A salient 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 not surrounded by water on three sides and connected to a geographical mainland. Instead, it is delimited by a land border on at least two sides and extends out 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 extension of Oklahoma. Less common descriptors include chimney (if protruding northward, as a chimney does from a roof, as with the northernmost extremity of the Virginias) and bootheel (if protruding southward, as the heel underneath a boot, such as the Missouri Bootheel).
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 the United States.
The salient shape is the result of arbitrarily drawn international or subnational boundaries, although the location of some administrative borders takes into account other considerations such as economic ties or topography.
Cibitoke Province, Burundi
Far North Province, Cameroon
Congo Pedicle, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kongo Central, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Southern Red Sea Region, Eritrea
Gambela Region, Ethiopia
Nimba County, Liberia
Nsanje District, Malawi
Kayes Region, Mali
Tete Province, Mozambique
Caprivi Strip, Namibia
Casamance, Senegal
Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, South Africa
Namorunyang State, South Sudan
Blue Nile, Sudan
Wadi Halfa Salient, Sudan
Kagera Region, Tanzania
Misiones, Argentina
Roraima, Brazil
Southeast Ontario, Canada
Tatshenshini-Alsek Park, British Columbia, Canada
Southern Amazonas, Colombia
Southeast Guainía Department, Colombia
Petén, Guatemala
Tumbes Region, Peru
Southeast Alaska, Alaska, United States (see also Panhandles in the United States)
Amazonas, Venezuela
Wakhan Corridor, Afghanistan
Chittagong, Bangladesh
Rangpur, Bangladesh
Tanintharyi Region, Burma (Myanmar)
Parrot's Beak, Cambodia
Louroujina Salient, Cyprus
Seven Sister States, India
Sikkim, India
Jerusalem corridor, Israel
Galilee Panhandle, Israel
Mafraq Governorate, Jordan
Phongsaly Province, Laos
Mangystau Region, Kazakhstan
Batken, Kyrgyzstan
Khövsgöl Province, Mongolia
North Hamgyŏng, South Hamgyŏng, and Ryanggang, together comprise the "panhandle" of North Korea
Primorsky Krai, Russia
Sughd, Tajikistan
Southern Thailand, Thailand
Hatay Province, Turkey
Surxondaryo Region, Uzbekistan
Tây Ninh Province, Vietnam
Syunik, Armenia
Tyrol and Vorarlberg together comprise the western "panhandle" of Austria
Neum, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Vidin Province, Bulgaria
Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Croatia
Cheb District, Czech Republic
Šluknov Hook, Czech Republic
Laatre, Viljandi County, Estonia
Enontekiö, Finland
Charleville-Mézières, France
Kakheti, Georgia
Western Thrace, Greece
Donegal, Ireland
Monaghan, Ireland
Province of Trieste, Italy
Dieveniškės Appendix, Lithuania
Briceni District, Moldova
Castelré, Noord-Brabant, the Netherlands
Limburg, the Netherlands
Bogatynia, Poland
Bryansk Oblast, Russia
Galicia, Spain
Canton of Geneva, Switzerland
Canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerland
Bernina, Inn, Lugano, Mendrisio and Porrentruy Districts, Switzerland
Budjak, Ukraine
The following locations are salients in First-level administrative subdivisions of nations.
