Sealand is an unrecognized micronation that is situated at an off-shore platform near the coast of Suffolk. The platform has served various purposes starting with serving as a Fort to defend the coasts of the nation from the attacks by Germans. It consists of a floating pontoon base and it rests over two massive hollow pillars submerged beneath the sea.
The smallest nation is approximately 13 km from the coast of Suffolk. The off-shore platform is closest to the United Kingdom and Ireland. As the coast was built by Britishers and it resides close to English-speaking countries, the national language of the micronation is English.
History of Sealand
Served as Base During World War II
Sealand was constructed in 1943 during World War II to serve as one of the Maunshell Forts, to guard the nation’s water boundary from opposing countries. The platform served as a base for 150-300 Royal Navy of the United Kingdom during World War II until 1956. The base was then announced non-operational in the late 1950s.
Captured by Individuals
In 1965, the Rough Towers was occupied by Jack Moore and his daughter Jane 1965. Soon after that, in the year 1967, it was occupied by Paddy Roy Bates, British Pirate Radio broadcaster. Bates later announced Rough Towers as independent and owned it with the name “Principality of Sealand“. Later in 1975, Bates inaugurated a constitution for the micronation, followed by a national flag, anthem, currency, and passports.
Prince of Sealand
The micronation is ruled by the Bates family since 1967. It seems it will be ruled hereditarily by the Bates family. Here’s a list of Princes of the offshore platform since 1967:
|
Prince of Sealand |
|
| Paddy Roy Bates | 1967-2012 |
| Michael Bates | 2012-present |
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Interesting Facts About Sealand
Sealand has been quite an exception and everyone seems to be excited to know more about the smallest nation in the world, so here are a few exciting facts about Sealand that will shock you:
1978 Attack on Sealand
Alexander Achenbach, who claimed himself as Prime Minister, hired professional soldiers from Germany and Dutch to lead an attack on the platform while Bates and his wife went to Austria.
Sealand Caught Fire in 2006
The top platform of the micronation caught fire on August 2006. The fire was caused due to a fault in the electricity. The fire tug came to the rescue and extinguished the fire. However, the micronation was not fully repaired until November 2006.
Death of the first Prince of Sealand
Poppy Roy Bates, the first ruler of the micronation, died at 91 on 9 October 2012. Bates died due to suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for several years. His son Michael Bates took over his position after the incident.
UK Denied Sealand as a Nation
The UK never accepted Sealand as a nation due to its man-made structure. Furthermore, the UK extended its territorial waters from 6 to 22 km after which the micronation comes under the boundary of the United Kingdoms.
Business and Operations
Sealand gained wide publicity after the establishment of a new entity called HavenCo. HavenCo is an offshore Internet hosting facility or “data haven”. Ryan Lackey, Haven’s co-founder and a key participant in the development of HavenCo left the company after a few issues. The company’s website went offline in 2008.
Sealand achievements
The micronation has received Guinness World Record for “the smallest area to lay claim to nation status”.
Micronation’s National Football Team
The National Football Association of the micronation is a football sanctioning body for non-recognized states and states not members of FIFA. They also hosted a skateboarding event with Church and East sponsored by Red Bull.
Source: Wikipedia
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