A salient, panhandle, or bootheel is an elongated protrusion of a geopolitical entity, such as a subnational entity or a sovereign state.

Map of Namibia showing the Caprivi Strip in the country's northeast.

While similar to a peninsula in shape, a salient is most often not surrounded by water on three sides. Instead, it has a land border on at least two sides and extends from the larger geographical body of the administrative unit.

In American English, the term panhandle is often used to describe a relatively long and narrow salient, such as the westernmost extensions of Florida and Oklahoma, or the northernmost portion of Idaho. Another term is bootheel, used for the Missouri Bootheel and New Mexico Bootheel areas.

Origin

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The term salient is derived from military salients. The term "panhandle" derives from the analogous part of a frying pan, and its use is generally confined to North America.

The salient shape can be the result of arbitrarily drawn international or subnational boundaries, which serve to separate culturally unified peoples.[1] These occurred, for instance, during European colonialisation when colonial powers competed for Africa and the Western Hemisphere, after which post-colonial borders became based on colonial divisions.[2] In many cases these salients correspond to routes of expansion or bases for such expansion, as in Namibia and Mozambique.[3] Other modern salients originally served to provide barriers against other colonial powers, as with Britain against Tsarist Russia in Central Asia.[1]

Salients may also arise when a national government shifts territory between subnational entities for internal political reasons, as with West Virginia's eastern panhandle during the Civil War.[4] This also occurred with peripheral Tibetan-inhabited regions in Maoist China, which were split between provinces and from the Tibet Autonomous Region.[5]

The location of administrative borders can also take into account other considerations such as economic ties,[6] strategic needs,[7] history or topography. Even in these situations, however, salients frequently fail to follow clear and logical criteria, as seen with the partition of India and the resultant northeastern salient. Upon partition numerous majority-Muslim areas remained within Hindu India, and some non-Muslim-majority areas within the exclave of East Pakistan.[8]

Country-level salients

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Africa

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Far North Province of Cameroon
 
A map of the Congo Pedicle
Salient Country
Cibitoke Province   Burundi
Far North Region   Cameroon
Congo Pedicle   Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kongo Central
Southern Red Sea Region   Eritrea
Gambela Region   Ethiopia
Somali Region
Nimba County   Liberia
Nsanje District   Malawi
Kayes Region   Mali
Azawad
Tete Province   Mozambique
Caprivi Strip   Namibia
Casamance   Senegal
Kalahari Gemsbok National Park   South Africa
Upper Nile   South Sudan
Blue Nile   Sudan
Wadi Halfa Salient
Kagera Region   Tanzania
Cinkassé Prefecture   Togo

Asia

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Chittagong Division, Bangladesh
 
Map of India showing the Seven Sister states in the northeast plus the smaller salient of Sikkim immediately to their west.
 
The 14 provinces of Thailand forming the salient of Southern Thailand.
Salient Country
Wakhan Corridor   Afghanistan
Chittagong   Bangladesh
Rangpur
Sylhet
Western Belait District   Brunei
Myanmar Panhandle (Kayin State, Mon State and Tanintharyi Region)   Burma
Puta-O District
Maungdaw District
Mong Yawng Township
Parrot's Beak   Cambodia
Yadong County (Tibet Autonomous Region)   China
Seven Sister States (largest and most populous in the world)   India
Sikkim
West Timor   Indonesia
Jerusalem corridor   Israel
Galilee panhandle
Mafraq Governorate   Jordan
Mangystau Region   Kazakhstan
Batken   Kyrgyzstan
Phongsaly Province   Laos
Tfail Salient   Lebanon
North Hamgyŏng, South Hamgyŏng and Ryanggang   North Korea
Primorsky Krai   Russia
Sughd   Tajikistan
Southern Thailand   Thailand
Aralık, Iğdır Province   Turkey
Hatay Province
Tashkent Region   Uzbekistan
Fergana and Andijan Regions
Namangan
Tashkent City
Jizzakh Region
Sirdaryo Region
Surxondaryo Region
Tây Ninh Province   Vietnam

Europe

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County Donegal within Ireland, in darker green
 
