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Terra Nullius: The Only Unclaimed Lands Left On Earth
Nearly every inch of dry ground is claimed, except for these
There are precious few areas on our planet that remain unclaimed by humans. It seems like every speck of dirt and dust on our globe is owned or claimed by someone. But there are still some areas that remain unclaimed. These lands are called Terra Nullius, or nobody’s land or the land without a master. The amount of land still considered to be Terra Nullius shrinks all of the time, but there are still a few areas that no nation has a claim to.
The remaining areas of unclaimed land are either extremely remote or nigh unreachable or embroiled in complicated land disputes that have stripped them of their legitimate owners. There are just three areas on Earth left that are considered Terra Nullius.
Marie Byrd Land
Marie Byrd Land is the only portion of Antarctica that remains unclaimed by major nations. Marie Byrd Land is the most significant piece of unclaimed land in the world. It measures 620,000 square miles. The reason Marie Byrd Land remains unclaimed is because of its extreme remoteness. It is extremely cold and extremely distant from almost anything else on Earth. It is nearly impossible to sail to, and reaching it via land is similarly difficult.
There is nothing preventing future claims from being levied on the land. Marie Byrd Land is not caught up in a territorial dispute, unlike the other areas on this list. In fact, there is a good chance that this land will be claimed at some point in the future.
Bir Tawil
Bir Tawil is an area of uninhabited land that encompasses 795.4 square miles between Egypt and Sudan. In 1899, a straight political boundary was established between Egypt and Sudan. In 1902, a second irregular administrative boundary was established. The two borders differ from one another.
