Ridiculous History – “Bir Tawil: The Ridiculous Tale of ‘Earth’s Worst Real Estate’”

Podcast: Ridiculous History (iHeartPodcasts)
Episode Date: November 11, 2025
Hosts: Ben Bowlin & Noel Brown

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ben and Noel explore the bizarre story of Bir Tawil, a small patch of land between Egypt and Sudan that, for over a century, has been actively avoided by both countries. Despite intense global competition over land, Bir Tawil remains one of the only habitable places on the planet that no nation claims. The hosts dig into how this “reverse border dispute” came to be, highlight antics of would-be micronation founders, and delve into what makes Bir Tawil “Earth’s Worst Real Estate.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Scarcity and Value of Land (04:19–06:53)

• Real estate as a hot commodity: Noel muses that with billions of people and limited space, land is generally fought over at personal, local, regional, and national scales.
• Exceptions like Bir Tawil: Ben points out, “there are parts of planet Earth that literally nobody wants... One of our favorites is a little place called Bir Tawil.” (06:53)

2. Where (and What) Is Bir Tawil? (07:16–08:23)

• Location: Situated between Sudan and Egypt, Bir Tawil is a 795 sq mile (2060 sq km) desert strip—essentially a “postage stamp” sized patch neither side wants.
• Mutual disownership: “Egypt says it belongs to Sudan. Sudan says it belongs [to Egypt].” (07:41)
• Both countries publish maps showing the other as the owner. “Both countries make maps to this day, claiming the other country owns this little spot of land.” (07:47)

3. Getting to Bir Tawil (08:23–09:46)

• Extreme inaccessibility: Quoting The Guardian, travel requires venturing through the vast, largely barren Nubian Desert—or, from Egypt, crossing restricted zones requiring complex paperwork.
• “Once you arrive... you are going to be unimpressed.” (09:35)
• Description: It’s “deserted, unless you’re into barren, uninhabited places with no signs of human life or activity.” (09:46)

4. The Concept of Terra Nullius (10:39–12:22)

• Definition: Noel explains, “terra nullius... is a Latin phrase meaning land belonging to no one, and describes a territory... not claimed or recognized by any state or sovereign authority in the international law community.” (11:40)
• Historical use: Ben and Noel discuss how colonial powers used this to justify taking “unclaimed” land, even when indigenous people lived there.

5. The Border Dispute’s Absurd Roots (13:33–21:53)

• Origin in colonial boundaries: The scrambling began with the British occupation (1882) and the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium Agreement of 1899, which set a straight-line border at the 22nd parallel—“using straight lines with very little consideration for geographical features, cultural divides... or ethnic differences.” (18:23)
• 1902 administrative adjustment: For local practicalities, the British drew a temporary boundary, swapping Bir Tawil (then used by Egyptian nomads) and the Hala’ib Triangle (a valuable Red Sea coast area) between Sudan and Egypt.
• “You can either own Bir Tawil or you can own the Hala’ib Triangle... the triangle is by far the better piece of real estate... sea access, much larger, not inhospitable desert.” (22:11)
• Modern disputes: When Sudan became independent in 1956, both countries claimed the triangle, making Bir Tawil a diplomatic “hot potato” neither wanted.
• Strategic reason: To claim Bir Tawil is to forfeit the legal basis for claiming the more coveted Hala’ib Triangle.

6. Life (or Lack Thereof) in Bir Tawil (24:59–26:03)

• No permanent habitation: Few nomads pass through, sometimes for gold panning; otherwise, it remains “terra nullius.”
• Notable quote: “It is a real-life no man’s land... the only habitable place on earth not currently claimed by any recognized government.” (24:59)

7. The Micronations Craze (26:03–36:15)

• Micronations galore: Many online have claimed Bir Tawil as their own micronation—but nearly all have never visited.

