The Political Orphanage How to Start Your Own Country: No Man's Land
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Oct 29, 2025 Delve into the fascinating quirks of terra nullius, exploring unclaimed lands like Iceland and the Oklahoma Panhandle. Discover the chaotic history of Kowloon Walled City, once a dense, lawless haven. Learn about modern aspirations like Liberland, a self-proclaimed libertarian domain founded amid a territorial dispute, and the whimsical tale of North Sudan, a crowdfunded kingdom. Each story unveils the oddities of sovereignty and human ambition in places without clear governance.
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Origins And Misuse Of Terra Nullius
- Terra nullius is a legal concept later used to justify colonization by claiming land was ownerless when it often wasn’t.
- Iceland is a real historical example where settlers found genuinely uninhabited land and established a society.
Oklahoma Panhandle's Lawless History
- The Oklahoma Panhandle was a literal US no man's land with no state jurisdiction for decades, attracting outlaws and speculators.
- It finally joined Oklahoma Territory in 1890 after drought and depopulation ended the lawless era.
Kowloon: The City Of Darkness
- Kowloon Walled City became an ungoverned, densely packed enclave after treaties left its sovereignty ambiguous.
- It grew into a 35,000-person vertical slum with factories, crime, and tight community life before demolition in 1993.