page_title: Puntland
section_title: Demographics and religion
hierarchical_section_title: Puntland / Demographics and religion
caption_attribution_description: English: A mosque in Bosaso, Puntland, Somalia.
context_page_description: Puntland, officially the Puntland State of Somalia, is a Federal Member State in northeastern Somalia. Centred on the town of Garoowe in the Nugal province, its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state within Somalia in 1998.
  Puntland is bordered by Somaliland to its west, the Gulf of Aden in the north, the Guardafui Channel in the northeast, the Somali Sea in the southeast, the central Galmudug region 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. It also has the northernmost major city in Somalia, Bosaso, located at a line of latitude higher than 11° north.
  The name "Puntland" is derived from the Land of Punt mentioned in ancient Egyptian sources, although 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.
context_section_description: As of 2015, the population of Puntland is estimated at 4.2 million residents, 65% of whom are nomads. The region is primarily inhabited by people from the Somali ethnic group, with the Darod especially well-represented. There are also a number of Mehri residents.
  Puntland's population growth rate is quite high due in part to an influx of people from southern Somalia and from neighboring Northeast African countries. Currently, 30% of the region's residents live in the fast-growing towns of Bosaso, Gardo, Galdogob, Garowe and Galkayo. Approximately 70% of the population is also below the age of 30.
  The population density in Puntland is estimated at about 18 persons per km².
  As with the rest of Somalia, Islam is the main religion of the Puntland region with almost all residents being Muslims.
caption: A mosque in Bosaso
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