Panhandle 573509 220905845 2008-06-22T04:16:56Z 71.163.214.247 {{Unreferenced|date=November 2006}} {{globalize|USA}} {{otheruses4|the geographical feature|the act of panhandling (approaching strangers to ask for money)|beggar}} [[Image:PanhandleMap-USA-states.png|thumb|300px|Locations of panhandles within states]] A '''panhandle''' is an informal [[Political geography|geographic]] term for an elongated tail-like protrusion of a geo-political entity, such as a [[subnational entity]] or a [[Sovereignty|sovereign]] [[state]]. The term derives from the analogous part of a [[cooking pan]] and its use is generally confined to the United States. A panhandle is similar to a [[peninsula]] in shape, but unlike a peninsula it is not surrounded by water on three sides and connected to a [[physical geography|geographical]] [[mainland]]. Instead, a panhandle is delimited by a land [[border]] on at least two sides and extends out from the larger geographical body of the administrative unit. The panhandle shape is the result of arbitrarily drawn international or [[subnational]] boundaries, although the location of some administrative borders takes into account other considerations such as [[economic geography|economic ties]] or [[topography]]. In the United States, a protrusion with a less elongated shape is informally called a ''[[bootheel]]''. {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Panhandles of the United States of America |- ! State !! Largest city !! Population !! Area ([[Square miles|sq. mi]]) || Population density<br>(per sq. mi) |- | [[Alaska Panhandle|Alaska]] || [[Juneau, Alaska|Juneau]] || 72,954 || 35,138 || 2 |- | [[Connecticut Panhandle|Connecticut]] || [[Stamford, Connecticut|Stamford]] || 220,209 || 96 || 2,294 |- | [[Florida Panhandle|Florida]] || [[Tallahassee, Florida|Tallahassee]] || 1,222,492 || 11,304 || 108 |- | [[Idaho Panhandle|Idaho]] || [[Coeur d'Alene, Idaho|Coeur d'Alene]] || 295,160 || 21,013 || 14 |- | [[Western Maryland|Maryland]] || [[Frederick, Maryland|Frederick]] || 469,376 || 2,194 || 214 |- | [[Nebraska Panhandle|Nebraska]] || [[Scottsbluff, Nebraska|Scottsbluff]] || 90,410 || 14,258 || 6 |- | [[Oklahoma Panhandle|Oklahoma]] || [[Guymon, Oklahoma|Guymon]] || 29,112 || 5,687 || 5 |- | [[Texas Panhandle|Texas]] || [[Amarillo, Texas|Amarillo]] || 402,862 || 25,824 || 16 |- | [[Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia|Eastern West Virginia]] || [[Martinsburg, West Virginia|Martinsburg]] || 212,483 || 3,499 || 61 |- | [[Northern Panhandle of West Virginia|Northern West Virginia]] || [[Wheeling, West Virginia|Wheeling]] || 141,060 || 601 || 235 |} *The [[Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway]] was often called ''the Panhandle'', as it crossed the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia. * [[Panhandle (San Francisco)|San Francisco, (California) Panhandle]] ==Panhandles outside the United States== {{Original research|section|date=September 2007}} Outside of the United States, the term is not in common usage, with the arguable exception of the nearby [[New Brunswick Panhandle]]. Nonetheless, some people would describe the following characteristic territorial protrusions elsewhere as a ''corridor'' or an ''arm'' extending into an administratively different territory. Such shapes of territory can be a result of linguistic (or ethnic) lines, in addition to geographic features and other reasons. *[[Wakhan Corridor]], Afghanistan *[[Karakoram]], Pakistan *[[Misiones Province|Misiones]], Argentina *[[Teknaf]], Bangladesh *[[Minas Gerais#Geography|Triângulo Mineiro]], Brazil *[[Maroua]], Cameroon *[[Tatshenshini-Alsek Park]], British Columbia, Canada *[[New Brunswick Panhandle]], New Brunswick, Canada *[[Enontekiö]], Finland *[[Western Thrace]], Greece *[[Petén (department)|Petén]], Guatemala *[[Seven Sister States]], India *[[Donegal]], Republic of Ireland *[[Batken Province|Batken]], Kyrgyzstan *[[Yucatán Peninsula]], Mexico *[[Tenasserim]], Myanmar *[[Province of Trieste]], Italy *[[Antakya]], Turkey *[[Caprivi Strip]], Namibia *[[Limburg (Netherlands)|Limburg]], the Netherlands *[[Congo Pedicle]], Democratic Republic of the Congo *[[Polish Corridor]], Poland *[[North Hamgyong|North Hamgyŏng]], [[South Hamgyong|South Hamgyŏng]], and [[Ryanggang]], together comprise the "panhandle" of North Korea. *[[Southern Thailand]], Thailand == See also == {{Wiktionary}} *[[Bootheel]] *[[Gerrymandering]] *[[Chicken's Neck]] *[[Border]] *[[Political geography]] *[[Corridor]] *[[Strip of land]] *[[Enclave and exclave]] *[[The Thumb]] *[[Salients, re-entrants and pockets]] {{Template:American panhandles}} [[Category:Political geography]] [[eo:Patotenilo (geografio)]] [[fr:Queue de poêle]] [[pt:Cabo de frigideira]] [[simple:Panhandle]]