Salient (geography)

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

"Panhandle" redirects here. For other uses, see Panhandle (disambiguation).
Map of Namibia showing the Caprivi Strip in the country's northeast.

While similar to a peninsula in shape, a salient is not surrounded by water on three sides. Instead, it has 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, or stovepipe (if protruding northward, as a chimney does from a roof, as with the northernmost extremity of West Virginia) and bootheel (if protruding southward, as the heel underneath a boot, such as the Missouri Bootheel).

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 the United States.

The salient shape can be the result of arbitrarily drawn international or subnational boundaries, though the location of administrative borders can also take into account other considerations such as economic ties or topography.

Country-level salients

Africa
Far North Province within Cameroon
A map of the Congo Pedicle

Americas
Misiones Province within Argentina

Asia
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.

Europe
Dutch Limburg shown within the Netherlands

Subnational salients

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

Subnational salients in Africa
Location of Cuvette Department within the Republic of the Congo. The southwestern arm is Okoyo District. The Kimongo District salient, in Niari Department, can also be clearly seen in the country's southwest.
Location of the Fatick Region within Senegal. Gossas Department is the northeastern arm.

Subnational salients in the Americas
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.

Panhandles in the United States
StateLargest cityPopulationArea (sq mi)Area (km2)Population density
(per sq mi)		Population density (/km2)
AlaskaJuneau71,61635,13891,01020.77
ConnecticutStamford224,284962502,336902
Florida*Tallahassee1,407,92511,30429,28012548
IdahoCoeur d'Alene317,75121,01354,420155.8
Maryland†Frederick492,9502,1945,68022587
NebraskaScottsbluff87,78914,25836,93062.3
OklahomaGuymon28,7515,68714,73051.9
TexasAmarillo427,92725,88767,050176.6
Eastern West VirginiaMartinsburg261,0413,4999,0607529
Northern West VirginiaWheeling132,2956011,56022085
Locations of panhandles within states of the USA

* 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, as half of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, the most populous region in the state and the home of the state's capital, is located in the region. Likewise, though New York has a southern protrusion that is more conspicuous than e.g. the Connecticut, Texas and Nebraska Panhandles, this is never considered a panhandle since it accommodates the most densely populated parts of the state. (In New York's case, its irregular shape leaves certain regions up for debate. From a different perspective, that region is part of the New York mainland while a western salient juts out.) Thus, the concept of a panhandle may not be purely geographic but may also have a demographic component.

Subnational salients in 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

Subnational salients in Europe
Location of Viken, Norway. The municipalities of Jevnaker and Lunner is connecting the former counties of Akershus and Buskerud. There is a discussion on what is the salient or "the wrong side", but Buskerud is mostly picked on as the salient of the county.
Location of Newmarket (shown as red dot) within Suffolk, England

Subnational salients in 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.

See also

References
  1. "Cook County Forest Preserve District Recreational Facilities". Users.rcn.com. Retrieved 2012-11-15.
  2. "San Isidro". Google Maps. Google LLC. Retrieved 14 January 2020.

Further reading
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