Have You Ever Heard of A Country Named Sealand? Yes It Exist.
Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Sealand. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin. Sealand is a small country with a population of seven, situated in international waters off the south coast of England. It bravely resisted a British invasion in 1967, and earned a peculiar reputation for running guns to Angola in the 1980s – although, to be fair, everybody was doing that at one time or another. Sealand might just be the smallest country you’ve never heard of. It is a proud member of the exclusive but thriving family of micronations. In its anniversary year (2006), Sealand has undergone a remarkable transformation in its status. When last you heard from a British prince, he was swimming in the sea to prevent a journalists’ party-crashing at the palace. Where was he, you ask? Palau, on United Nations-controlled Pacific coral atoll. While Palau might be ‘real’ judging by reportage, I have no idea whether it is an independent or dependent island (apparently it is the first). In 2007, the Chilean government decided to develop Easter Island as a national park. Since Easter Island is Belauan in the same way you and I are Finnish, its status also seems unsure. But I think you see my point. All over the planet, minuscule lands of great historical charm are changing hands up and down like hot potatoes. A scale shift is taking place to our immediate oceanic neighborhood. Not since the days of Elizabeth I ruling a global empire has so much been happening in an area this size. If you want to get right at the cutting edge of geopolitical change, you need to travel south-south-west about 100 nautical miles into the North Sea. Believe me, Sealand has a story to tell.
The History of Sealand
The Early Years
The story of Sealand starts with the Second World War, when the British government built forts in the North Sea to prevent the German navy from invading. HM Fort Roughs became one of those forts.
Founding of the Principality
Roy Bates announcing Sealand’s independence from the UK, May 1967. Courtesy Cornell University Library on his website, Bates claimed that he wanted to ‘free himself of the restrictive practices prevalent at the time’, but the foundation for this miniature land mass in the North Sea – called HM Fort Roughs, and later known as the Principality of Sealand – was already rather straightforward: it was situated in a place where the UK had jurisdiction, yet also where the country possessed little interest. Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982), states could claim sovereignty over the territorial sea – the area stretching out to 12 miles from their coast – and within that, to a further 12 miles, of what was known as a ‘contiguous zone’. It was this outlying one nautical mile, on top of a ready-made fort, that Bates (a former major in the British Army, 1911-1965) declared independent of the UK in 1967, establishing what is technically not a state but a sovereign entity, yet with its own flag, its own currency, and its own government. Since then, it has operated as one of the world’s tiniest free nations.
Geography of Sealand
Location and Size
Sealand takes up little more than 0.004 square kilometers, and consists of a platform perched atop two huge concrete pillars 12km off the coast of Suffolk in the North Sea.
Climate
The climate of Sealand is, befittingly for the North Sea, bracing, blustery and sometimes foggy, making the place harder to get to but more handsome for it.
Government and Politics
Structure of Government
Sealand is a constitutional monarchy, with the Bates family as its royal house, while the head of state is traditionally referred to as the Prince or Princess of Sealand. The administration of a republic describes a system of government in which the supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, such as in the US and France. On the other hand, a constitutional monarchy is a system of government where executive power is exercised by a monarch in reference to a constitution. In Sealand’s case, the title of the head of state is the Prince or Princess of Sealand. The executive branch of Sealand’s government is the Council of Ministers.
Legal System
Ruled by government of, by and for Sealand, it has its own foreign policy, legal system, passports, coins, stamps, an online casino, a data haven, and on one occasion acted as a research station for bio-pirates. Its legal status remains ambivalent: it is neither fully a land on UK territory, nor a foreign country recognized by international bodies.
Economy of Sealand
Sources of Revenue
Its main industries are the marketing of titles of nobility, souvenirs, and renting out online businesses. Selling Sealand citizenship and passports has been an important source of income.
Challenges and Opportunities
But Sealand is beset by logistical problems in a demanding world of its own devising: it’s far from anywhere, access is difficult, resources are limited, but status is unique and this opens up commercial niches: data hosting, tourism.
Culture and Society
Population
Sealand’s permanent population is only ever a handful of people – roughly fewer than 10 at any given moment – mostly the Bates family or their associates who are part of Sealand’s day-to-day administration.
Language and Traditions
English is the official language of Sealand, though many of the cultural references here are British-centered. That said, the micronation has created its own holiday traditions, rituals and celebrations regarding its history and independence.
Tourism in Sealand
Attractions
Visiting is not easy since Sealand is not exactly on the tourist trail. But intrepid visitors can expect to see the fortress itself, meet the Sealand royal family, and take in views over the North Sea.
Visitor Information
They must book well in advance — often getting permission from Sealand authorities — and visit by boat from the English coast, in a voyage that emphasizes just how remote it is. Accommodation is basic, as befits a world away from the rest of ours.
Sealand in Popular Media
Films and Documentaries
Sealand’s story has repeatedly fascinated filmmakers and documentarians, and the fortress has popped up in more than one movie and TV show.
Books and Articles
The history, politics and sheer strangeness of living in a micronation have been the subject of articles and books, as obsessives document Sealand’s place in the wider world of eccentricities, and the wider world documents their fascination with this minuscule principality.
The Future of Sealand
Plans for Development
Sealand has some grand plans for the future, to build up its facilities and go online. It wants more tourists and businesses to start using the island to boost its economy.
Potential Challenges
Courtesy Mollie Khamis For all their grand dreams, Sealand’s reality remains tenuous, with mounting infrastructure maintenance headaches, recognitional issues and the constant threat of Caribbean island nations asserting their right to territorial waters. But the couple leads with a unique can-do creativity that still holds out hope.
Conclusion
Instead, it’s a rousing illustration of ingenuity, of dreams of sovereignty, of the desire for independence, even if that space is only a mere 500 feet wide. Whatever you believe, Sealand’s story seems unlikely to end anytime soon.
FAQs
Can I visit Sealand?
Yes, but visits should be booked in advance, and we do not have regular tours.
Sealand recognized as a country?
No, Sealand is not recognized by any major international bodies.
How can I become a citizen of Sealand?
You can purchase Sealand citizenship through their official website.
What is Sealand’s main source of income?
Sealand earns money through the sale of titles, souvenirs, and hosting online businesses.
Who is the current ruler of Sealand?
As of now, Prince Michael Bates is the head of Sealand.
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