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.
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, though the location of administrative borders can also take into account other considerations such as economic ties or topography.
| Salient | Country | |
|---|---|---|
 Burundi | ||
 Cameroon | ||
 Eritrea | ||
 Ethiopia | ||
 Liberia | ||
 Malawi | ||
 Mali | ||
 Mozambique | ||
 Namibia | ||
 Senegal | ||
 South Africa | ||
 Sudan | ||
 Togo |
| Salient | Country | |
|---|---|---|
 Afghanistan | ||
 Bangladesh | ||
 Cambodia | ||
| Yadong County (Tibet Autonomous Region) |  China | |
| Seven Sister States (largest in the world) | ||
 India | ||
 Indonesia | ||
 Israel | ||
 Jordan | ||
 Kazakhstan | ||
 Kyrgyzstan | ||
 Lebanon | ||
 Tajikistan | ||
 Thailand | ||
 Turkey | ||
| Tashkent Region |  Uzbekistan | |
| Fergana and Andijan Regions | ||
| Namangan | ||
| Tashkent City | ||
| Sirdaryo Region | ||
| Salient | Country | |
|---|---|---|
| Dubrovnik-Neretva County, | ||
| Ilok, | ||
| Cheb District, | ||
| Šluknov Hook, | ||
| County Donegal, | ||
| County Monaghan, | ||
| Dieveniškės appendix | ||
| Castelré, North Brabant, | ||
| Limburg, | ||
| Pasvikdalen valley |  Norway | |
| Melgaço and north of Monção and Arcos de Valdevez (Viana do Castelo District) | ||
| Tourém in north of Montalegre (Vila Real District) | ||
| Couto Misto 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) | ||
| Olivenza (claimed by Portugal) | ||
| Ain, (around the border of Switzerland) | ||
| Canton of Geneva, | ||
| Canton of Schaffhausen, | ||
| Bernina, Inn, Lugano, Mendrisio and Porrentruy Districts | ||
| Salient | Country | |
|---|---|---|
| Misiones |  Argentina | |
| Leticia Trapeze |  Colombia | |
| Southeast Guainía Department | ||
| Yavaraté, Vaupés Department | ||
| Petén Department |  Guatemala | |
| Tumbes Region |  Peru | |
| Amazonas |
| Salient | Country |
|---|---|
| Southeast Alaska | |
| Southern Ontario (particularly Ontario Peninsula) |  Canada |
| Tatshenshini-Alsek Park, British Columbia | |
| Madawaska County, New Brunswick | |
| Labrador West, Newfoundland and Labrador |
The following locations are salients in First-level administrative subdivisions of nations.
| Salient | Country | |
|---|---|---|
 Algeria | ||
| Southwestern Saïda Province | Algeria | |
| Northeastern Bié Province |  Angola | |
| Eastern Kgalagadi District |  Botswana | |
 Burkina Faso | ||
| Kouritenga Province, Centre-Est Region | Burkina Faso | |
| Northwest Bujumbura Rural Province | Burundi | |
| Northern Muyinga Province | Burundi | |
| Kimongo District, Niari Department | ||
| 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 | ||
| Gokwe North and Gokwe South Districts, Midlands Province |  Zimbabwe |
| Salient | Country |
|---|---|
| Argentina | |
| Luis Calvo, Chuquisaca Department | |
| 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 | |
| Western Andrés Eloy Blanco Municipality, Barinas | |
| Arismendi Municipality, Barinas |
| 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 | |
 United States | |
| Missouri Bootheel | |
| New Mexico Bootheel | |
| Trans-Pecos | |
| The Thumb |
| 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 | ||
| Northeastern West New Britain Province |  Papua New Guinea |
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