Tafraoui, Oran Province, Algeria
Southwestern Saïda Province, Algeria
Northeastern Bié Province, Angola
Eastern Kgalagadi District, Botswana
Balé Province, Boucle du Mouhoun Region, Burkina Faso
Kouritenga Province, Centre-Est Region, Burkina Faso
Northwest Bujumbura Rural Province, Burundi
Northern Muyinga Province, Burundi
Okoyo District, Cuvette Department, Republic of the Congo
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, Guinea
Western Isiolo County, Kenya
Eastern Al Wahat District, Libya
Southern Mzimba District, Northern Region, Malawi
Eastern Dakhlet Nouadhibou Region, Mauritania
Boumdeid Department, Assaba Region, Mauritania
Southeastern Tete Province, Mozambique
Gossas Department, Fatick Region, Senegal
Southern Uvinza District, Kigoma Region, Tanzania
Babati, Hanang, and Mbulu Districts, Manyara Region, Tanzania
Gokwe North and Gokwe South Districts, Midlands Province, Zimbabwe
Southern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina
Luis Calvo, Chuquisaca Department, Bolivia
Sud Cinti, Chuquisaca Department, Bolivia
Whale Coast, Bahia, Brazil
Northern Mato Grosso, Brazil
Triângulo Mineiro, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Arauco Province, Bío Bío Region, Chile
San Antonio Province, Valparaíso Region, Chile
Western Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica
Guamá, Santiago de Cuba Province, Cuba
Southern Hato Mayor Province, Dominican Republic
Southern Samaná Province, Dominican Republic
Cotacachi Canton, Imbabura Province, Ecuador
Southeastern Napo Province, Ecuador
Balzar and El Empalme Cantons, Guayas Province, Ecuador
Southern San Miguel Department, El Salvador
Northern East Berbice-Corentyne, Guyana
Norte, Jalisco, Mexico
Eastern Tabasco, Mexico
Southeastern Zacatecas, Mexico
Southern Zacatecas, Mexico
Chiriquí Grande District, Bocas del Toro Province, Panama
Southern Chimán District, Panamá Province, Panama
Mariato District, Veraguas Province, Panama
Northern Tapanahony, Sipaliwini District, Suriname
Páez, Apure, Venezuela
Western Andrés Eloy Blanco Municipality, Barinas, Venezuela
Arismendi Municipality, Barinas, Venezuela
Panhandles in the United States
* 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.
† This definition includes the following counties: Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington
Many people in the Pacific Northwest refer to the extreme northern section of Idaho's panhandle as "The Chimney", due to its resemblance to a chimney when viewed on maps.
Although Utah, like Nebraska, has a protrusion from its otherwise straight border, it is not usually considered a panhandle.
The six northwest Cook County, Illinois townships, outside of Chicago.
The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway was often called the Panhandle, as it crossed the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia.
The San Francisco Panhandle, California
Wakhan District, Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan
Nawa District, Ghazni Province, Afghanistan
Chishti Sharif District, Herat Province, Afghanistan
Eastern Sarpang District, Bhutan
Northern Mandalay Division, Burma
Eastern Chuzhou, Anhui, China PR
Western Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu, China PR
Jiuquan, Pingliang and Qingyang, Gansu, China PR
Daxing'anling Prefecture, Heilongjiang, China PR
Zhaotong, Yunnan, China PR
Koraput and Malkangiri districts, Odisha, India
Kota division, Rajasthan, India
Southern Jhansi division, Uttar Pradesh, India
East Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Semirom County, Isfahan Province, Iran
Southwest Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran
Southern Yazd Province, Iran
Wadi Araba Department, Aqaba Governorate, Jordan
Russeifa Department, Zarqa Governorate, Jordan
Southwest Panfilov District, Chuy Region, Kyrgyzstan
Chong-Alay District, Osh Region, Kyrgyzstan
Nabatieh District, Nabatieh Governorate, Lebanon
Eastern Achham District, Far-Western Region, Nepal
Western Surkhet District, Mid-Western Region, Nepal
Bannu, Karak, and Kohat Divisions, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Eastern Maguindanao, Philippines
Trincomalee District, Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
Al-Suqaylabiyah District, Hama Governorate, Syria
Darvoz District, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, Tajikistan
Western Dhamar Governorate, Yemen
Southern Gmunden, Upper Austria, Austria
Frederikshavn Municipality, North Denmark Region, Denmark
Parikkala, South Karelia, Finland
Ruokolahti, South Karelia, Finland
Varkaus, Pohjois-Savo, Finland
Lower Franconia, Bavaria, Germany
Osnabrück District and City, Lower Saxony, Germany
Altenburger Land, Thuringia, Germany
Northern Pest County, Hungary
Southern Westfjords, Iceland
Clonlisk, County Offaly, Leinster, Ireland
Province of Rieti, Lazio, Italy
Raseiniai District Municipality, Kaunas County, Lithuania
Rivierenland, Gelderland, the Netherlands
Steenwijkerland, Overijssel, the Netherlands
Mourão, Évora District, Portugal
Vorkuta District, Komi Republic, Russia
Diessenhofen, Schlatt bei Diessenhofen, and Basadingen-Schlattingen, Frauenfeld District, Thurgau, Switzerland
Monthey District, Valais, Switzerland
Western New Forest District, Hampshire, United Kingdom
The area around Tring, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Newmarket, Suffolk, United Kingdom
North Cornwall, Cornwall, United Kingdom
Buckfastleigh, Teignbridge, United Kingdom
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, New Zealand
Northeastern West New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea
