Visa news for the countries of the former USSR. The virtual state of Sealand (principality) is a microstate on an offshore platform in the North Sea

If you think that the times when people seized territories, proclaimed them states, and themselves rulers, are in the distant past, then you are deeply mistaken. A vivid confirmation of this is the Principality of Sealand - a state that essentially does not exist, but still it exists ...

Platform at sea

You need to start the story from the time of World War II. At that time, platforms were built in the sea around Great Britain, on which special equipment and weapons were installed. The soldiers who served there were supposed to track the actions of the Nazis and, in the event of an attack, be the first to repulse them.

One of these platforms is called "Fort Roughs". During the Second World War, about 200 people served on it, but then all the equipment and weapons were taken from it, and the building itself, unlike other similar ones, was not demolished. Perhaps because it was located 6 miles from the coast, and the territorial waters of the country at that time extended only to 3.

So the object became a nobody's place, and until the 60s no one was particularly interested in it. But, as they say, everything that lies badly can be used ...

Principality of Sealand

Two friends retired major Paddy Roy Bates and Ronan O'Reilly landed on the platform in 1966. At that time, radio piracy was popular in Great Britain and not only, and the guys decided that it was quite possible to organize an underground radio station on a platform in neutral waters. According to another version, they wanted to make an amusement park here.

As a result, the opinions of friends regarding the further use of the platform became the reason for their quarrel, after which the fort went to Bates, who on September 2, 1967 proclaimed this territory. independent state called Sealand, and himself as Prince Roy I.

Confrontation with the invaders

In the same 1967, a former associate of Bates O'Reilly tried to recapture the platform. But, having military experience, Roy was able to perfectly organize the defense of the fort. Using shotguns, flamethrowers and Molotov cocktails, the prince and his subjects defended the territory of the state.

A year later, the British authorities began to claim the platform. When patrol boats approached Sealand, they were met with warning shots in the air. The military decided not to shed blood, but to clarify the conflict in court.

What was the surprise of the authorities when the judge recognized the UK's claims to the platform as groundless, since it is located in neutral waters.

Symbols

In general, we can safely say that Roy I emerged victorious from the first conflicts. Of course, no one recognized Sealand as an independent state, but they were not going to touch the prince, waiting for him to give rise to tough measures.

Meanwhile, Roy began to acquire various state symbols. Sealand has a flag, coat of arms, anthem and constitution. The Principality began issuing its own stamps and minting coins. Exotic lovers from all over the world bought various souvenirs associated with the unrecognized country, and some even titles.

coup d'état

In 1978, Roy I and one of his associates, Prime Minister of Sealand Alexander Gottfried Achenbach did not agree on the views on attracting investments to the country. While the prince was in negotiations with investors in Austria, Achenbach landed on the platform with several citizens of the Netherlands.

The invaders locked Crown Prince Michael, and then completely took him to the Netherlands. But the young man was able to escape and meet his father. With the support of citizens loyal to the monarchs, Roy I and his son managed to return to power.

The further actions of the prince were precisely coordinated with international law. The captured foreign mercenaries were released in accordance with the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War. The organizer of the coup was removed from all positions and convicted according to the laws of Sealand.

But Achenbach also had German citizenship, so the German authorities became interested in his fate. Great Britain refused to intervene in the conflict, so the legal adviser of the German embassy in London landed directly on Sealand. Since the failed putsch was bloodless, the ruler of Sealand decided to let Achenbach go.

But the story didn't end there either. The losers formed the government of Sealand in exile, and Achenbach called himself chairman of the Sealand Privy Council. In January 1989, the German authorities arrested the man, after which he transferred his powers to Johannes Seiger.

Seiger became prime minister and was later re-elected twice to that position. The man on his website still claims that he is the only legitimate ruler of Sealand.

Admirers of the independence of the country

There are quite a lot of people in the world who jokingly and seriously consider Sealand an independent state. For example, in 1987 the UK expanded its territorial waters to 12 miles. Thus, Sealand again fell into its borders.

