What is the only piece of land in the world not owned by a country?

Question

What is the only piece of land in the world not owned by a country?

Answer 1

There are two.  Vatican City and Antarctica.

Answer 2

It's Vatican City.

Answer 3

Vatican City.

Answer 4

Antarctica.

Answer 5

antarctica

thoguh some counties lay claim to parts of it, some countries also have scientific bases there. However there is a rtreaty staing no country can own any part of antarctica

Answer 6

Antarctica, though many nations have 'areas of influence' where they have scientific bases set up.

Answer 7

Antartica is... there was some treaty that a bunch of countries signed so that we wouldn't all fight over a land of penguins..... although penguins are kinda cool....

Answer 8

Antarctica is owned by no-one, although there are several bases on it which are controlled by specific countries.

Also check out the Principality of Sealand. It is not an official country, but is totally independent.

I would like to correct all the people who say the Vatican City. The Vatican City is actually registered as an independent country, so it is owned by themselves and is not neutral land.

Answer 9

The United Nations was actually ceeded from the US, not sure about the other offices.  So technically they are not part of any other country.  It is also true that Antarctica is not part of any country, though there are scientific substations there from several.

The Vatican is its own country, and so would not be right.

Answer 10

Antarctica, though there are a few American subs in the water, a few scientists, and a ton of penguins.

Answer 11

vatican city...its free from political influences,but its inside rome

Answer 12

Antarctica is the answer you're looking for.  Although several countries have competing claims to the continent, by treaty all affected parties have agreed not to enforce those claims.

There are some secondary answers that have already been touched upon, such as UN headquarters in New York (and probably their properties in Geneva, Switzerland too).  Technically the UN headquarters are on land that is not US territory, but the land also belongs to the UN, not to any country.

At any given time there are small volcanic, tidal, or coral islands/reefs that pop up above the ocean surface and are unclaimed by any country; usually there is a huge rush to claim such places, but in a vast majority of cases the island recedes beneath the waters before it can be claimed.

...Also, "Vatican City" is wrong.  That territory is controlled by the Holy See.  The terms are mostly interchangeable but there is an important difference; at the moment, however, I cannot remember what the difference is.  I believe the Holy See is the government/country and Vatican City is simply the largest sovereign area over which they have ownership.  It's complicated.  But to say the Vatican is not owned by a country is wrong.

Answer 13

Antarctica.

PS  Vatican City is, by definition, a country so that answer is invalid.