Welcome to Daily UpDown! If we look at our planet, almost every part of it is controlled by some country, but there are a few land areas that do not belong to any nation, and no country wants to claim ownership over them.
What Are Unclaimed Territories?
In these areas, no law applies, and the interesting part is that anyone can claim them—even you! So why do neighboring countries avoid claiming these lands? While wars are often fought over land, some regions remain unclaimed due to historical and political reasons.
Bir Tawil – The Land Between Egypt and Sudan
One such area is Bir Tawil, located in the Sahara desert along the border of Egypt and Sudan, covering approximately 2,100 square kilometers. It is roughly the size of three countries like Singapore, consisting mostly of sand and rocks. No one resides here, and there is no infrastructure.
Many countries constantly struggle to gain even one square kilometer of land, but here, that is not the case. Bir Tawil lies north of Sudan and south of Egypt. But why is it unclaimed? To answer this, we need to go back two centuries when Egypt was part of the Ottoman Empire yet enjoyed considerable autonomy.
Historical Background – Egypt and Sudan Dispute
Egypt controlled parts of Sudan and surrounding regions. In 1870, Sudan began an armed rebellion against Egypt, which initially did not succeed. Meanwhile, in 1882, Britain took control of Egypt and worked alongside Egypt for many years to suppress the rebellion in Sudan.
After defeating Sudanese forces, Egypt and Sudan decided to draw a new boundary line. According to the 1899 agreement, the 22nd parallel became the recognized border. However, there was a problem with this British-Egyptian condominium agreement.
The 1902 Boundary Adjustment
The Bir Tawil region south of the boundary became part of Sudan, although culturally, the area and its nomadic tribes were closer to Egypt. Meanwhile, Hala’ib, north of Bir Tawil and culturally closer to Sudan, went to Egypt. To solve the problem, Britain drew a new boundary in 1902, giving Bir Tawil to Egypt and Hala’ib to Sudan.
This temporarily resolved the issue, but after both countries gained independence, it became a new dispute. Egypt believed the original border was the 1899 22nd parallel, while Sudan rejected the 1902 boundary, resulting in both claiming Hala’ib and neither willing to claim Bir Tawil. This is why Bir Tawil remains unclaimed, known as Terra Nullius, meaning land belonging to no one and legally claimable.
Individual Claims to Bir Tawil
Several individuals have claimed it: an American in 2014 called it the Kingdom of North Sudan, two Russians announced their claim shortly after, and in 2017, an Indian also claimed it.
Liberland – Europe’s Tiny Unclaimed Land
Moving to Europe, most land seems owned by one country or another. Yet on the Serbia-Croatia border, there is a 7 sq km area that remains unclaimed due to historical river boundary disputes. Austria-Hungary originally established the Danube as a natural border. After the empire fell and Yugoslavia dissolved, Serbia and Croatia emerged as independent countries, each interpreting the river flow differently.
This unclaimed area is known as Liberland. Anyone can claim or even apply for citizenship online via Liberland’s website.
Marie Byrd Land – Antarctica’s Largest Unclaimed Territory
Finally, the largest unclaimed area is Marie Byrd Land in Antarctica, covering 1.6 million sq km. It is not claimed by any country, although surrounding areas have territorial claims by Australia, France, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Norway, and the UK. The extreme temperatures make habitation and development difficult.
Why These Lands Remain Unclaimed
These unclaimed territories are fascinating examples of how history, politics, and geography combine to create places that technically belong to no one.
Conclusion – Your Thoughts?
What do you think—should these areas be claimed, or should they remain unclaimed? Share your thoughts in the comments. For more interesting articles like this, visit Daily UpDown.
Sources:
- Bir Tawil – Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bir_Tawil
- Liberland – Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberland
- Marie Byrd Land – Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Byrd_Land
- Daily UpDown: https://dailyupdown.com
Q1: What is Bir Tawil?
A1: Bir Tawil is a 2,100 sq km unclaimed land between Egypt and Sudan.
Q2: Why is Bir Tawil unclaimed?
A2: Neither Egypt nor Sudan wants it due to border disputes with the neighboring Hala’ib region.
Q3: What does Terra Nullius mean?
A3: It refers to land that belongs to no one and can legally be claimed.
Q4: Where is Liberland?
A4: Liberland is an unclaimed territory on the Serbia-Croatia border.
Q5: Is Antarctica unclaimed?
A5: Marie Byrd Land in Antarctica is largely unclaimed, although surrounding areas have national claims.