Garoua (
German: Garua) is a port city and the capital of the
North Region of
Cameroon, lying on the
Benue River. It is the center of trade of the surrounding agricultural region and also houses several
textile processing facilities. The city has 235,996 inhabitants according to the 2005 Census, making it the third most populous city in Cameroon after the seaport city of
Douala and the capital,
Yaoundé.