Explorer finds unclaimed land in Africa… and declares himself king
An Indian man travelled through the desert to one of the few places on land unclaimed by any government – and has declared himself king.
Suyash Dixit is now looking for citizens to populate "his" country – and claims he’s going to get in touch with the UN to validate his claim.
His "kingdom" is Bir Tawil, a 2000-square-kilometre strip of land between Egypt and Sudan to which neither country lays claim.
Dixit said: "Following the early civilisation ethics and rules, if you want to claim a land then you need to grow crops on it. I have added a seed and poured some water on it today. It is mine."
Bir Tawil is one of the few land areas in the world not claimed by any recognised state, due to borders drawn up by the British in the last century.
Sadly, Suyash Dixit may be unable to set up the society of his dreams: Bir Tawil has been claimed by various people over the years, and no international authority has ever recognised these claims.
In 2014, Jeremiah Heaton from Virginia, proclaimed himself King of North Sudan, fulfilling his promise to his then 7-year-old daughter Emily to make her an actual princess.
He attempted to raise $250,000 to set up his nation, but sadly only got $10,000.
