Exploring unclaimed territories for potential new nations

Have you ever wanted to start your own country? Well, you're in luck because there's a few places across the world where you could technically do that. Let's find out which they are. Now, there are a number of places throughout the world in which you could technically start your own country. The type of places we're looking for actually have a name, terra nullius. It's a term used in international law that refers to a territory without a master. There's only a handful of territories that fulfill this criteria and they make up our main examples in this video. They are the Gornja Siga and other land pockets throughout the Danube river on the border between Croatia and Serbia, Marie Byrd Land and Antarctica, Bir Tawil, a territory on the border between Egypt and Sudan which is connected to another disputed territory the Alai Valley triangle, plus the no-man's-land Icefield Territory in South Patagonia on the Chile-Argentina border. There are also other cases we can mention where ownership is a little bit questionable, like the Macquessie Seal Island, a rocky island disputed between Canada and the US, Rockall Island, an empty and disputed island between the UK, Ireland and Iceland, or even the temporary Nikoji-jima Sandbar between Japan and Russia. There are also places that are just claimed by a single country, the country that rules it, but are empty and kind of disregarded by their owner, with unstable or even inexistent local rule. In those, we could maybe include Clipperton Island in the Pacific, technically French but uninhabited, the Serranilla Bank disputed by Colombia, the US and Jamaica but empty, or the Aouzou Strip, an empty plot of land between Chad and Libya. Here the plan would have to be more like you show up, plant a flag, figure out a way to survive and hope nobody cares enough about the territory to actually kick you out. So now let's learn a little more about each of these territories and how you could or couldn't set up your own country in them. First the Danube land pockets and this actually seems to be the only case of unclaimed territories in the continent of Europe. The Danube River land pockets, particularly Gornja Siga, exist due to a border dispute between Serbia and Croatia. There's other ones, but they're extremely small, so Siga is the main one. Croatia claims that the Danube River should be the border between the countries, which would make this territory Serbian. Serbia, however, adheres to historical borders, according to them, which would keep the land under Croatian control. It's a rare example of a country wanting another country to keep land that is being offered to them, particularly with Serbia, which is so adamant in refusing parts of their old territory to go off on their own. But at the same time, Croatia claims other pockets on the eastern shore, such as Karapanda, Kolondos, or Zverinjak as their own, when they claimed and administered by Serbia, so I guess if Serbia took Siga it would have to admit the others are Croatian. It's a little confusing and I'm not 100% sure of this, so if you're either Serbian or Croatian, feel free to enlighten me in the comments. Since neither country accepts the alternative claim, Gornja, Siga and a few other small territories remain terra nullius. This makes it a rare example of unclaimed land in Europe and its small size means that it has already of course attracted micronation projects such as the self-declared Liberland. So hey, if you want to rule it you will have an immediate territorial dispute to deal with. However, Croatian authorities actively remove settlers making an attempt to take over difficult unless it gains some form of international recognition beforehand. However, whenever you try to move to any of these territories and set up your own country you would probably meet a particular challenge which is maybe you wouldn't speak the local language well with the sponsor of today's video Lingopie that would no longer be a problem Lingopie is a great way to learn a new language because with it you don't just go through online classes you actually learn while watching authentic movies and series directly from the culture of your target language here is how it works you sign up download their browser extension and then Then you watch a show out of a library of over 3000 tv shows and series with the ability to connect your Netflix and Disney account to get even more great content. When you click to watch, you get special subtitles that allow you to interact with what is being said and learn what it means, what context it's used in and many other key details that you might miss out on with regular subtitles. 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And no, despite its name, it doesn't belong to somebody called Mary Bird, that was actually the name of the wife of explorer Richard Bird that discovered it, but he died in 1957. Located in West Antarctica, this is the largest unclaimed landmass on earth, covering approximately 1.6 million square kilometers, and like other parts of Antarctica which were claimed before 1959, Mary Bird Land was never formally taken by any nation. The Antarctic Treaty prevents new territorial claims, effectively freezing the land in a legal limbo. There's no permanent population whatsoever, only a couple scientific expeditions that went there over the years. A potential takeover would require establishing a scientific base or settlement, although the extreme cold and remoteness would pose pretty significant challenges. Plus, any claim would conflict with the treaty, so unless the treaty is nullified by its member states, which it might be because countries like the US, Russia and China are starting to claim Antarctica for potential military uses, then you would have to find another solution. If not, you might have a hard time claiming it and an even harder time living there. The next two examples on our list we should cover together because they are connected and really only one of them is a potential place for your new country. The Bir Tawil region is a 2,000 square kilometer strip of desert between Egypt and Sudan. unclaimed due to a border dispute that creates a pretty unique legal paradox. Egypt claims the Hala'ib Triangle, using a border definition that assigns Bir Tawil to its neighbor of Sudan. In opposition, Sudan follows a different border interpretation that places Bir Tawil under