Puntland

  • Unrecognized states
  • Independence declared 1 August 1998
  • Capital Garowe
  • President Abdiweli Mohamed Ali
  • Population 2,284,633
  • Area 212,510 km²
  • Motto Star of the North

Puntland is a region in Northeastern Somalia, its leaders declared independence in 1998. Internationally, it is recognized as an autonomous region of Somalia. Puntland has long been the epicenter of piracy networks in the Gulf of Aden. In 2009, Puntland MPs introduced a new state flag consisting of blue, green and white horizontal stripes—the white stripe in the centre represents peace and stability in the region. Puntland has 1600 km of coastline, which is abundant with fish and other natural marine resources. Additional economic products and activities of the region include livestock, frankincense, myrrh, gum arabic, manufacturing and agriculture.

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Western Sahara

The Sahrawi Republic is a partially recognized state that claims the non-self-governed territory of Western Sahara, but controls only the easternmost one-fifth of it. Morocco controls and administers the rest of the disputed territory and calls these lands its Southern Provinces. The Sahrawi Republic was proclaimed by the Polisario Front on 27th February, 1976, to fill what they considered a political void left by the departing Spanish colonizers. It maintains diplomatic relations with 40 UN states and is a full member of the African Union. While the claimed capital is the former Western Sahara capital El-Aaiún, the provisional capital was formally moved to Tifariti in 2008. Day-to-day business, however, is conducted in the Tindouf refugee camps in Algeria, which house most of the exiled Sahrawi community.

Migingo Island

Migingo is an island in Lake Victoria on the border of Kenya and Uganda. It is half the size of a football pitch, less than 2,000 square meters. Yet, with 500 inhabitants, it makes it one of the most densely populated islands in Africa and the world. It has its own restaurant, pharmacy, hotel and bars. In 2004 Uganda took control over the island and in 2009 it forced Kenyan inhabitants to obtain special permits to operate their businesses. Then the two nations got on the brink of what was considered to be the world’s ‘smallest war’. The dispute centers mostly on the fishing rights in the vicinity of the island, which is rich with Nile perch.

North Dumpling Island

North Dumpling Island was bought for $2.5 million in 1986 by entrepreneur Dean Kamen, the founding father of the Segway Human Transporter. After a denial from local officials to build his own wind turbine on the island he decided to secede from the United States, and even got his friend, then president George W. Bush to comply. The island has its own flag, constitution, anthem and Dean Kamen did eventually build his own turbine, which along with several solar panels provides all the energy for the island.