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A border drawn with a ruler
Many of Africa's colonial boundaries follow straight lines of latitude or longitude, drawn in European capitals with little regard to the people living on the ground. The Egypt–Sudan border is one of the most famous. The 1899 agreement that created the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium defined Sudan simply as the territory south of the 22nd parallel north.
From the Libyan border in the west to the Red Sea in the east, the parallel runs for more than 1,200 km across the Libyan Desert, the Nile valley near Wadi Halfa, and the Eastern Desert.
Where the 1902 line departs from the parallel
In 1902 the British drew an administrative boundary that followed local land use more closely. It departs from the 22nd parallel in three places:
- The Wadi Halfa Salient: a finger of land along the Nile, north of the parallel, placed under Sudanese administration. Much of it was flooded by Lake Nasser after the Aswan High Dam was built.
- The Halaib Triangle: about 20,580 km² on the Red Sea coast, north of the parallel, placed under Sudanese administration. Egypt has administered it in practice since the 1990s.
- Bir Tawil: about 2,060 km² inland, south of the parallel, placed under Egyptian administration. Claimed by neither state.
Why the parallel matters for Bir Tawil
Bir Tawil's northern border, about 95 km long, is the 22nd parallel itself. Egypt treats the parallel as the international border along its whole length, which puts Bir Tawil in Sudan. Sudan treats the 1902 line as the border, which puts Bir Tawil in Egypt. Each state's reading of a single line of latitude leaves Bir Tawil on the other side.
The 22nd parallel and the Empire of Brendania
For the Sovereign Empire of Brendania, the 22nd parallel is the northern frontier of its territory. The Empire claimed Bir Tawil, bounded by the parallel to the north and the 1902 line on its other sides, by its Declaration of Independence of October 21, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 22nd parallel border?
The 22nd parallel north is the line of latitude set as the Egypt–Sudan border by the Anglo-Egyptian agreement of 1899. Egypt still claims it as the border.
Is Bir Tawil north or south of the 22nd parallel?
South. Its northern border runs along the 22nd parallel for about 95 km.
What is the Wadi Halfa Salient?
A finger of land along the Nile, north of the 22nd parallel, placed under Sudanese administration in 1902. Egypt controls it, much of it lies under Lake Nasser, and both states claim it.