Limburg shown within the Netherlands
Salient Country
Syunik   Armenia
Tyrol and Vorarlberg   Austria
West Flanders   Belgium
Tamashowka   Belarus
Neum   Bosnia and Herzegovina
Dubrovnik-Neretva County   Croatia
Ilok
Louroujina Salient   Cyprus
Aš administrative district   Czech Republic
Šluknov Hook
Laatre, Viljandi County   Estonia
Enontekiö   Finland
Charleville-Mézières   France
Kakheti   Georgia
Western Thrace   Greece
County Donegal   Ireland
County Monaghan
Province of Trieste   Italy
Dieveniškės appendix   Lithuania
Castelré, North Brabant   Netherlands
Limburg
County Fermanagh   United Kingdom
Pasvikdalen valley   Norway
Gmina Bogatynia   Poland
Kłodzko County
Melgaço and north of Monção and Arcos de Valdevez (Viana do Castelo District)   Portugal
Tourém in north of Montalegre (Vila Real District)
Miranda do Douro, Mogadouro and Vimioso (Bragança District)
Moura and eastern Barrancos (Beja District) and Mourão (Évora District)
Bryansk Oblast   Russia
Ain, (around the border of Switzerland)   France
Galicia   Spain
Slovene Istria   Slovenia
Prekmurje
Canton of Geneva    Switzerland
Canton of Schaffhausen
Bernina, Inn, Lugano, Mendrisio and Porrentruy Districts
Budjak   Ukraine
Jamena   Serbia
Petsamo   Finland
Enontekiö

South America

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Misiones Province within Argentina
Salient Country
Misiones   Argentina
Leticia Trapeze   Colombia
Southeast Guainía Department
Yavaraté, Vaupés Department
Petén Department   Guatemala
Tumbes Region   Peru
Amazonas   Venezuela

North America

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Salient Country
Southeast Alaska   United States
New England
South Texas
Southern Ontario (particularly Ontario Peninsula)   Canada
Tatshenshini-Alsek Park, British Columbia
Madawaska County, New Brunswick
Labrador West, Newfoundland and Labrador

Subnational salients

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The following locations are salients in First-level administrative subdivisions of nations.

Africa

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Location of Niari Department within the Republic of the Congo. The southeastern arm is the Kimongo District.
 
Location of the Fatick Region within Senegal. Gossas Department is the northeastern arm.
Salient Country
Tafraoui and Oran Province   Algeria
Southwestern Saïda Province
Northeastern Bié Province   Angola
Eastern Kgalagadi District   Botswana
Balé Province and Boucle du Mouhoun Region   Burkina Faso
Kouritenga Province, Centre-Est Region
Northwest Bujumbura Rural Province   Burundi
Northern Muyinga Province
Kimongo District, Niari Department   Republic of the Congo
Northwestern Wele-Nzas Province   Equatorial Guinea
Sitti Zone, Somali Region   Ethiopia
Haut-Komo Department, Woleu-Ntem Province   Gabon
Upper Denkyira West District, Central Region   Ghana
Télimélé Prefecture, Kindia Region   Guinea
Northeast Mamou Prefecture, Mamou Region
Western Isiolo County   Kenya
Eastern Al Wahat District   Libya
Southern Mzimba District, Northern Region   Malawi
Eastern Dakhlet Nouadhibou Region   Mauritania
Boumdeid Department, Assaba Region
Southeastern Tete Province   Mozambique
Gossas Department, Fatick Region   Senegal
Southern Uvinza District, Kigoma Region   Tanzania
Babati, Hanang, Mbulu Districts, Manyara Region
Gokwe North and Gokwe South Districts, Midlands Province   Zimbabwe

South America

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Guayas Province, Ecuador. Balzar and El Empalme Cantons form the northern arm of the province.
 
Venezuela's Barinas State. Andrés Eloy Blanco is the small western extension of the state, Arismendi is the larger eastern extremity. Páez, in Apure, lies immediately to the south of western Barinas.
Salient Country
Southern Buenos Aires Province   Argentina
Luis Calvo, Chuquisaca Department   Bolivia
Sud Cinti, Chuquisaca Department
Whale Coast, Bahia   Brazil
Alto Parnaíba, Balsas, and Tasso Fragoso, southernmost Maranhão
Northern Mato Grosso
Ponta do Abunã in northwest Rondônia
Triângulo Mineiro, Minas Gerais
Arauco Province, Bío Bío Region   Chile
San Antonio Province, Valparaíso Region
Urabá region, Antioquia Department   Colombia
Unguía and Acandí in northernmost Chocó Department
Santander Department northern tip
Santa Rosa and Piamonte in southeastern Cauca Department
Cotacachi Canton, Imbabura Province   Ecuador
Eastern Tena Canton, Napo Province
Balzar and El Empalme Cantons, Guayas Province
Northern East Berbice-Corentyne   Guyana
Caravelí Province, Arequipa Region   Peru
Northern Tapanahony, Sipaliwini District   Suriname
Páez, Apure   Venezuela
Western Andrés Eloy Blanco Municipality, Barinas
Arismendi Municipality, Barinas

