Why do neither Egypt nor Sudan claim Bir Tawil?

Bir Tawil is a desert area of about 2,060 square kilometres on the Egypt-Sudan border that neither state claims. The reason is a mismatch between two borders drawn by Britain, in 1899 and 1902. Each country prefers the border that gives it the valuable Hala'ib Triangle, and that same border leaves Bir Tawil to the other country. Other unclaimed land does exist, including a corner of Antarctica and some small patches on the Danube. [1] [2]

On 19 January 1899, an agreement between the United Kingdom and Egypt defined Sudan as the territories south of the 22nd parallel, a straight political boundary. On 4 November 1902, the British drew a separate administrative boundary meant to reflect how tribes actually used the land. Bir Tawil was grazing land of the Ababda tribe, based near Aswan, so it was placed under Egyptian administration. The Hala'ib Triangle, whose inhabitants were culturally closer to Khartoum, went under the British governor of Sudan. [1] [3]

The 1899 line puts Hala'ib in Egypt and Bir Tawil in Sudan. The 1902 line does the opposite. After both states became independent, by the 1950s, Egypt preferred the earlier line and Sudan the later one. [1] [2]

Hala'ib is larger, has access to the coast, and is reported to be rich in minerals and resources. One academic paper puts its population at roughly 27,000 people. Bir Tawil is barren, has no permanent settlements, and has no sea access. Either country could claim Bir Tawil only by accepting the boundary that hands Hala'ib to the other, and neither is willing to do that. Since 2000, Hala'ib has been effectively under Egyptian control, with Sudan's claim being more legal than practical. [2] [4] [1]

The sources give different sizes for the area: 2,060 square kilometres in one and 1,290 in another. The reason is not explained in the results. No recognised third state claims it either, so it is described as the only habitable place not claimed by a recognised government. Individuals have made personal claims, at least nine by one count, but none is recognised by the UN. [1] [4] [2]

Marie Byrd Land in Antarctica, about 1,605,792 square kilometres, is described as the largest unclaimed territory in the world. Seven nations claim other parts of Antarctica, but this corner has stayed unclaimed, which the source attributes to its isolation. On the Danube's western bank, between Croatia and Serbia, a few patches are claimed by neither state. The largest, Gornja Siga, covers about 7 square kilometres of floodplain forest. Croatia controls it in practice while saying it is Serbian, and Serbia makes no claim. [5]

Bir Tawil is therefore described as unique in being habitable yet unclaimed, whereas Marie Byrd Land is not realistically habitable. [1] [5]