7. Sudan and Egypt
Border: Bir Tawil
Area: 2,060 km²*
Est. Gross Domestic Product: $1.471 trillion (Egypt) / $340 billion (Sudan)*
In contemporary geopolitics, Bir Tawil is unique—a portion of the planet that is genuinely terra nullius, unclaimed by any country. This barren desert area is the product of a border demarcation from the colonial era that left it in limbo, sandwiched between Egypt and Sudan.
Sudan and Egypt on Google/Pinterest
The unusual standoff results from both countries' determination to assert their claims to the resource-rich Hala'ib Triangle to the east, leaving Bir Tawil unclaimed in order to keep their claims to the more valuable region intact. This landform, shaped like a trapezoid and devoid of natural resources or permanent residents, unintentionally serves as a symbol of the complexity surrounding international borders and territorial conflicts.