Principality of Bir Tawil
The Principality of Bir Tawil is a micronation with claims to land in Bir Tawil, Africa. The Principality of Bir Tawil is a unique territory distinguished by its "terra nullius" or no-man’s-land status. Located in the Sahara Desert between Egypt and Sudan, it spans 2,060 square kilometers. Its capital, Marianne Station 1, which serves as the capital of the Principality, is an experimental site aimed at survival and sustainability in one of the planet's most inhospitable regions.[1]
History
The history of Bir Tawil dates back to the 19th century when it was overlooked in territorial disputes between Egypt and Sudan. Boundary changes established by the British left this territory outside the economic interests of both countries, who preferred to focus their disputes on Hala'ib Triangle, much more fertile and strategic.
Population
The nomadic Ababda and Bishari tribes inhabit the Bir Tawil desert. These ancestral communities have developed exceptional skills for desert survival and have implemented sustainable practices to protect their fragile ecosystem. Officials of the Principality collaborate with these tribes to develop projects that promote the territory’s self-sufficiency.
Currency
The Principality’s official currency is the AAL Token. It is used in Bir Tawil’s productive initiatives and was recently added to the PancakeSwap platform, allowing users to trade it for other currencies and generate passive income. This currency supports sustainable projects in the region and seeks to engage the global community in its economic and environmental development.
Government types
The Government of Bir Tawil is run by a prince, although it remains a semi-constitutional monarchy, with a prime minister as the leader of parliament, and parliament having congress and the senate.
Politics
In recent decades, Bir Tawil has attracted some international attention due to individual claims. The only one with international recognition is that of Prince S.A. Giovanni Caporaso Gottlieb, who planned to build a research station called "Marianne 1 Station"[2] in the territory. This project is being developed by experts and under the supervision of Prince Caporaso Gottlieb, who has been visiting the territory for 40 years and argued that, since Bir Tawil was unclaimed, he had the right to establish a base there and declare sovereignty over the area. This project and declaration of sovereignty, although symbolic, has generated debate about the legality and ethics of claiming territories without clear geopolitical value and without the intervention of a recognized state.
Already in 2005, Prince Giovanni Caporaso Gottlieb had inherited territory in Antarctica[3] that he subsequently claimed at the United Nations. Prince S.A. Giovanni Caporaso Gottlieb's interest in Bir Tawil is a combination of symbolic, experimental, and legal motives, far from conventional interests of settlement and dominion for natural wealth or strategic value. Rather than seeing this desert territory as a source of economic resources, Caporaso Gottlieb has interpreted its status as an opportunity to explore the legal complexities of a territory without formal sovereignty, using this forgotten space as an experiment in settlement, dominion and administration without state interference.