Puntland

Puntland (Somali: Buntlaand, Arabic: أرض البنط‎), officially the Puntland State of Somalia (Somali: Maamul Goboleedka Buntlaand ee Soomaaliya), is a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998.

Puntland is bordered by Somaliland to its west, the Gulf of Aden in the north, the Indian Ocean in the southeast, the central Galmudug region of Somalia 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 neighbouring 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, while others propose that it was situated elsewhere.