Ridiculous History Bir Tawil: The Ridiculous Tale of "Earth's Worst Real Estate"
Nov 11, 2025
Discover the bizarre saga of Bir Tawil, a piece of land no one wants. Learn why both Egypt and Sudan prefer to claim the more valuable Halaib Triangle instead. Explore the inhospitable terrain and the rare nomadic groups who pass through it. Delve into the misguided attempt by Jeremiah Heaton to create a kingdom for his daughter, and why his plan was met with backlash. Uncover the quirky aspirations of the Principality of Bir Tawil and its unique governance. This tale is a real estate oddity that defies logic!
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Why Bir Tawil Is Unclaimed
- Bir Tawil is a roughly 7,995 square mile, uninhabited patch of desert between Egypt and Sudan.
- Both countries refuse it because claiming it would concede the more valuable Hala'ib Triangle to the other side.
Terra Nullius And Local Use
- Bir Tawil functions as terra nullius: ungoverned, barren, and visited only by nomads and occasional prospectors.
- International law historically allowed occupation of terra nullius, but local use complicates simplistic claims.
Colonial Lines Created The Mess
- Colonial-era border drawing created competing maps that later produced the Bir Tawil/Hala'ib dilemma.
- A 1902 administrative line and an 1899 parallel line produced mutually exclusive territorial claims.