Roy I did exactly the same, and the British authorities did not react to this in any way. Many began to see this as recognition of Sealand's independence by the British government. Moreover, according to supporters of the state, Sealand is allegedly recognized by Germany, because the consul of this country held negotiations with Roy I.

Fire

In the summer of 2006, a fire broke out on Sealand, which destroyed almost all the buildings. True, they were quickly restored. Around the same time, Roy I moved to the mainland, because living at sea at his age had become too difficult.

Sale of the country

Michael I, the same crown prince, began to conduct business of the principality. He came to the conclusion that his father's idea had exhausted itself and in 2007 he put the state up for auction. But there were no people who wanted to buy Sealand for a tidy sum.

New ruler

In October 2012, Paddy Roy Bates, aka Prince of Sealand Roy I, died in one of the nursing homes in Essex. His son officially became the new ruler of the country, who received the title Admiral General of Sealand Prince Michael I Bates.

Today, on the official website of Sealand, you can purchase various souvenirs related to the country, as well as titles. For example, if you want to become a baron, it is enough to lay out everything 45 $ , the title of count will cost 295 $ , and the duke 735 $ .

It is worth recognizing that the self-proclaimed principality on a platform in the sea was a fun idea, which, and most importantly, did not lead to bloody conflicts. There are many more in the world funny stories, for example, we wrote about the most densely populated island.

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Ruslan Holovatyuk

The most attentive and observant editor of the team, a man of intelligence. It can simultaneously effectively perform several tasks, remembers everything to the smallest detail, and not a single detail will escape from its vigilant gaze. Everything in his articles is clear, concise and on the shelves. And Ruslan understands sports as well as professionals, so articles in the corresponding section are everything.

One of the oldest and certainly the most famous microstate in the world was born back in 1967. And you know what's most interesting? You, too, can become a citizen of Sealand, a freedom-loving principality off the coast of Great Britain.

platform for life

During the Second World War, Great Britain did everything possible to strengthen the coast. As part of this program, several platforms were built on the approaches. The Roughs Tower site housed an impressive garrison of 200 men and several anti-aircraft guns. But in the hustle and bustle, the British built the same Roughs Tower outside their territorial waters, which was the impetus for further development situations.

Amusement park

Pirate state

Problems with the authorities

The tricks of the lawyers

Document scam

Relentless element

Monarchy

Savor

General Admiral Prince President

Principality of Sealand(English Principality of Sealand) - a microstate located on an offshore platform in the North Sea 10 kilometers from the coast of Great Britain, according to some sources, meets all the criteria for statehood specified in the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, and is an unrecognized state

History of Sealand

Roughs Tower platform Roughs Tower, on which Sealand is located
Physically, the territory of Sealand arose during the Second World War. In 1942, the British Navy built a series of platforms on the approaches to the coast. One of them was the Roughs Tower. During the war there were anti-aircraft guns and had a garrison of 200 men. After the end of hostilities, most of the towers were destroyed, but Roughs Tower, being outside British territorial waters, remained intact.

Capturing the platform and founding Sealand

In 1966, retired British Army Major Paddy Roy Bates and his friend Ronan O'Reilly chose the now abandoned Roughs Tower platform to build an amusement park. However, after a while they quarreled, and Bates became the sole owner of the island. In 1967, O'Reilly tried to take over the island and used force to do so, but Bates defended himself with rifles, shotguns, Molotov cocktails and flamethrowers, and O'Reilly's attack was repulsed.

Roy did not build an amusement park, but chose a platform to base his pirate radio station, Britain's Better Music Station, but this radio station never broadcast from the platform. On September 2, 1967, he announced the creation of a sovereign state and proclaimed himself Prince Roy I. This day is celebrated as the main public holiday.

Conflict with Great Britain

In 1968, the British authorities tried to take over the platform. Patrol boats approached her, and the princely family responded with warning shots in the air. The matter did not come to bloodshed, but against Prince Roy, as a British subject, a trial. On September 2, 1968, an Essex judge issued a historic ruling: he recognized that the case was outside British jurisdiction.
In 1972, Sealand began minting coins. In 1975, Sealand's first constitution went into effect. There was a flag and coat of arms.

