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Geography
- Ababda: a people of the Eastern Desert of southern Egypt and northern Sudan, whose grazing use of Bir Tawil shaped the 1902 line.
- Beja: a group of peoples of the Red Sea Hills, including the Bishari.
- Bishari (Bisharin): a Beja people whose herders move through the wider region of Bir Tawil.
- Eastern Desert: the desert between the Nile and the Red Sea, in which Bir Tawil lies.
- Jabal / Gabal: Arabic for mountain, as in Jabal Tawil.
- Khawr: a seasonal watercourse or inlet, as in Khawr Abu Bard, another name for Wadi Tawil.
- Nubian Shield: the ancient gold-bearing crystalline rock beneath the region.
- Reg: a desert plain of gravel and stones, the commonest landscape in Bir Tawil.
- Wadi: a dry valley that carries water only after rare rains.
Borders and history
- 1902 administrative line: the British-drawn boundary placing Bir Tawil under Cairo and Halaib under Khartoum; Sudan's preferred border.
- 22nd parallel: the line of latitude set as the Egypt–Sudan border in 1899; Egypt's preferred border.
- Anglo-Egyptian Condominium: the joint British–Egyptian rule of Sudan, 1899–1956.
- Condominium: a territory over which two or more states share sovereignty.
- Halaib Triangle: about 20,580 km² on the Red Sea coast, claimed by both Egypt and Sudan and administered by Egypt.
- Wadi Halfa Salient: a small area along the Nile north of the 22nd parallel, placed under Sudanese administration in 1902, now largely under Lake Nasser.
Law and statehood
- Declaration of Independence: the founding act by which a new state proclaims its existence; Brendania's is dated October 21, 2026.
- Effective occupation: the continuous, peaceful display of authority by which a state traditionally acquires territory.
- Micronation: a self-declared state, usually small, founded by an individual or group.
- Montevideo criteria: the four qualifications of statehood in the 1933 Montevideo Convention: permanent population, defined territory, government, and capacity to conduct foreign relations.
- Recognition: the acceptance of a state by other states; the Empire of Brendania is pursuing it by diplomacy.
- Terra nullius: Latin for "nobody's land"; territory under the sovereignty of no state, as Bir Tawil was before 2026.
The Sovereign Empire of Brendania
- Act of Ratification: the founding instrument fixing the Emperor's style and hereditary succession.
- Brendania: the common name of the Sovereign Empire of Brendania, the sovereign state claiming Bir Tawil.
- Crown: the central institution of the Brendanian state, borne by the Emperor.
- Emperor, King, and Supreme Leader: the constitutional style of the sovereign of Brendania, held by Brendan Smith I.
- House of Smith: the imperial dynasty of Brendania, founded by Brendan Smith I.
- Imperial Constitution: the constitution of Brendania, establishing the Crown and the offices of state.
- Imperial Decree: the instrument by which the Emperor legislates and appoints.
- Regency: the arrangement by which the Crown's powers are exercised when the sovereign cannot exercise them.
Frequently asked questions
What is a wadi?
A dry desert valley that carries water only after rare rains. Wadi Tawil crosses the south of Bir Tawil.
What does terra nullius mean?
Latin for "nobody's land": territory under no state's sovereignty, as Bir Tawil was before the Empire of Brendania claimed it.
What is a condominium in international law?
A territory over which two or more states share sovereignty, such as the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (1899–1956).