• 2014: Jeremiah Heaton’s “Kingdom of North Sudan”:

  • Motivation: “His daughter Emily had been obsessed with the idea of becoming a real princess.” (26:46)
  • Heaton traveled, planted a flag, and tried to crowdfund $250,000 to develop the “country.” It failed spectacularly, facing backlash as a tone-deaf act reminiscent of colonialism.
  • Memorable moment: “Instead of people contributing toward this US$250,000 goal... folks from across the planet united as haters and critics. They said, you are not being cool. This is not about your daughter. Dude, you’re trying to bring back colonialism. You are a 21st century imperialist.” (33:01–33:42)

• 2025: The Principality of Bir Tawil:

  • Claimed by Giovanni Caporaso Gottlieb, who has created a formal “framework of governance,” with “citizens, diplomats, tourism, and even a (theoretical) application to the United Nations.” (36:15)
  • Factoid: “According to the 2024 census, the principality counts 3,030 citizens, many of whom belong to the Ababda and Bashiri people, nomadic ethnic groups native to the region.” (37:01)
  • “Their primary source of revenue is tourism, especially from people who say, ‘I want to visit a place that technically isn’t anywhere.’” (38:12)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Bir Tawil’s value:
  “You can either own Bir Tawil or you can own the Hala’ib Triangle… the triangle is by far the better piece of real estate... sea access, much larger, not inhospitable desert.” – Ben (22:11)

• On the mutual disavowal:
  “For more than a century, both Egypt and Sudan have looked at this desolate stretch of abstract art desert and said, no, no, no, seriously. No, you take it. No, no, no, no, no. You guys take it.” – Ben (12:36)

• On the terrain:
  “There are no traces of permanent inhabitants, no roads... It is a real-life no man’s land or terra nullius.” – Noel (09:46)

• On Jeremiah Heaton’s princess plan:
  “I am traveling to Bir Tawil. I’m going to take ownership of this disputed land, this terra nullius no one desires. I’m going to found a new country. We’ll call it the Kingdom of North Sudan. I’m going to install myself as head of state... then I will make you, my daughter, an actual princess.” – Ben (31:29)

• On the modern micronation attempt:
  “This is the most formal and ambitious action ever taken regarding this territory since the late 1800s, early 1900s.” – Ben, on Bir Tawil’s 2025 UN observer application (36:46)

• Tidbit of dry humor:
  “History is weird, folks. And real estate belief is a hell of a drug.” – Ben (39:21)
  “It’s like that place where all the states intersect... a little bit kitschy, right?” – Ben, comparing Bir Tawil tourism to US roadside attractions (38:12)

Important Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamps | |:--------------------------------------------|:---------------| | Real estate and global land scarcity | 04:19–06:53 | | What and where is Bir Tawil? | 07:16–08:23 | | How to get there (and why you wouldn’t) | 08:23–09:46 | | Terra nullius explained | 10:39–12:22 | | Colonial boundary origins | 13:33–21:53 | | The “choose one”: Hala’ib Triangle vs Bir Tawil | 22:11–24:10 | | Nomads, gold panning, and no permanent life | 24:59–26:03 | | Micronations and Jeremiah Heaton’s scheme | 26:03–34:00 | | The Principality of Bir Tawil (2025) | 36:15–39:10 | | Tourism & kitsch factor | 38:12–39:10 | | Philosophical wrap-up | 39:21–40:08 |

Tone and Style

The hosts maintain their signature banter throughout—mixing encyclopedic curiosity, deadpan humor, and a touch of world-weariness, always with tongue firmly in cheek.

Noteworthy Banter

• Jokes about Monopoly and the “Landlord’s Game.”
• Synesthetic musings about “owning air and wind.”
• Riff on “free real estate” meme (26:03) and comparisons with American roadside “nowhere” landmarks.
• Repeated, playful “dibs!” and “no take-backs” refrains to underscore the absurdity.

Summary in a Nutshell

Bir Tawil: A “reverse border dispute” where, unique among global territories, the land is forsaken by both neighbors out of strategic calculation instead of being fought over. This oddity has attracted the attention of internet micronation founders, earnest but misguided dads, and would-be UN states, but Bir Tawil remains the world’s least coveted real estate—proof that sometimes, in history, nobody wants to win.

For more on bizarre borderlands and the history of micronations, check out past Ridiculous History episodes. And, as Ben and Noel quip: ‘History is weird, folks. And real estate is downright ridiculous.’