Coup attempt

In August 1978, a putsch took place in the country. He was preceded by the emergence of tension between the prince and his closest associate, the country's prime minister Count Alexander Gottfried Achenbach (Alexander Gottfried Achenbach). The parties differed in their views on attracting investments to the country and accused each other of unconstitutional intentions. Taking advantage of the absence of the prince, who was negotiating with investors in Austria, Achenbach landed on the island with a group of Dutch citizens. The invaders locked the young Prince Michael in the basement and then took him to the Netherlands. But Michael escaped from captivity and met with his father. With the support of loyal citizens of the country, the deposed monarchs managed to defeat the usurpers and return to power.

The government acted in strict accordance with international law. The captured foreign mercenaries were soon released, as the Geneva Convention on the Rights of Prisoners of War requires the release of prisoners after the end of hostilities. The organizer of the coup was removed from all posts and convicted of high treason in accordance with Sealand laws, but he had a second - German - citizenship, so the authorities of the FRG became interested in his fate. The British Foreign Office refused to intervene in this matter, and the German diplomats had to negotiate directly with Sealand. The senior legal adviser of the German embassy arrived on the island in London Dr. Nimuller, which was the pinnacle of the actual recognition of Sealand by real states. Prince Roy demanded diplomatic recognition of Sealand, but in the end, given the bloodless nature of the failed putsch, he agreed to verbal assurances and generously released Achenbach.

The losers continued to insist on their rights. They formed the government of Sealand in exile (FRG). Achenbach claimed to be the chairman of the Sealand Privy Council. In January 1989, he was arrested by the German authorities (naturally, they did not recognize his diplomatic status) and handed over his post to the Minister for economic cooperation Johannes W. F. Seiger, who soon became prime minister. Re-elected in 1994 and 1999.

Expansion of territorial waters

On September 30, 1987, Sealand announced the expansion of its territorial waters from 3 to 12 nautical miles. The UK made a similar announcement the next day. There was no reaction from the British government to the expansion of Sealand's territorial waters. From the point of view of international law, this means that the maritime zone between the two countries should be divided equally. This fact is considered by supporters of the independence of Sealand as a fact of his recognition. Although the lack of a bilateral agreement regulating this issue has caused dangerous incidents. So, in 1990, Sealand fired warning shots at a British ship that approached its border without permission.

Fake Sealand passports

The name of Sealand, without the knowledge of the government, was involved in a grandiose criminal scam. In 1997, an extensive international syndicate came to the attention of Interpol, which established the trade in fake Sealand passports (Sealand itself never traded passports and did not provide political asylum). Over 150,000 false passports (including diplomatic ones), as well as driver's licenses, university diplomas and other fake documents were sold to Hong Kong citizens (during its transfer to the control of the PRC) and of Eastern Europe. In several European countries Attempts were made to open bank accounts and even purchase weapons using Sealand passports. The headquarters of malefactors was in Germany, the sphere of activity covered Spain, Great Britain, France, Slovenia, Romania and Russia. In the case, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sealand, Russian citizen Igor Popov. In the United States, the connection of this case with the murder of Gianni Versace was discovered (the killer committed suicide on a yacht whose owner had a fake Sealand diplomatic passport). The Government of Sealand gave full cooperation to the investigation and after this unpleasant incident canceled the passports.

Sealand and HavenCo collaboration

In 2000, the HavenCo company placed its hosting in Sealand, in return, the government undertook to guarantee the inviolability of freedom of information legislation (regarding the Internet in Sealand, everything is allowed except spam, hacker attacks and child pornography). HavenCo hoped that its location on sovereign territory would save it from being subject to the restrictions of British Internet law. HavenCo ceased to exist in 2008

Fire on Sealand

On June 23, 2006, the state of Sealand suffered a terrible disaster throughout its history. A fire broke out on the platform, the cause of which is indicated by a short circuit. The fire destroyed almost all the buildings. As a result of the fire, one victim was taken by a British BBC rescue helicopter to a hospital in the UK. The state was restored quickly enough: already by November of the same year.

