For the last 40 years or so, a micronation has existed only six miles off the coast of England. Built as a fort in 1942,The Principality of Sealand has had a fantastically colorful history since its founding in the late 60's. It has served as a pirate radio station as well as an internet data haven, operating outside of England's legal jurisdiction. The reigning royal family even survived a coup d'etat by retaking the nation by force (in a helicopter attack!), and have fought vigorously over the years to protect their claim of sovereignty. It seems like a somewhat quixiotic mission, but who wouldn't want their own island nation? There is a bit of a 'Shining' feel to the place, though, and I have a hard time imagining what the guardians of Sealand do with their time.Moviegoers will be glad to hear that a film based on the Sealand story is in the works, directed by Mike Newell of 'Donnie Brasco' and 'Harry Potter' fame.
LINK to the official Sealand site.
Wikipedia has a great Sealand page from which I liberated most of this information.
Interesting article about a rare visit to Sealand by outsiders.
(Disclaimer- Yours truly may now be referred to as Lord Patterson of Sealand. No, I didn't forge a bond with Prince Roy, I only bought the title from their store. But I'm not giving up hope: as dreary as that rusty fort may look, I can't help but want to hang out in the smallest country on earth.)
