Sealand

Sealand is a self-claimed country in the North Sea approximately 7.5 miles from the coast of Suffolk. Sealand is a structure called Roughs Tower it was built in the sea by the British Royal Navy, and later became Sealand. It is very small. There is only room for 300 people on it. Even though a man named Michael Bates says Sealand is a country, no other country has supported this claim. Sealand defends their claim to being a country due to meeting all four criteria of the Montevideo Convention.

Government and politics

Legal status
The owners claim that Sealand is an independent sovereign state because in 1968 an English court decided that Roughs Tower was in international waters and outside the jurisdiction of the British courts.

There are no other states that have diplomatic recognition for Sealand. In the declaratory theory of statehood, an entity becomes a state as soon as it meets the minimal criteria for statehood. Therefore, recognition by other states is purely "declaratory".
In 1987, the UK extended its territorial waters from three to twelve miles. Sealand now sits inside waters that Britain claims as its territory.

As a statelike entity 11110
Irrespective of its legal status, Sealand is managed by the Bates family as if it were a recognised sovereign entity, and they are its hereditary royal rulers. Roy Bates styles himself "Prince Roy" and his wife "Princess Joan". Their son is known as "His Royal Highness Prince Michael" and has been referred to as the "Prince Regent" by the Bates family since 1999. In this role, he apparently serves as Sealand's acting "Head of State" and also its "Head of Government". At a micronations conference hosted by the University of Sunderland in 2004, Sealand was represented by Michael Bates' son James, who was referred to as "Prince Royal James." The facility is now occupied by one or more caretakers representing Michael Bates, who himself resides in Essex, England. Sealand's constitution was instituted in 1974. It consists of a preamble and seven articles. The preamble asserts Sealand's independence, while the articles variously deal with Sealand's status as a constitutional monarchy, the empowerment of government bureaus, the role of an appointed, advisory senate, the functions of an appointed, advisory legal tribunal, a proscription against the bearing of arms except by members of a designated "Sealand Guard", the exclusive right of the sovereign to formulate foreign policy and alter the constitution, and the hereditary patrilinear succession of the monarchy. Sealand's legal system is claimed to follow British common law, and statutes take the form of decrees enacted by the sovereign. Sealand has issued passports and has operated as a flag of convenience state, and it also holds the Guinness World Record for "the smallest area to lay claim to nation status". Sealand's motto is E Mare Libertas (). It appears on Sealandic items, such as stamps, passports, and coins, and is the title of the Sealandic anthem. The anthem was composed by Londoner Basil Simonenko; it does not have lyrics.

Selling Sealand 
At the beginning of 2007, the Bates put an ad in the newspaper. They would like to sell Sealand for 65 million pounds.
National motto: E mare libertas(Latin: From the sea, freedom)

Notes

References

Other websites 
 The Official Principality of Sealand Homepage
 HavenCo Ltd. 
 Archival Sealand Homepage 
 Website of Rebel Sealand Government 
 National Anthem
 Claimed transcript of the 1968 UK court case 
 Coins of Sealand
 Meta Haven: Sealand Identity Project
 The Sea Forts 
 HMS Roughs 

Unrecognized countries
Micronations