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Salient (geography)

Elongated protrusion of a geopolitical entity

Salient (geography)

Summary

Elongated protrusion of a geopolitical entity

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

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

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

The term salient is derived from military salients. The term "panhandle" derives from the analogous part of a cooking 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. 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. In many cases these salients correspond to routes of expansion or bases for such expansion, as in Namibia and Mozambique. Other modern salients originally served to provide barriers against other colonial powers, as with Britain against Tsarist Russia in Central Asia.

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. This also occurred with peripheral Tibetan-inhabited regions in Maoist China, which were split between provinces and from the Tibet Autonomous Region.

The location of administrative borders can also take into account other considerations such as economic ties, strategic needs, 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.

Country-level salients

Africa

Far North Province of Cameroon
A map of the Congo Pedicle
SalientCountry
Cibitoke ProvinceBurundi
Far North RegionCameroon
Congo PedicleDemocratic Republic of the Congo
Kongo Central
Southern Red Sea RegionEritrea
Gambela RegionEthiopia
Somali Region
Nimba CountyLiberia
Nsanje DistrictMalawi
Kayes RegionMali
Azawad
Tete ProvinceMozambique
Caprivi StripNamibia
CasamanceSenegal
Kalahari Gemsbok National ParkSouth Africa
Upper NileSouth Sudan
Blue NileSudan
Wadi Halfa Salient
Kagera RegionTanzania
Cinkassé PrefectureTogo

Asia

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.
SalientCountry
Wakhan CorridorAfghanistan
ChittagongBangladesh
Rangpur
Sylhet
Western Belait DistrictBrunei
Myanmar Panhandle (Kayin State, Mon State and Tanintharyi Region)Burma
Puta-O District
Maungdaw District
Mong Yawng Township
Parrot's BeakCambodia
Yadong County (Tibet Autonomous Region)China
Seven Sister States and Siliguri Corridor (largest and most populous in the world)India
Sikkim
West TimorIndonesia
Jerusalem corridorIsrael
Galilee panhandle
Mafraq GovernorateJordan
Mangystau RegionKazakhstan
BatkenKyrgyzstan
Phongsaly ProvinceLaos
Tfail SalientLebanon
North Hamgyŏng, South Hamgyŏng and RyanggangNorth Korea
Primorsky KraiRussia
SughdTajikistan
Southern ThailandThailand
Aralık, Iğdır ProvinceTurkey
Hatay Province
Tashkent RegionUzbekistan
Fergana and Andijan Regions
Namangan
Tashkent City
Jizzakh Region
Sirdaryo Region
Surxondaryo Region
Tây Ninh ProvinceVietnam

Europe

County Donegal within Ireland, in darker green
Limburg shown within the Netherlands
Bryansk Oblast within Russia
SalientCountry
SyunikArmenia
Tyrol and VorarlbergAustria
West FlandersBelgium
TamashowkaBelarus
NeumBosnia and Herzegovina
Dubrovnik-Neretva CountyCroatia
Ilok
Louroujina SalientCyprus
Aš administrative districtCzech Republic
Šluknov Hook
Laatre, Viljandi CountyEstonia
EnontekiöFinland
Charleville-MézièresFrance
KakhetiGeorgia
Western ThraceGreece
SopronHungary
Felsőszölnök
County DonegalIreland
County Monaghan
Province of TriesteItaly
Dieveniškės appendixLithuania
Castelré, North BrabantNetherlands
Limburg
County FermanaghUnited Kingdom
Pasvikdalen valleyNorway
Gmina BogatyniaPoland
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 Southern RussiaRussia
Ain (around the border of Switzerland)France
GaliciaSpain
Slovene IstriaSlovenia
Prekmurje
Canton of GenevaSwitzerland
Canton of Schaffhausen
Bernina, Inn, Lugano, Mendrisio and Porrentruy Districts
BudjakUkraine
JamenaSerbia
PetsamoFinland
Enontekiö

South America

Misiones Province within Argentina
SalientCountry
MisionesArgentina
Leticia TrapezeColombia
Southeast Guainía Department
(La Guadalupe/San Felipe)
Yavaraté, Vaupés Department
Tumbes RegionPeru
AmazonasVenezuela

North America

SalientCountry
Southeast AlaskaUnited States
New England
South Texas
Southern Ontario (particularly Ontario Peninsula)Canada
Tatshenshini-Alsek Park, British Columbia
Madawaska County, New Brunswick
Petén DepartmentGuatemala

