Sealand - A little Nation with a Big Past
June 11, 2009
Yes, there really is a Sealand, and it is small. Sealand is considered a micro nation, and is located 6 miles off the coast of Suffolk, England.
I suppose you could call it an island as there is water all around, but unlike other islands, it is manmade. Not made of sand and stone like other lands, but steel and concrete, Sealand is definitely one of a kind.
The history of Sealand is quite interesting, beginning from its creation in 1942. Sealand is actually a floating pontoon base with two towers and a platform, which was floated out 6 miles and then sunk to the bottom leaving only the towers and the platform above the surface of the water.
Originally, Sealand was called HM Fort Roughs and was created by the UK as a form of defense from the Germans during World War II. Later, the fort was occupied by between 150 and 300 Royal Navy until 1956 when the last personnel were removed.
In September of 1967, the fort was occupied once again, but this time it was a civilian, a pirate radio broadcaster in fact. His name was Roy Bates and his plan was to broadcast from the platform. Not long after Mr. Bates set up at the platform, the Royal Navy cruised in the area to fix a buoy near the platform. Mr. Bates then informed the Royal Navy that it was in his territorial waters and the fight was on.
Guns were fired from the fort by the son of Roy Bates as a warning to the Royal Navy to leave the area and soon after that Mr. Bates was called to court to discuss the incident in England. The ruling was that the platform was outside the jurisdiction of Britain and was therefore dismissed, but the precedent had been sent. Mr. Bates was already referring to the fort as Sealand at this point and it seems was set to create his own utopia. In 1975 there was a constitution, national anthem, flag, currency and passports all for the independent nation of Sealand.
In 1978 a man named Alexander Achenbach believed himself to be the prime minister of Sealand and while the elder Bates was away, staged a takeover of the fort and held the younger Bates hostage, until finally releasing him days later. The battle was on with the enlisted the help of armed helicopters, the senior Bates took it back.
The history of Sealand is short, sordid and likely to continue as such. A fire in 2006 is and a notice to stay out of the area are basically the last things recorded on Sealand’s website, but the island was offered for sale on the internet in January of 2009 by the King of Marduk who claimed ownership. But according to Michael Bates in the Sealand News, the King of Marduk is an imposter, and the battle rages on still.
Image Source: http://www.sealandgov.com/images/sealand_main.gif Originally from http://en.wikipedia.org
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Sealand - A little Nation with a Big Past…
Yes, there really is a Sealand, and it is small. Sealand is considered a micro nation, and is located 6 miles off the coast of Suffolk, England….