Selling Sealand

In January 2007, the owners of the country announced their intention to sell it. Immediately after this, the torrent site The Pirate Bay began raising funds for the acquisition of Sealand.
In January 2009, the Spanish real estate agency Inmo-Naranja announced its intention to put Sealand up for sale for 750 million euros. But soon the prince decided not to sell the "state"

Legal status

The position of Sealand compares favorably with the position of other virtual states. The Principality has a physical territory and has some legal grounds for international recognition. The requirement of independence is based on three arguments. The most fundamental of these is the fact that Sealand was founded in neutral waters before the entry into force of the UN convention on maritime law 1982 prohibiting the construction of artificial structures on the high seas, and until the expansion of sovereign maritime zone Great Britain from 3 to 12 nautical miles in 1987. Based on the fact that the Roughs Tower platform, on which Sealand is located, was abandoned and struck off the lists of the British Admiralty, its occupation is considered as colonization. The settlers who settled on it believe that they had every right to establish a state and establish a form of government at their discretion. Sealand meets all the criteria for statehood specified in the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States. According to international standards, the size of the state cannot be an obstacle to recognition. For example, the recognized British possession of Pitcairn Island has only about 60 people.

The second important argument is the decision of the British court in 1968 on the lack of UK jurisdiction over Sealand. No other country has also claimed Sealand.

Thirdly, there are several facts of de facto recognition of Sealand. The Montevideo Convention states that states have the right to exist and to defend themselves, regardless of official recognition. In modern international practice tacit (non-diplomatic) recognition is a fairly common phenomenon. It arises when a regime does not have sufficient legitimacy, but exercises actual power on its territory. For example, many states do not recognize the Republic of China diplomatically, but treat it de facto as a sovereign country. With regard to Sealand, there are four such testimonies:

Great Britain does not pay a pension to Prince Roy for the period when he was in Sealand.
The UK courts refused to hear the 1968 and 1990 Sealand claims.
The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and Germany entered into negotiations with the government of Sealand.
The Belgian postal service accepted Sealand stamps for some time.

Theoretically, Sealand's position is very convincing. If recognized, the principality would become the smallest country in the world and the 51st state in Europe. However, according to the founding theory, more common in modern international law, a state can exist only insofar as it is recognized by other states. Therefore, Sealand cannot be accepted into any international organization, can't start his own mailing address, Domain name. None of the countries established diplomatic relations with him.

Sealand is trying to achieve recognition of independence by some major state, but did not try to achieve independence through the UN.

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On October 9, the world became one less monarch: in a nursing home in the English county of Essex, Prince Roy I Bates, the founder of the state of Sealand, located on an abandoned offshore platform off the British coast, died at the age of 92. A war veteran and fearless adventurer, pirate radio DJ and founder of a dynasty left his principality as a legacy to his eldest son.

For almost half a century of its existence, Sealand survived the threat of an attack by the Royal Navy of Great Britain, an attempted coup d'état and the capture of the heir to the throne, was involved in a criminal scam with the issuance of false passports. It was eyed by freedom-loving copyright violators from the Swedish torrent site The Pirate Bay and by Argentines during the 1982 Falklands War with Britain. Despite all the ups and downs, Sealand retained its independence. True, not recognized by anyone, but its rulers, apparently, never really cared about this fact.

Retired British Army Major Roy Bates chose the platform back in 1966 when he was thinking about where to transfer the broadcast of his underground radio station Essex, which the British authorities declared illegal. The war veteran was an active participant in the pirate boom of the mid-1960s, when numerous stations aired music that was not played by the BBC, and generally had fun on the air, unlike their mainland counterparts. One of the four offshore platforms erected 13 kilometers off the coast of Great Britain in 1943 was perfectly suited for these purposes. During the war, a garrison of 150-300 people was stationed on such a platform, its task was to warn about German air raids and German attempts to mine strategically important sea routes, including approaches to the mouth of the Thames. In the mid-1950s, the platforms were abandoned, and ten years later, Bates showed up on one of them with children and household members.

