Unclaimed Land

By: Orem Frien

There is only one place on Earth outside of Antarctica that carries the designation of terra nullius, or territory that is not subject to any nation’s claim: Bir Tawil. Bir Tawil sits on the border between Egypt and Sudan, but since both nations wish to claim the Hala’ib Triangle and neither can do so while occupying Bir Tawil, both countries do not claim Bir Tawil.

Recently several enterprising individuals have proclaimed independent countries in Bir Tawil, but they do not have recognition.

Asking about the specific conditions that prevent Egypt and/or Sudan from occupying Bir Tawil, I would like to add this addendum.

There are two alternate borders, one which is the flat, black line (from 1899) at the 22nd parallel, and one which is the green line (from 1902). With the flat line, Egypt owns Hala’ib, but not Bir Tawil, with the green line, Sudan controls Hala’ib, but not Bir Tawil. The two borders were based on different treaties between Britain, Egypt and Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. If either side were to use the claim on Bir Tawil, and thus occupy it, they would have to acknowledge the same treaty which gives the other side Hala’ib.