Terra Nullius

In Latin, the term terra nullius means "land belonging to nobody." It does not, however, seem to have been a Roman concept. Not being great discoverers, the Romans had to acquire their empire the old-fashioned way: they fought for it.

Starting in the 17th century, terra nullius denoted a legal concept allowing a European colonial power to take control of "empty" territory that none of the other European colonial powers had claimed.

Of course, most of these "empty" territories were inhabited, so the meaning of terra nullius grew to include territories considered "devoid of civilized society." The most celebrated example is that of Australia, where the concept of terra nullius still features in lawsuits pressed by the Aboriginal peoples. Other examples of lands once considered terra nullius would be Siberia and the Americas. The United States seems to have treated its Western frontier as terra nullius in the rush to fulfill its perceived Manifest Destiny.

The rush for terra nullius continues to this day. Thanks to the Internet, you can shop for extraterrestrial real estate from the comfort of your own home.