Gau (plural
Gaue,
Dutch:
gouw,
Frisian:
gea or
goa) is a
Germanic term for a region within a country, often a former or actual
province. It was used in medieval times, when it can be seen as roughly corresponding to an
English shire. The administrative use of the term was revived as a subdivision during the period of
Nazi Germany in 1933–1945. It still appears today in regional names, such as the
Ambergau.