Subnational salients

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

Africa

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.
SalientCountry
Tafraoui and Oran ProvinceAlgeria
Southwestern Saïda Province
Northeastern Bié ProvinceAngola
Western Mono DepartmentBenin
Eastern Kgalagadi DistrictBotswana
Balé Province and Boucle du Mouhoun RegionBurkina Faso
Kouritenga Province, Centre-Est Region
Northwest Bujumbura Rural ProvinceBurundi
Northern Muyinga Province
Kimongo District, Niari DepartmentRepublic of the Congo
Northwestern Wele-Nzas ProvinceEquatorial Guinea
Sitti Zone, Somali RegionEthiopia
Haut-Komo Department, Woleu-Ntem ProvinceGabon
Upper Denkyira West District, Central RegionGhana
Télimélé Prefecture, Kindia RegionGuinea
Northeast Mamou Prefecture, Mamou Region
Western Isiolo CountyKenya
Eastern Al Wahat DistrictLibya
Southern Mzimba District, Northern RegionMalawi
Eastern Dakhlet Nouadhibou RegionMauritania
Boumdeid Department, Assaba Region
Southeastern Tete ProvinceMozambique
Gossas Department, Fatick RegionSenegal
Southern Uvinza District, Kigoma RegionTanzania
Babati, Hanang, Mbulu Districts, Manyara Region
Gokwe North and Gokwe South Districts, Midlands ProvinceZimbabwe

South America

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.
SalientCountry
Southern Buenos Aires ProvinceArgentina
Luis Calvo, Chuquisaca DepartmentBolivia
Sud Cinti, Chuquisaca Department
Whale Coast, BahiaBrazil
Alto Parnaíba, Balsas, and Tasso Fragoso, southernmost Maranhão
Bico do Papagaio, Tocantins
Northern Mato Grosso
Ponta do Abunã in northwest Rondônia
Triângulo Mineiro, Minas Gerais
Arauco Province, Bío Bío RegionChile
San Antonio Province, Valparaíso Region
Urabá region, Antioquia DepartmentColombia
Unguía and Acandí in northernmost Chocó Department
Santander Department northern tip
Santa Rosa and Piamonte in southeastern Cauca Department
Cotacachi Canton, Imbabura ProvinceEcuador
Western Cumandá Canton
Eastern Tena Canton, Napo Province
Balzar and El Empalme Cantons, Guayas Province
Northern East Berbice-CorentyneGuyana
Caravelí Province, Arequipa RegionPeru
Northern Tapanahony, Sipaliwini DistrictSuriname
Páez, ApureVenezuela
Western Andrés Eloy Blanco Municipality, Barinas
Arismendi Municipality, Barinas
Guajira Municipality, Zulia

North and Central America

SalientCountry
Toronto (East York, Etobicoke, Old Toronto, York)Canada
Northwestern British Columbia
Middle Côte-Nord, Quebec
Labrador West, Newfoundland and Labrador
Western Puntarenas ProvinceCosta Rica
Guamá, Santiago de Cuba ProvinceCuba
Southern Hato Mayor ProvinceDominican Republic
Southern Samaná Province
Southern San Miguel DepartmentEl Salvador
Norte, JaliscoMexico
Eastern Tabasco
Western Tamaulipas
Southeastern Zacatecas
Southern Zacatecas
Chiriquí Grande District, Bocas del Toro ProvincePanama
Southern Chimán District, Panamá Province
Mariato District, Veraguas Province
AlaskaUnited States
Connecticut
Florida
Idaho
Maryland
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

