Chapter 01 of 5
The Cartographic Paradox
How two conflicting colonial lines created a map-making disaster.
- Geographic Anomaly
The Land of Nobody
Bir Tawil is a 2,060-square-kilometer desert trapezoid between Egypt and Sudan. It is the only place on Earth, outside Antarctica, that is not claimed by any country.
- Origin
The 1899 Line
In 1899, the United Kingdom established a straight political boundary along the 22nd parallel north. This line placed the Hala'ib Triangle on the Egyptian side and Bir Tawil on the Sudanese side.
- Administrative Shift
The 1902 Adjustment
Just three years later, the British drew a second 'administrative' line. This version accounted for the actual movement and grazing habits of local tribes.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
Which boundary line did the British draw in 1899 to establish a straight political border?
Free · no account needed · Don't scroll. Drift.
🗺️ Bir Tawil: The Land That No One Wants
- 01The Cartographic ParadoxHow two conflicting colonial lines created a map-making disaster.
- 02Terra Nullius: Land of No OneUnderstanding the rare status of land without a sovereign state.
- 03The Hala'ib Trade-OffWhy claiming Bir Tawil is actually a strategic disaster.
- 04Flags in the SandThe eccentrics and micronation-builders who seek the throne.
- 05The Geography of NowhereLife and law in a place that technically does not exist.