Puntland

Puntland, officially the Puntland State of Somalia, is a semi-autonomous state located in northeastern Somalia. Despite considering itself as part of Somalia, it has rejected the legitimacy of Somalia's current governing administration since 2024. It was formed in 1998, and is a federal member state of Somalia. Its capital is the city of Garoowe in the Nugal region. The region had a population of 4,334,633 in 2016. Puntland is bordered by Somaliland to its west, the Gulf of Aden in the north, the Guardafui Channel in the northeast, the Indian Ocean to the east, Galmudug State in the south, and Ethiopia in the southwest. There are several major geographical apexes in Puntland, including the Cape Guardafui, which forms the tip of the Horn of Africa, Ras Hafun, the easternmost place on the entire African continent, and the beginning of the Karkaar mountain range. The name "Puntland" is derived from the Land of Punt mentioned in ancient Egyptian sources, although the exact location of the ancient territory is still unknown. Many studies suggest that the Land of Punt was located in present-day Somalia, whereas others propose that it was situated elsewhere. On 31 March 2024, following changes due to the constitutional crisis in Somalia, the government of Puntland stated that it no longer recognizes the authority of the central federal government in Somalia and would no longer participate in Somali federal institutions. It has declared that it will "act independently", or "exercise powers of an independent state", until there is a federal government with a constitution agreed upon in a referendum in which Puntland participates.