unclaimed territory

Concerning my recent post on disputed territories around the world, Ahmed Elewa sends THIS REMINDER about Bir Tawil, a place along the Egypt/Sudan border claimed by neither:

“both states claim the Hala’ib Triangle and neither claims the much less valuable Bir Tawil area, which is only a tenth the size and is landlocked. There is no basis in international law for Sudan or Egypt to claim both territories, and it would be difficult, if not impossible, for any third state to claim the area, since it is accessible only through Sudan or Egypt. As a result, Bir Tawil is one of the few land areas of the world which is not claimed by any recognised state.”