Despite the previous plan, the major did not place a radio station on the Roughs Tower platform. Instead, he came up with a better idea. He decided that the radio room is, of course, a good option, but his own state is much better. After consulting with a lawyer, Bates took advantage of the fact that the platforms were built outside the territorial waters of Great Britain - they stood seven miles from the coast, while British jurisdiction then extended only three miles. During the war, few people worried about this circumstance - it was not before, but after 20 years, England was no longer in the right to dispose of the former fort.

It was a matter of small things. Bates proclaimed himself the prince of the independent state of Sealand on September 2, 1967 - he decided to give his wife Joan a birthday present, and from that moment she became Princess John I. The state was small - the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe sea platform is only 550 square meters, but the gesture turned out to be wide. The celebrations were attended by his son and heir Michael, then 14, and 16-year-old daughter Penelope. Together with a group of associates, they raised their flag over the platform, and so Sealand appeared.

Without thinking twice, the British government decided to blow up the other three forts out of harm's way. The Sealand website claims that the empire was afraid of the appearance of a second Cuba at its side, but this comparison is still not entirely correct - only a small cottage by Moscow standards can be accommodated on the platform, but not Fidel with his five million (according to the then calculations) builders of communism. During the destruction of the forts, the team of one of the ships of the Navy, sailing past the Roughs Tower, threatened the natives that they would be next in line for eviction. To this, the inhabitants of Sealand responded with shots in the air, and since the prince did not renounce British citizenship, he was brought for illegal possession of weapons as soon as he set foot on English soil.

And then a significant event occurred, which would certainly have entered the history books of Sealand, if anyone had bothered to write such. The judge threw up his hands and ruled that he was not in the right to issue a verdict, since the incident occurred in international waters, to which the jurisdiction of the English court does not apply. It was a complete and unconditional victory for the principality and its inhabitants. From now on, they decided that Great Britain actually recognized their independence.

London, of course, did not recognize the sovereignty of Sealand, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich is one hundredth of the territory of the royal Tower. The authorities simply did not want to bear the reputational losses inevitable in the event of attempts to "win back" a dilapidated platform. What would the monarchy be worth with some newspaper headlines like "Former greatest empire of the world attacked an iron can in the middle of the sea" or "Britain revives colonial power: abandoned signal booth reclaimed", and so on. By and large, Bates with his principality simply did not cause any trouble to the government: he did not set up a brothel, drug den or transit point there smugglers, although such proposals were received.He declared to everyone that he did not intend to harm the interests of Great Britain.The prince and the Argentine landing force, which arrived in 1982 during the Falklands War with England, arrived with the intention of setting up on the platform military base. In a word, neutrality reigned.

Sealand acquired a motto, an anthem and a constitution. The Principality minted coins and printed paper currency in the form of Sealand dollars. Life in the country proceeded calmly until 1978, until a self-proclaimed prime minister (a German citizen) showed up there with a group of mercenaries. He tried to seize power in the kingdom and captured the heir to the throne, accidentally discovered there, Michael. brewing international conflict, because it's one thing to quietly stamp stamps, and another to breed criminality with hostage-taking.

During the incident, the second important event occurred in terms of Sealand's recognition: since the UK completely refused to intervene in the bad story on the platform, a legal adviser from the German embassy in London was sent there. The patriots of Sealand interpret the appearance of a diplomat as an act international recognition. The putsch ended without bloodshed, and the prince let the invaders go home. The second criminal scandal erupted only at the end of the 1990s: a certain company on behalf of the "Government of Sealand in exile" (probably not without the defeated "premier") printed several thousand fake passports that were exposed during the investigation of high-profile criminal offenses. Bates, by royal will, annulled them, but to him law enforcement and so there were no questions. In 1999, he abdicated in favor of his son. Until his death, the prince lived in retirement in Essex and last years suffered from Alzheimer's disease throughout his life.

