While the Vatican City is the smallest state in the world, recognised as a sovereign nation, there are other smaller 'unofficial' states, often known as 'micro-states'. One of which is Sealand off the coast of the United Kingdom.
Sealand is not an organic structure like most nations, but entirely man-made, and was constructed during World War II.
Bizarrely, because the sea fort sits outside UK international waters this means that it does not fall under the jurisdiction of UK law. The family that owns the Sealand are therefore a law unto themselves.
Due to this legal loophole, Sealand has been used since the 1960s for activity that was illegal, or at least frowned upon, in the UK. In the 1960s for example, pirate radio stations based themselves off Sealand so they could beam music to listeners in the UK. Nowadays, Sealand is also home to a range of internet servers that promote privacy and oppose state-surveillance.
While Sealand was first declared independent in 1966, it has never been recognised by other nation-states, meaning that it is not accepted in the United Nations or given proper diplomatic ties to other nations.
It would be easy to see Sealand as a joke, but the inhabitants, which often number just a single soul, take the nation very seriously. When a British patrol ship entered 'their' waters in the 1960s, some citizens even fired warning shots over the encroaching vessel.
In 1978, a far more scary event occurred when pirates from Germany and Denmark invaded Sealand using water skis. They attempted to claim the island for themselves while also attempting to kidnap Sealand inhabitants.
Thankfully the residents fought back and the pirates were defeated with only minor injuries on both sides.
The nation now funds itself by selling quirky titles such as 'lord, countess, count, and duke'. It has also been known to sell internet service provisions to those interested in keeping their communications private, such as VPN companies.
It does seem that after over 50 years, the UK has little to no interest in taking Sealand back for themselves and is happy to let the inhabitants live as they so wish.
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