Egyptian sovereignty while they would take Hala'ib. The triangle is significantly larger at 20.5 thousand square kilometers and is a strategic and valuable place on the coast of the Red Sea just after the Suez Canal, it's de facto ruled by Egypt today. A hypothetical takeover by you would be far more complicated than in Bir Tawil, as Egypt maintains a military presence there and they're unlikely to relinquish it. However, since neither country wants to recognize the other border's claim, they both effectively reject Bir Tawil, making it a true terra nullius. Many individuals have attempted to claim the land for themselves, but its extreme desert conditions and lack of resources make it a difficult location for a settlement. Any long-term occupation would require securing water, food, and infrastructure, along with some type of international legitimacy. It's sort of the same issue with Marie Byrd Land, except the opposite climate. And speaking of ice, we can move on to our next example, which is the Patagonia Icefield, in an area that was once disputed between Chile and Argentina. It's called a no-man's land, and it's another great example of a territorial void. Most of the border between these two countries was settled in a treaty in 2009, but a small segment of glacial territory remains undefined. This is largely because of the extreme conditions in the area, which make it uninhabitable and politically insignificant. Neither Chile or Argentina has formally taken control of the ice field, meaning it technically remains terra nullius. If someone were to establish a presence in the region, perhaps with a scientific research station to begin with, it's possible they could then lay a claim before either government moved to assert control. However, due to its inaccessibility, harsh climate, and the fact that it's just in the middle of nowhere, it's unlikely that any large-scale settlement would be feasible. As we go through these, we kind of meet the sad reality that despite the fact that many of them meet the legal requirements of being unclaimed by anyone, most of them are just unsuitable to be a country. But what about our other examples? Those places that are claimed, but uninhabited and potentially not cared about. Maybe you could just show up, claim it and the owner would even be glad to be rid of it, not bothering to kick you out. Several locations across the world remain targets of international disputes between countries over their sovereignty, yet they lack significant government oversight or any type of settlement. There are at least three examples that illustrate this, like Machias Island, located in the Gulf of Maine, which is claimed by both Canada and the US. Yet, neither country has a strong civilian presence there. Canada operates a lighthouse on the island, but the US still maintains its claim, creating a situation where both countries acknowledge the dispute without pressing the issue any further. Maybe they would appreciate a third party coming in, taking it and allowing each to draw back without losing face. A similar case exists with Rocoy Island, a remote and inhospitable rock formation in the North Atlantic claimed by the United Kingdom while Ireland and Iceland dispute the surrounding waters because Rocoy itself has no real value beyond those territorial waters. The UK's claim is mostly symbolic and no permanent structures exist. Another unusual case is the Nekojima Sandbar, a temporary landmass that occasionally forms in the Sea of Japan due to shifting sediments. Because it appears and disappears, unpredictably, neither Japan or Russia fully claims it as sovereign land. If the sandbar ever became stable enough to support a permanent presence, it could theoretically be terra nullius, as no nation currently exercises authority over it. Or you could just claim it now, except your country would only have territory for a few completely random times throughout the year. Some other countries aren't the target of these types of territorial disputes, they're only claimed and ruled by one country but there's effectively no government presence there and nobody lives in them either. Clipperton Island located in the Pacific Ocean is a prime example. It's officially a French possession but it's entirely uninhabited except for occasional scientific visits. Historically Mexico once attempted to colonize the atoll but the settlement failed and the island was abandoned. Today, France exerts minimal oversight, meaning an organized group could theoretically establish a presence without immediate interference. A similar situation exists with the Serranilla Bank, a Caribbean reef claimed by the United States, Colombia and Jamaica. The US even had a military base there but then they left and it's now abandoned and the area is completely uninhabited. So you could just show up, take over the base and create your own country. But you might risk being invaded by all three of these countries. And finally the Aouzou Strip, located along the Chad-Libya border, which was once a highly contested region but is now almost completely abandoned. Libya attempted to claim the area during the adequately named Aouzou War in 1978, which lasted until 1987, but the territory was later awarded to Chad by the International Court of Justice. Despite the ruling, the harsh desert conditions have made the region effectively uninhabitable and there is little to no government activity. So you could go there, but you would probably suffer with the extreme heat as well. And our listing of these uninhabited places could go on and on. I mean, there are at least 22 islands in the world that are uninhabited, with their sizes ranging from 5,000 to 55,000 square kilometers, not to mention the thousands of small atolls and islands throughout the globe. So maybe any of those could be another target for your potential new country. Thank you so much for watching this video. thank you to my patrons for supporting me directly. If you want, make sure to check out other videos that I've published. I'm sure you'll find something that you enjoy in the suggestions and make sure to subscribe if you want to catch future ones. I will see you next time for more general knowledge. Guys, I have had the chance to create a general knowledge plushie. This would be a small teddy bear like thing, but in the shape of my channel's icon, the little Napoleon style general. 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