The Principality continued to live in peace with Great Britain even after London in 1987 unilaterally expanded the border of its territorial waters to 12 miles and thus captured the platform along with the population. At the same time, the United Kingdom is one of 162 states that signed the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982), according to which embankments and structures artificially created in the sea are not islands, cannot have their own territorial waters, claim the shelf and do not have the right to exclusive economic zone.

But Sealand made no claims. All economic activity principalities was reduced to attempts to sell themselves at a higher price. The current prince, unlike his romantic dad, who just wanted to fool around on the air and make his beloved wife a princess, is a much more pragmatic monarch. In 2007, he set out to sell the platform for 750 million euros, but so far there have been no lawyers capable of pulling off such a deal. The Pirate Bay torrent site was also eyeing the platform, but soon abandoned this idea. In 2000, the HavenCo company settled on the platform, which, until its liquidation in 2008, was, according to some estimates, the most secure and stable hosting on the planet.

There are several dozens of unrecognized microstates like Sealand in the world. Some of them exist only in the imagination of the founders, others really have a very tangible territory. One of the pioneers of this activity was the Celestia, founded in 1949 but deceased in Bose, who claimed the rights to interstellar space. In recent years, on the contrary, the most popular undertaking has become the presentation of claims to no-man's land in Antarctica, which, unlike space, is simply lying underfoot. Here the leaders are Vestarctica and Flandersis. Many states are based on the web, such as Lizbekistan, created by Australian artist Liz Stirling, or Vimperium, founded in 2012 and bringing together Internet users, as well as Wirtland, formed four years earlier. There are also quite material microstates: since 1980, Aramoana has successfully existed in New Zealand, which is a small settlement that declared independence in protest against the construction of an aluminum smelter in its immediate vicinity. But the most famous "country" of this kind is, perhaps, Christiania, located in one of the quarters of the Danish capital. There, since the early 1970s, hippies have been found who have settled in abandoned military barracks.

These semi-fairy kingdoms differ from separatist states in that they do not try to defend their independence with weapons in their hands. Practice has shown that it is more convenient for the civilized world not to interfere in their life. But exactly as long as the "dwarfs" do not get involved in illegal scams. Success Story Sealand is an example.

Which country is the smallest? Many will answer: the Vatican. However, ten kilometers from the coast of Great Britain is a tiny independent state - Sealand. The Principality is located on an abandoned offshore platform.

background

The Roughs Tower platform ("hooligan tower" in English) was built during World War II. To protect against fascist bombers, several such platforms were installed off the coast of Great Britain. An anti-aircraft gun complex was located on them, which was guarded and serviced by 200 soldiers.

The Roughs Tower platform, which later became the physical territory that the virtual state occupied, was located six miles from the mouth of the Thames. And the territorial waters of Britain ended three miles from the coast. Thus, the platform was in neutral waters. After the end of the war, the weapons from all the forts were dismantled, the platforms that were close to the coast were destroyed. And Roughs Tower remained abandoned.

In the 60s of the last century, radio pirates began to actively master coastal waters England. Roy Bates, a retired major in the British Army, was one of them. He organized his first radio station, Radio Essex, on a different platform, displacing his colleagues from there. However, in 1965 he was fined for violating the Wireless Telegraph Act and had to find a new location for the radio station.

Together with his friend Ronan O'Rahilly, the major decided to occupy the Roughs Tower and create an amusement park on the platform. However, friends soon quarreled, and Roy Bates began to independently master the platform. He even had to defend the right to her with weapons in his hands.

History of creation

The amusement park idea failed. But Bates could no longer recreate the radio station, despite the fact that he had everything necessary equipment. The fact is that in 1967 a law began to operate that made broadcasting a crime, including from neutral waters. Now even the location of the platform could not save Bates from persecution by the state.

