Gau (territory)
Gau (German: [ɡaʊ] ; Dutch: gouw [ɣʌu] ; West Frisian: gea [ɡɪə] or goa [ɡoə]) is a Germanic term for a region within a country, often a former or current province. It was used in the Middle Ages, when it can be seen as roughly corresponding to an English shire.