For the record

Bir Tawil is an 800-square-mile section of complete desert nestled within the border that separates Egypt and Sudan. Both nations have renounced any claim to it, and no other government has any jurisdiction over it.

Egypt and Sudan’s rival claims on neighboring Hala’ib, which has oil reserves, both rest on documents that appear to assign responsibility for Bir Tawil to the other country.

As a result, neither wants to assert any sovereignty over Bir Tawil, for to do so would be to renounce their rights to the larger and more lucrative territory.

On Egyptian maps, Bir Tawil is shown as belonging to Sudan. On Sudanese maps, it appears as part of Egypt.

In practice, Bir Tawil is widely believed to have the legal status of terra nullius – “nobody’s land” – and there is nothing else quite like it on the planet.

Maybe Roddie could go live there! The king of the nannyless state.