But what if the waters are no longer neutral? The retired major had a crazy, at first glance, idea - to proclaim the platform a separate state. On September 2, 1967, the former military man proclaimed the platform an independent state and called it Sealand, and declared himself the ruler new country, Prince Roy I Bates. Accordingly, his wife became Princess Joanna I.

Of course, Roy initially studied international law and spoke to lawyers. It turned out that the actions of the major would indeed be difficult to challenge in court. The newly minted state of Sealand had a physical territory, albeit a small one - only 0.004 square kilometers.

At the same time, the construction of the platform was quite legal. A document prohibiting such buildings appeared only in the 80s. And at the same time, the platform was outside the jurisdiction of Britain, and the authorities could not legally dismantle it.

Relations with Great Britain

Three more such platforms remained in the territorial waters of England. Just in case, the government decided to get rid of them. The platforms were blown up. One of the ships of the Navy, performing this task, sailed to Sealand. The ship's crew stated that this platform would soon be destroyed. To which the inhabitants of the principality responded with warning shots in the air.

Roy Bates was a British citizen. Therefore, as soon as the major stepped ashore, he was arrested on charges of illegal possession of weapons. A lawsuit began against Prince Bates. On September 2, 1968, an Essex judge made a historic decision: he ruled that the case was outside British jurisdiction. This fact became official evidence that the UK has waived its rights to the platform.

coup attempt

In August 1978, a coup d'état nearly took place in the country. Between the ruler of the state Roy Bates and his closest assistant, Count Alexander Gottfried Achenbach, a conflict arose over the policy of attracting foreign investment to the country. The men accused each other of unconstitutional intentions.

When the prince went to Austria to negotiate with potential investors, the count decided to seize the platform by force. At that moment, only Michael (Michael) I Bates, son of Roy and heir to the throne, was on the territory of Sealand. Achenbach, along with several mercenaries, seized the platform, and the young prince was locked up in a windowless cabin for several days. After that, Michael was taken to the Netherlands, from where he was able to escape.

Roy and Michael were soon reunited and were able to regain power on the platform. Mercenaries and Achenbach were captured. What to do with the people who betrayed Sealand? The Principality fully complied with the norms of international law. on the rights of prisoners of war states that after the cessation of hostilities, all prisoners must be released.

The mercenaries were immediately released. But Achenbach was accused of attempting a coup d'etat according to the laws of the principality. He was convicted and removed from all government positions. Since the traitor was a citizen of Germany, the German authorities became interested in his fate. Britain refused to intervene in this conflict.

The German official came to Sealand to speak with Prince Roy. As a result of the intervention of a German diplomat, Achenbach was released.

illegal government

What did Achenbach do next after the failed attempt to capture Sealand? The principality was now inaccessible to him. But the former earl continued to insist on his rights and even organized the government of Sealand in exile. He also claimed to be the chairman of a secret council.

Germany diplomatic status of Achenbach, and in 1989 he was arrested. The post of head of the illegal government of Sealand was taken by Johannes Seiger, former minister for economic cooperation.

Territory expansion

In 1987, Sealand (principality) expanded its territorial waters. He announced such a desire on September 30, and the next day the UK made the same statement. In accordance with international law, the disputed maritime territory is equally divided between the two states.

Since there are no agreements between the countries on this matter, and the UK has not made any statements, the Sealand government considered the disputed territory divided according to international standards.

This led to an unfortunate incident. In 1990, a British ship approached the shores of the principality without permission. The inhabitants of Sealand fired several warning shots into the air.

Passports

In 1975, the virtual state began to issue its own passports, including diplomatic ones. But the good name of Sealand was tarnished when the illegitimate government-in-exile became involved in a massive worldwide scam. In 1997, Interpol began looking for the origin of huge amount false documents allegedly issued in Sealand.

Passports, driver's licenses, diplomas higher education and other documents have been sold to Russia, USA and European countries. According to these documents, people tried to cross the border, open a bank account, buy weapons. The Sealand government has cooperated with the investigation. After this incident, absolutely all passports, including those issued absolutely legally, were revoked and abolished.