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
SalientCountry
Wakhan District, Badakhshan ProvinceAfghanistan
Nawa District, Ghazni Province
Chishti Sharif District, Herat Province
Eastern Sarpang DistrictBhutan
Tianchang, AnhuiChina
Maqu County, Gansu
Fan County and Taiqian County, Henan
Pingliang and Qingyang, Gansu
Daxing'anling Prefecture, Heilongjiang
Zhaotong, Yunnan
Koraput and Malkangiri districts, OdishaIndia
Pathankot district, Punjab
Kota division, Rajasthan
Southern Jhansi division, Uttar Pradesh
Wonogiri Regency, Central JavaIndonesia
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 ProvinceIran
Southwest Razavi Khorasan Province
Southern Yazd Province
Noda, ChibaJapan
Nose, Osaka
Ōra District, Gunma
(Wakasa), Fukui
Wadi Araba Department, Aqaba GovernorateJordan
Russeifa Department, Zarqa Governorate
Southwest Panfilov District, Chuy RegionKyrgyzstan
Chong-Alay District, Osh Region
Nabatieh District, Nabatieh GovernorateLebanon
Bandar Baharu District, Kedah,Malaysia
Northeast of Kuantan District, Eastern Pahang
South of Kemaman District, Terengganu
Gangaw Township, Magway RegionMyanmar
Thabeikkyin District, Mandalay Region
Eastern Achham District, Far-Western RegionNepal
Western Surkhet District, Mid-Western Region
Bannu, Karak, and Kohat Divisions, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,Pakistan
Tiwi, AlbayPhilippines
Northernmost portion of barangay San Isidro, Cainta, Rizal
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, BuryatiaRussia
Katangsky District, Irkutsk Oblast
Kirensky, Mamsko-Chuysky and Bodaybinsky Districts, Irkutsk Oblast
Bikinsky District, Khabarovsk Krai
Trincomalee District, Eastern ProvinceSri Lanka
Al-Suqaylabiyah District, Hama GovernorateSyria
Chenggong and Changbin townships, Taitung CountyTaiwan
Darvoz District, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous RegionTajikistan
Kim Sơn District, Ninh Bình ProvinceVietnam Vietnam
Nghi Xuân District, Hà Tĩnh Province
Western Dhamar GovernorateYemen

Europe

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
SalientCountry
Southern Gmunden, Upper AustriaAustria
Pancharevo, Sofia City ProvinceBulgaria
Kuhmoinen, PirkanmaaFinland
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, BavariaGermany
Amt Neuhaus, District of Lüneburg, Lower Saxony
Osnabrück District and City, Lower Saxony
Altenburger Land, Thuringia
Southeastern Mureș CountyRomania
Southeastern Győr-Moson-Sopron CountyHungary
Northern Pest County
Clonlisk, County OffalyIreland
Tullyhaw, County Cavan
Province of Rieti, LazioItaly
Raseiniai District Municipality, Kaunas CountyLithuania
Dieveniškės, Vilnius County
Rivierenland, GelderlandNetherlands
Steenwijkerland, Overijssel
VikenNorway
Wschowa County, Lubusz VoivodeshipPoland
Mourão, Évora DistrictPortugal
Mozdoksky District, North Ossetia–AlaniaRussia
Priyutnensky, Yashaltinsky, and Gorodovikovsky Districts, Kalmykia
Western Chelyabinsk Oblast
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, ThurgauSwitzerland
Monthey District, Valais
Buckfastleigh, TeignbridgeUnited Kingdom
Ceiriog Valley, Wrexham County Borough, Wales
Maelor Saesneg, 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 DistrictSerbia
Ljubovija, Mačva District
Bosnian-Podrinje Canton Goražde, Federation of Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina
Petrovo, Republika Srpska
Ravno, Herzegovina-Neretva Canton

Oceania

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.
SalientCountry
Northeastern Nadroga-Navosa Province, Western DivisionFiji
Southern Anetan DistrictNauru
Rangitaiki River Valley, Bay of Plenty RegionNew Zealand
Hunter River Valley, Otago region
Upper Rangitata Valley, Timaru District
Upper Waitaki Valley, Waitaki District
Northeastern West New Britain ProvincePapua New Guinea

Notes

References

References

  1. 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.
  3. Weigert, Hans W.. (1957). "Principles of Political Geography". Appleton-Century-Crofts.
  4. Hubbard, Bill. (2008). "American Boundaries: The Nation, the States, the Rectangular Survey". [[University of Chicago Press]].
  5. Sautman, Barry. (2006). "Cultural Genocide and Asian State Peripheries". Palgrave Macmillan.
  6. Mellor, Roy E. H.. (1989). "National, State and Territory: A Political Geography". [[Routledge]].
  7. Pounds, Norman John Greville. (1972). "Political geography". [[McGraw-Hill]].
  8. Ali Tayyeb. (1966). "Pakistan; A Political Geography". [[Oxford University Press]].
  9. "San Isidro". [[Google]] LLC.
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