TWL #2: Bir Tawil- The Land Without a Country

Lehan Edirisinghe and Elle Trump March 15, 2016

Watch Facts Elle's

Key takeaways

  • Bir Tawil is an approximately 800-square-mile (2,100-square-kilometer) territory between Egypt and Sudan that neither country claims. Egypt considers it Sudanese territory, while Sudan considers it Egyptian, leaving the desert region outside both countries’ territorial claims.

  • The dispute originates from two different borders established under British colonial rule in 1899 and 1902. Egypt recognizes the original boundary along the 22nd parallel, while Sudan recognizes the later administrative boundary, which was designed to keep tribal settlements and grazing lands together.

  • The same border disagreement causes both countries to claim the neighboring Hala’ib Triangle. Approximately ten times larger than Bir Tawil, it has sea access, a road, and roughly 1,000 residents; Egypt currently administers the territory despite Sudan’s competing claim.

  • Bir Tawil has no permanent population, roads, or buildings, making settlement exceptionally difficult. Its desert environment limits agriculture, while the reported lack of valuable natural resources means settlers would need substantial outside funding and infrastructure to import food and sustain an economy.

  • Numerous individuals have claimed Bir Tawil, but none has established an internationally recognized country. The narrator identifies the absence of a permanent population and functioning government as likely obstacles, emphasizing that declaring sovereignty means little without recognition from existing states.

“it doesn’t matter if you think you’re a country, it matters if other people think you’re a country.”

  • Geographer Alastair Bonnett described Bir Tawil in 2014 as the only habitable, unclaimed territory on Earth. Antarctica’s larger Marie Byrd Land is considered unsuitable for ordinary habitation, while another technically unclaimed area between Croatia and Serbia is effectively administered.

“…the only place on the planet that is both habitable and unclaimed.”

  • Establishing a permanent settlement and democratic government could potentially give Bir Tawil a path toward international recognition. The documentary considers a new sovereign state possible, but building a viable community without existing infrastructure, agricultural capacity, or significant natural resources would be the central challenge.

All points

23 gathered points · 767 words

  • Bir Tawil is an approximately 800-square-mile (2,100-square-kilometer) territory between Egypt and Sudan that neither country claims. Its unusual status results from conflicting interpretations of two borders established during British colonial rule.

  • Britain established the Egypt–Sudan border along the 22nd parallel in 1899. Britain exercised substantial authority in northeastern Africa and drew the boundary without adequately considering the locations or traditional movements of the region’s inhabitants.

  • The 1899 border divided tribal communities and disrupted traditional land use. Some communities lived on one side of the boundary while using grazing land on the other, creating practical problems for people and livestock.

  • Britain introduced a different administrative boundary in 1902 to accommodate tribal land use. The revised boundary considered where communities lived and grazed cattle rather than following the arbitrary geographic line established in 1899.

  • Egypt and Sudan recognize different historical boundaries. Egypt treats the 1899 boundary along the 22nd parallel as the legitimate international border, while Sudan recognizes the 1902 administrative boundary.

  • The competing borders leave Bir Tawil claimed by neither country. Under Egypt’s interpretation, Bir Tawil belongs to Sudan; under Sudan’s interpretation, it belongs to Egypt. Neither government claims the territory because doing so would conflict with its preferred boundary.

  • Bir Tawil has no permanent residents, roads, or buildings, according to the documentary. The approximately 800-square-mile desert territory lacks the infrastructure and settlement that would ordinarily support a functioning community or government.

  • The same border disagreement produces the opposite result in the Hala’ib Triangle. Both Egypt and Sudan claim this neighboring territory because it lies north of Egypt’s preferred border and south of Sudan’s preferred border.

  • The Hala’ib Triangle is approximately ten times larger than Bir Tawil. Unlike Bir Tawil, it contains infrastructure, access to the sea, and a resident population, making it more valuable to both countries.

  • The Hala’ib Triangle has a road, maritime access, and approximately 1,000 residents, according to the documentary. These practical advantages help explain why Egypt and Sudan compete for the territory while neither claims Bir Tawil.

  • Egypt administers the Hala’ib Triangle despite Sudan’s competing territorial claim. The distinction between territorial claims and actual administration is central to understanding the dispute.

  • Geographer Alastair Bonnett described Bir Tawil as the world's only habitable, unclaimed territory in his 2014 book. His description distinguishes Bir Tawil from other unclaimed regions that cannot readily support human settlement.

  • Marie Byrd Land in Antarctica is identified as the world's largest unclaimed land area. However, its Antarctic environment makes it unsuitable for ordinary permanent habitation, distinguishing it from Bir Tawil.

  • A separate border dispute between Croatia and Serbia has created another technically unclaimed area along the Danube River. Although neither country's preferred boundary includes the territory, the land is effectively divided administratively, unlike Bir Tawil.

  • Bir Tawil is presented as a rare possible location for establishing a new sovereign country. Its status as habitable territory claimed by neither neighboring government creates an unusual opportunity, although territorial availability alone does not establish statehood.

  • Numerous individuals have attempted to claim Bir Tawil and declare their own countries. These declarations have not produced an internationally recognized sovereign state.

  • International recognition is a central obstacle to establishing a country in Bir Tawil. Simply declaring independence or claiming territory does not make a new country legitimate in the eyes of existing governments.

  • No internationally recognized country recognizes any of the attempted claims to Bir Tawil, according to the documentary. The absence of an established government and permanent population is offered as a likely explanation for this lack of recognition.

  • Establishing a permanent settlement would require substantial infrastructure investment. Bir Tawil has no established transport network for delivering food, equipment, construction materials, or other essential supplies.

  • The desert environment makes local food production difficult. Anyone attempting to establish a permanent community would probably need to construct a road or airport to import food and other necessities.

  • Bir Tawil is described as lacking significant natural resources. Without valuable resources or a productive agricultural base, a newly established country would struggle to develop an economically self-sustaining population.

  • A functioning government and permanent population could strengthen a future claim to sovereignty. The documentary suggests that establishing a democratic government with residents might eventually persuade existing countries to recognize a new state, although recognition would not be guaranteed.

  • The number assigned to a hypothetical new country would depend on which existing states are counted. The documentary mentions the possibility of a 197th, 194th, or 193rd country, reflecting disagreements over the international recognition and classification of existing states.