Constitution, state symbols, form of government

After the United Kingdom recognized in 1968 that Sealand was outside its jurisdiction, the inhabitants decided that this was a de facto recognition of the country's independence. After 7 years, in 1975, state symbols were developed - the anthem, flag and coat of arms. At the same time, the Constitution was issued, including the preamble and 7 articles. New government decisions are issued in the form of decrees.

The flag of Sealand is a combination of three colors - red, black and white. In the upper left corner - a red triangle, in the lower right - a black triangle. Between them is a white stripe.

The flag and coat of arms are the official symbols of Sealand. The coat of arms of Sealand depicts two lions with fish tails holding a shield in the colors of the flag in their paws. Under the coat of arms is the motto, which reads: "Freedom - from the sea." The anthem of the state, written by the composer Vasily Simonenko, is also called.

By state structure Sealand is a monarchy. There are three ministries in the board structure - foreign affairs, internal affairs and telecommunications and technology.

Coins and stamps

Sealand coins have been issued since 1972. The first silver coin depicting Princess Joanna was issued in 1972. From 1972 to 1994, several types of coins were issued, predominantly in silver, gold and bronze, with portraits of Joanna and Roy or a dolphin on the obverse, and a sailboat or coat of arms on the reverse. The monetary unit of the Principality is the Sealand dollar, which is pegged to the US dollar.

Between 1969 and 1977, the state issued stamps. For some time they were accepted by Belgian post.

Population

The first ruler of Sealand was Prince Roy Bates. In 1990, he transferred all rights to his son and, together with the princess, went to live in Spain. Roy died in 2012, his wife Joanna in 2016. AT this moment the ruler is Prince Michael I Bates. He has an heir, James Bates, who is the Prince of Sealand. In 2014, James had a son, Freddie, who is the great-grandson of the first ruler of the principality.

Who lives in the state of Sealand today? The population of the principality different time ranged from 3 to 27 people. Now there are about ten people on the platform every day.

Religion and sports

It operates on the territory of the principality. Also on the platform there is a small chapel named after St. Brendan the Navigator. Sealand does not stay away from sports achievements. Despite the fact that the population of the principality is not enough to form sports teams, some athletes represent the unrecognized state. There is even a football team.

Sealand and the Internet

With regard to the Internet, a simple law operates on the territory of the state - everything is allowed except spam, hacker attacks and child pornography. Therefore, Sealand, which began as a pirate radio station, is still an attractive territory for modern pirates. For 8 years, HavenCo's servers were located on the territory of the Principality. After the closure of the company, the Principality continues to provide server hosting services for various organizations.

Legal status

Unlike other self-proclaimed states, Sealand has little chance of gaining recognition. The Principality has a physical territory, it was founded before the expansion of the water borders of Britain. The platform was abandoned, which means that its settlement can be considered as colonization. Thus, Roy Bates could indeed establish a state in a free territory. However, in order for Sealand to receive full rights, it must be recognized by other states.

Selling Sealand

In 2006, a fire broke out on the platform. Significant funds were needed for the restoration. In 2007, the Principality was put up for sale for a price of 750 million euros. The Pirate Bay intended to acquire the platform, but the parties could not agree.

Sealand today

You can not only find out which country is the smallest, but also support the government of the rebellious platform in the quest for independence. Anyone can donate money to the treasury of the principality. In addition, on the official website you can buy various souvenirs, coins, stamps.

For only 6 euros, you can create a personal Sealand address Email. For 25 euros order an official identity card. For those who have dreamed of a title all their lives, Sealand gives such an opportunity. Quite officially, according to the laws of the principality, anyone who pays 30 euros can become a baron, for 100 euros - a knight of the Sovereign Military Order, and for 200 - a real count or countess.

Today, the Principality of Sealand is ruled by Michael I Bates. Like his father, he advocates freedom of information, and the hooligan tower remains a stronghold of today's information pirates.