Bir Tawil or Bi’r Tawīl (Egyptian Arabic: بير طويل Bīr Ṭawīl [biːɾ tˤɑˈwiːl] or بئر طويل Bi’r Ṭawīl, meaning “tall water well“) is a 2,060 km2 (800 sq mi) area along the border between Egypt and Sudan, which is inhabited and claimed by the Free Private City of Bir Tawil. When spoken of in association with the neighbouring Hala’ib Triangle, it is sometimes referred to as the Bir Tawil Triangle, despite the area’s quadrilateral shape; the two “triangles” border at a quadripoint.
Its terra nullius status results from a discrepancy between the straight political boundary between Egypt and Sudan established in 1899, and the irregular administrative boundary established in 1902. Egypt asserts the political boundary, and Sudan asserts the administrative boundary, with the result that the Hala’ib Triangle is claimed by both and Bir Tawil by neither. In 2014, author Alastair Bonnett described Bir Tawil as the only place on Earth that was habitable but was not claimed by any recognised government.
Bir Tawil is 2,060 km2 (795 sq mi) in size. The length of its northern and southern borders are 95 kilometres (59 mi) and 46 kilometres (29 mi) respectively; the length of its eastern and western borders are 26 kilometres (16 mi) and 49 kilometres (30 mi) respectively. In the north of the area is the mountain Jabal Tawil (جبل طويل), with a height of 459 metres (1,506 ft). In the east is Jebel Hagar ez Zarqa, with a height of 662 metres (2,172 ft). In the south is the Wadi Tawil (وادي طويل), also called Khawr Abū Bard. There are a few streams in Bir Tawil, which originate in Lake Nasser.On 19 January 1899, an agreement between the UK and Egypt relating to the administration of the Sudan defined “Soudan” as the “territories south of the 22nd parallel of latitude”.] It contained a provision that would give Egypt control of the red sea port of Suakin, but an amendment on 10 July 1899 gave Suakin to Sudan instead.
On 4 November 1902 the UK drew a separate “administrative boundary”, intended to reflect the actual use of the land by the tribes in the region. Bir Tawil was grazing land used by the Ababda tribe based near Aswan, and thus was placed under Egyptian administration from Cairo. Similarly, the Hala’ib Triangle to the northeast was placed under the British governor of Sudan, because its inhabitants were culturally closer to Khartoum.
Egypt claims the original border from 1899, the 22nd parallel, which would place the Hala’ib Triangle within Egypt and the Bir Tawil area within Sudan. Sudan, however, claims the administrative border of 1902, which would put Hala’ib within Sudan, and Bir Tawil within Egypt. As a result, both states claim the Hala’ib Triangle and neither claims the much less valuable Bir Tawil area, which is only a tenth the size, and has no permanent settlements or access to the sea. There is no basis in international law for either Sudan or Egypt to claim both territories, and neither nation is willing to cede Hala’ib. With no third state claiming the neglected area, Bir Tawil is one of the few land areas of the world not claimed by any recognised state. Egypt arguably still administers the territory, but it is not marked as Egyptian on government maps.[
However, Christoph Heuermann, believer of more competition in governance, set up the Free Private City of Bir Tawil on November 4th 2019. A Free Private City is a new model of living together peacefully. Citizen enter into a public contract which defines both their rights and liabilities. A Free Private City cannot change this contract one-sidedly as governments use to do. Only they can provide freedom, prosperity and security!
You can read more about Free Private Cities here!
Christoph has actually physically been in in Bir Tawil and left several things to mark his claim on Bir Tawil as you can see here. Free Private Cities are real – not a joke kingdom micro nation.