Principality of Sealand | |
|---|---|
| Micronation (unrecognised entity) | |
 | |
 Aerial view of Sealand in 2006 | |
| Area claimed | Offshore platform off the coast of England (0.004 sq km)[1] 51°53′42.6″N 1°28′49.8″E / 51.895167°N 1.480500°E |
| Claimed by | Paddy Roy Bates, Michael Bates |
| Dates claimed | 1967–present |
Website sealandgov.org | |
The Principality of Sealand (/ˈsiːˌlænd/) is a micronation on HM Fort Roughs (also known as Roughs Tower),[2] an offshore platform in the North Sea. It is situated on Rough Sands, a sandbar located approximately 11 kilometres (6 nmi) from the coast of Suffolk and 13 kilometres (7 nmi) from the coast of Essex. Roughs Tower is a Maunsell Sea Fort that was built by the British in international waters during World War II. Since 1967, the decommissioned Roughs Tower has been occupied and claimed as a sovereign state by the family and associates of Paddy Roy Bates. Bates seized Roughs Tower from a group of pirate radio broadcasters in 1967 with the intention of setting up his own station there. Bates and his associates have repelled incursions from vessels from rival pirate radio stations and the UK's Royal Navy using firearms and petrol bombs.[3][4] In 1987, the United Kingdom extended its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, which places the platform in British territory. As of August 2024, Sealand has only one permanent resident.[5]
- ^ MacEacherhan, Mike. "Sealand: A peculiar 'nation' off England's coast". Yes. BBC. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ Cawley, Laurence (2 September 2017). "The off-shore fort 'state' of Sealand marks 50 years". BBC News. Archived from the original on 4 September 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
- ^ McCrea, Aisling (30 January 2020). "No Man Is An Island?". Current Affairs. ISSN 2471-2647. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- ^ Ryan, John; Dunford, George; Sellars, Simon. Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations, Lonely Planet Publications, 2006, pp. 9–12.
- ^ Wertheim, Jon (4 August 2024). "Sealand, world's smallest state, has just 1 permanent resident | 60 Minutes - CBS News". cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.