Puntland

Puntland (Somali: Buntlaand, Arabic: أرض البنط‎ ), officially the Puntland State of Somalia (Somali: Dowlad Goboleedka Buntlaand ee Soomaaliya, Arabic: بونتلاند دولة الصومال‎ ), is a region in northeastern Somalia, centred on Garoowe in the Nugal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998.

Puntland is bordered by the self-declared Republic of Somaliland to its west, the Gulf of Aden in the north, the Indian Ocean in the southeast, the central Galmudug region in the south, and Ethiopia in the southwest. A third of Somalia's population lives in the territory, which contains about a third of the nation's geographical area. Unlike the neighbouring self-declared Republic of Somaliland, Puntland, as with all other regions in the country, does not seek outright independence from Somalia.

The name "Puntland" is derived from the Land of Punt mentioned by ancient Egyptian sources. The exact location of the fabled territory is still a mystery. Many studies suggest that the Land of Punt was located in present-day Somalia, whereas others propose that it was situated elsewhere.