North and Central America

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Salient Country
Toronto (East York, Etobicoke, Old Toronto, York)   Canada
Northwestern British Columbia
Middle Côte-Nord, Quebec
Western Puntarenas Province   Costa Rica
Guamá, Santiago de Cuba Province   Cuba
Southern Hato Mayor Province   Dominican Republic
Southern Samaná Province
Southern San Miguel Department   El Salvador
Norte, Jalisco   Mexico
Eastern Tabasco
Southeastern Zacatecas
Southern Zacatecas
Chiriquí Grande District, Bocas del Toro Province   Panama
Southern Chimán District, Panamá Province
Mariato District, Veraguas Province
Alaska   United States
Connecticut
Florida[a]
Idaho
Maryland[b]
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Texas
Eastern West Virginia
Missouri Bootheel
Northern West Virginia
New Mexico Bootheel
Trans-Pecos
The Thumb
 
Locations of panhandles within states of the USA

Asia

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Location of Nabatieh District within Nabatieh Governorate, Lebanon.
 
Map of Gorno-Badakhshan within Tajikistan, showing the panhandle of Darvoz District in the west.
 
South Sulawesi in Indonesia, with a panhandle of East Luwu Regency in the east
Salient Country
Wakhan District, Badakhshan Province   Afghanistan
Nawa District, Ghazni Province
Chishti Sharif District, Herat Province
Eastern Sarpang District   Bhutan
Tianchang, Anhui   China
Maqu County, Gansu
Fan County and Taiqian County, Henan
Pingliang and Qingyang, Gansu
Daxing'anling Prefecture, Heilongjiang
Zhaotong, Yunnan
Koraput and Malkangiri districts, Odisha   India
Pathankot district, Punjab
Kota division, Rajasthan
Southern Jhansi division, Uttar Pradesh
Wonogiri Regency, Central Java   Indonesia
Pacitan Regency, East Java
Mahakam Ulu Regency, East Kalimantan
South Jakarta, Jakarta Special Capital Region, and Depok, West Java
Tabalong Regency, South Kalimantan
East Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi
Ogan Komering Ilir Regency, South Sumatra
Pasaman Regency, West Sumatra
Semirom County, Isfahan Province   Iran
Southwest Razavi Khorasan Province
Southern Yazd Province
Noda, Chiba   Japan
Nose, Osaka
Ōra District, Gunma
Reinan [ja](Wakasa), Fukui
Wadi Araba Department, Aqaba Governorate   Jordan
Russeifa Department, Zarqa Governorate
Southwest Panfilov District, Chuy Region   Kyrgyzstan
Chong-Alay District, Osh Region
Nabatieh District, Nabatieh Governorate   Lebanon
Bandar Baharu District, Kedah,   Malaysia
Northeast of Kuantan District, Eastern Pahang
South of Kemaman District, Terengganu
Gangaw Township, Magway Region   Myanmar
Thabeikkyin District, Mandalay Region
Eastern Achham District, Far-Western Region     Nepal
Western Surkhet District, Mid-Western Region
Bannu, Karak, and Kohat Divisions, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,   Pakistan
Tiwi, Albay   Philippines
Northernmost portion of barangay San Isidro, Cainta, Rizal[9]
Northwestern Cagayan
Libis/Reparo, Santa Quiteria and Talipapa of southern Caloocan
Carmona, Cavite
Northeastern Ilocos Sur (roughly corresponding to its 1st district),
Barangays Casile and Pittland, Cabuyao, Laguna
Santa Maria, Laguna
Las Piñas (Almanza Dos)
Eastern Maguindanao del Sur, Philippines (municipalities east of Sultan sa Barongis)
Carranglan, Nueva Ecija
Alfonso Castañeda, southern Dupax del Norte and Dupax del Sur, Nueva Vizcaya
Eastern Sultan Kudarat (roughly corresponding to its 1st district, excluding Isulan)
Zakamensky, Tunkinsky and Okinsky Districts, Buryatia   Russia
Katangsky District, Irkutsk Oblast
Kirensky, Mamsko-Chuysky and Bodaybinsky Districts, Irkutsk Oblast
Bikinsky District, Khabarovsk Krai
Trincomalee District, Eastern Province   Sri Lanka
Al-Suqaylabiyah District, Hama Governorate   Syria
Chenggong and Changbin townships, Taitung County   Taiwan
Darvoz District, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region   Tajikistan
Western Dhamar Governorate   Yemen

Europe

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Location of Viken, Norway. The municipalities of Jevnaker and Lunner connect the former counties of Akershus and Buskerud
 
