm rains almost every day and hot, uncomfortably humid conditions.

References

Gabu Region Populated places in Guinea-Bissau Sectors of Guinea-Bissau {{GuineaBissau-geo-stub