Bir Tawil

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Orthographic projection of Bir Tawil
Map of Bir Tawil

Bi'r Tawīl is an area between macronations of Egypt and Sudan that is frequently claimed by numerous micronations. Bir Tawil or Bi'r Tawīl (بير طويل in Egyptian Arabic; Bi'r or بير , meaning "deep water well") is a 2,060 km2 (795 sq mi) area along the border between Egypt and Sudan which is claimed by neither country. It is sometimes referred to as the Bir Tawil Triangle, despite the area's quadrilateral shape, with the longer side in the north of the area running along the 22° north circle of latitude. It is the only area where the administrative boundary of 1902 between the two countries runs south of the political boundary of 1899, which had been defined as the 22° north circle of latitude.

East-to-west, the area is between 46 kilometres (29 mi) long in the south, and 95 kilometres (59 mi) long in the north, and between 26 kilometres (16 mi) and 31 kilometres (19 mi) wide north-to-south, and 2,060 km2 (800 sq mi) in size. The Bir Tawil area came under Egyptian administration in 1902, because it was grazing land of the Ababda tribe based near Aswan, Egypt. At the same time, the Hala'ib Triangle north of latitude 22° north, and northeast of the area, came under Sudanese administration, because the tribes of this area were based in Sudan. The two "triangles" border at one point, a quadripoint.

Egypt still took on administration of the territory, but its administration was not marked on Egyptian government maps.

History

The area known as Bir Tawil was used as grazing land by the Ababda tribe, an Arab tribe based near Aswan, Egypt. In 1899, when the United Kingdom held hegemony in the area, the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium Agreement for Sudan set the border between the territories at the 22nd parallel. However, in 1902 the UK drew a separate "administrative boundary", under which a triangle of land north of the parallel was placed under Sudanese administration, because its inhabitants were closer to Khartoum than Cairo, both geographically and culturally. The area thus became the responsibility of the British Governor in Khartoum. Egypt claims the original border from 1899, the 22° north circle of latitude, 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 is landlocked. There is no basis in international law for Sudan or Egypt to claim both territories. It has since become an area claimed by multiple micronations.

On 14 March 2020 King Dwain I was coronated King of Bir Tawil, thereby establishing a sovereign state in Bir Tawil.[1]. In 2019, the East Saharan Protectorate was established as an overseas autonomous territory in Bir Tawil and the Hala'ib Triangle by the Empire of Eintracia. The claims were then withdrawn in 2021 but it stayed the status of overseas province from 2020 to 2021.

Later, on 3 November, 2020, H.R.M. Crown Prince Maurice D. Ravennah, who claimed to be a Moorish descendent of Kush and Nubia claimed to have founded The SDKT Sovereign Democratic Kingdom of Terramor at Bir Tawil to establish sovereign and international protections for African Diasporic Peoples around the world. However, this claim did not address the coronation of King Dwain I 8 months earlier not the sovereign state established under the reign of King Dwain I.[2]

In August 2022, the sovereign of the Byzantine-Iranian Realm, Adrian I, Holy Byzantine Emperor and Shah of Iran announced the establishment of the Byzantine-Iranian Realm in Bir Tawil, claiming the territory of Bir Tawil and establishing a territory of the realm there. The same month, the Kingdom of Latveria claimed Bir Tawil as a part of its overseas province.

In May 2023, the recently established Free State of Türenor also claimed the region of Bir Tawil as its national territory.

Geography

In the north of the area is the mountain Jabal Tawil (جبل طويل in Arabic, located at Egypt), with a height of 459 meters. In the east is Jabal Ḩajar az Zarqā', with a height of 662 meters. In the south is the Wadi Tawil (وادي طويل in Arabic, also called Khawr Abū Bard).

Micronational claims

Main list: List of micronations that claim Bir Tawil

Throughout micronational history, there have been many micronational claims over the Bir Tawil area.

A couple of the claims:

References

  1. [1] Retrieved 5 August 2021
  2. UBC News and others, Retreived 5th August 2021

See also

List of micronations that claim Bir Tawil

External links