Location of Newmarket (shown as red dot) within Suffolk, England
 
Location of Manche within Normandy, France
Salient Country
Southern Gmunden, Upper Austria   Austria
Pancharevo, Sofia City Province   Bulgaria
Kuhmoinen, Pirkanmaa   Finland
Parikkala, South Karelia
Pudasjärvi-Taivalkoski-Kuusamo, North Ostrobothnia
Ruokolahti, South Karelia
Varkaus, Pohjois-Savo
Gironde, (panhandle is around the Gironde estuary)   France
Drôme (Montfroc)
Hauts-de-Seine
Meurthe-et-Moselle
Manche
Lower Franconia, Bavaria   Germany
Amt Neuhaus, District of Lüneburg, Lower Saxony
Osnabrück District and City, Lower Saxony
Altenburger Land, Thuringia
Southeastern Mureș County   Romania
Southeastern Győr-Moson-Sopron County   Hungary
Northern Pest County
Clonlisk, County Offaly   Ireland
Tullyhaw, County Cavan
Province of Rieti, Lazio   Italy
Raseiniai District Municipality, Kaunas County   Lithuania
Dieveniškės, Vilnius County
Rivierenland, Gelderland   Netherlands
Steenwijkerland, Overijssel
Viken   Norway
Wschowa County, Lubusz Voivodeship   Poland
Mourão, Évora District   Portugal
Mozdoksky District, North Ossetia–Alania   Russia
Priyutnensky, Yashaltinsky, and Gorodovikovsky Districts, Kalmykia
Western Chelyabinsk Oblast[c]
Oparinsky, Podosinovsky, and Luzsky Districts, Kirov Oblast
Vorkuta District, Komi Republic
Negueira de Muñiz, Galicia (Spain)   Spain
Aranjuez, Madrid (Spain)
A Mezquita, Galicia
Diessenhofen, Schlatt bei Diessenhofen, and Basadingen-Schlattingen, Frauenfeld District, Thurgau    Switzerland
Monthey District, Valais
Buckfastleigh, Teignbridge   United Kingdom
Ceiriog Valley, Wrexham County Borough, Wales
English Maelor, Wrexham County Borough, Wales
Western New Forest District, Hampshire
Newmarket, Suffolk
North Cornwall, Cornwall
Stamford, Lincolnshire
South Staffordshire, Staffordshire
The area around Tring, Hertfordshire, which is itself bounded on one side by a salient of Buckinghamshire in the area around Pitstone, Ivinghoe and Dagnall
Ljig, Kolubara District   Serbia
Ljubovija, Mačva District
Bosnian-Podrinje Canton Goražde, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina   Bosnia and Herzegovina
Petrovo, Republika Srpska
Ravno, Herzegovina-Neretva Canton

Oceania

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Location of Anetan District within Nauru
 
Location of Timaru District within New Zealand's South Island. The Waitaki District is parallel with it, a little further south.
Salient Country
Northeastern Nadroga-Navosa Province, Western Division   Fiji
Southern Anetan District   Nauru
Rangitaiki River Valley, Bay of Plenty Region   New Zealand
Hunter River Valley, Otago region
Upper Rangitata Valley, Timaru District
Upper Waitaki Valley, Waitaki District
Northeastern West New Britain Province   Papua New Guinea

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ This definition includes the following counties: Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Taylor, Wakulla, Walton, and Washington.
  2. ^ This definition includes the following counties: Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington
  3. ^ Encompassing, in order of increasing distance from the main body of the oblast, Kusinsky District, Zlatoust Urban Okrug, Satkinsky District, Tryokhgorny Urban Okrug, Katav-Ivanovsky District, Ust-Katav Urban Okrug and Ashinsky District.

References

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  1. ^ a b Jacobs, Frank (December 5, 2011). "A Few Salient Points". New York Times.
  2. ^ Lowitt, Richard (2006). American Outback: The Oklahoma Panhandle in the Twentieth Century. Texas Tech University Press. pp. xvii, xviii. ISBN 9780896725584.
  3. ^ Weigert, Hans W. (1957). Principles of Political Geography. New York City: Appleton-Century-Crofts. pp. 73–75.
  4. ^ Hubbard, Bill (2008). "Chapter Five: The Evolution of the Territories and States". American Boundaries: The Nation, the States, the Rectangular Survey. University of Chicago Press. p. 167. ISBN 9780226355931.
  5. ^ Sautman, Barry (2006). "Tibet and the (Mis)-Representation of Cultural Genocide". In Sautman, Barry (ed.). Cultural Genocide and Asian State Peripheries. New York City: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 207. ISBN 1403975744.
  6. ^ Mellor, Roy E. H. (1989). National, State and Territory: A Political Geography. London: Routledge. p. 70. ISBN 9780415022873.
  7. ^ Pounds, Norman John Greville (1972). Political geography (2nd ed.). New York City: McGraw-Hill (published 1963). p. 271. ISBN 9780070505667.
  8. ^ Ali Tayyeb (1966). Pakistan; A Political Geography. London: Oxford University Press. p. 89.
  9. ^ "San Isidro". Google Maps. Google LLC. Retrieved 14 January 2020.

Further reading

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