On a globe where each parcel of land is “owned”, there’s a zone spanning over 2,000 square kilometers, openly declined by all neighboring nations, yet the Russians have already succeeded in showing some interest.
Colonial anomaly: where the only unclaimed piece of land on the planet remains
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The planet’s map has scarcely any regions left unclaimed. Even minute islets in the Pacific have their possessors. Nevertheless, a desert patch exists that is officially ownerless. Known as Bir Tawil, it’s situated on the boundary between Egypt and Sudan.
TSN.ua reports the following.
Bir Tawil shares borders with Egypt towards the north and with Sudan to the west, south, and east. Both countries hold conflicting assertions to this territory, which encompasses an extent greater than 2,000 square kilometers.
Why is this territory of no interest to either Egypt or Sudan?
The truth is that, grounded in a treaty from 1899, the demarcation between Egypt and Sudan tracks along the 22nd parallel. Nevertheless, in 1902, Britain instituted a fresh “administrative border,” resulting in the transfer of the Halaib Triangle to Sudan. Concurrently, Bir Tawil was reassigned to Egypt.
Following the attainment of autonomy by both nations, the Halaib Triangle remained under Sudanese jurisdiction, while Bir Tawil was administered by Egypt. On February 1, 1958, Egypt mandated that Sudan revert to the 1899 boundaries and yield the Halaib Triangle, in exchange for a considerably smaller region, Bir Tawil. In 1995, Egypt dispatched troops to the locale and assumed dominance over the triangle.
Sudan declined to relinquish the triangle and continues to acknowledge the 1902 boundary. This engendered a singular circumstance wherein neither nation regards Bir Tawil as its terrain, thereby laying claim to a notably vaster domain.
Image of Young Pioneer Tours
Is there a population there?
Bir Tawil is an arid desert, lacking roadways or utilities and, as per official records, devoid of a stable populace. Although the population figures are debatable.
Bir Tawil: satellite view
Young Pioneer Tours undertook a couple of expeditions to the terrain in 2019 and 2024 and documented the presence of continuing settlements linked to unauthorized mining camps. They further indicated that mercenaries and weapon merchants tied to the civil strife were operative in the zone. The indigenous community reacted defensively to the journalists’ efforts to document their existence.
“Numerous individuals assert that Bir Tawil is deserted, but truthfully, that isn’t accurate. The Ababda tribe regard it as their ancestral land and are intensely protective of it. They are remarkably unwelcoming to individuals who lay claim to their land. Typically, the inhabitants here are engaged in labor within the gold mines situated in the sector, managed by the Ababda tribe, although the majority of laborers appear to be drawn from the Darfur area of Sudan, transported to their workplace via buses. So, what is the population of Bir Tawil? Confirmation remains elusive, yet based on our observations, we estimate it to be in the thousands,” Young Pioneer Tours points out.
According to the organization, Russians are certainly active within this zone, “displaying greater engagement in resource extraction and the provision of arms to the tribes than in territorial acquisition.”
Young Pioneer Tours unearthed several minor settlements within Bir Tawil, comprising gold mines, alongside at least a single substantial “city”-like enclave. The voyagers dubbed it “Bir Tawil City.” In conjunction with thousands of laborers, there were commercial establishments, street-side food vendors, dining places, and even a satellite telephone.
“Agriculture is somewhat advanced in Bir Tawil as well, a detail we gleaned when a goat was ritually slaughtered in our honor,” the investigators remark.
Young Pioneer Tours underscores that the internet may depict Bir Tawil as unoccupied and entirely unpopulated. The actuality, however, diverges significantly and is considerably more intricate. It’s not a location that lacks appeal, but rather constitutes one of those peculiar anomalies originating from colonialism.
Bait for adventurers
Bir Tawil’s unconventional status has recurrently enticed dreamers and adventurers. As an instance, in 2014, Jeremy Heaton, an American citizen, planted a self-made banner in the sands and pronounced the territory as the “Kingdom of Northern Sudan.” He stated that he pursued this to gratify his daughter, whose aspiration was to become a princess.
Dmitry Zhikharev, a Russian entrepreneur, proclaimed his virtual state in this locality, terming it the “Kingdom of Middle-earth” and installing himself as monarch. Predictably, no nation or global body has ratified these pronouncements.
“While this territory does not currently fall under the governance of either Egypt or Sudan, and embodies a sense of lawlessness, the reality stands that neither nation will sanction the formation of a nascent state. It’s crucial to consider that inhabitants already reside here, and this entire situation stemmed from a disagreement involving two major countries. Should they ever reconcile their differences and resolve the matter, irrespective of the arbitration undertaken, this territory will likely revert to either Egyptian or Sudanese possession, irrespective of the elegance of the website you craft for your budding nation,” Young Pioneer Tours conveyed.
Source: tsn.ua