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 The Basics 
The Decision The Logistics The Upkeep |
So, You Want to Start a Country?Dictators need not apply As Montgomery Burns would say: "Let's blow this fascist popsicle stand! Purchase a small island somewhere, and start our own country."  "Can I start my own country" is a frequently asked question by people interested in private islands. Despite all the hopeful dictators and would-be Kool-Aid mixers out there, the answer is decidedly NO - you cannot start your own country. Every island in the world has been claimed by one country or another. Each and every island also falls under the auspices of the country in whose waters it sits. Islands are subject to the laws and regulations of that country, as are you, the owner of an island. Nor can you buy an island from a country and claim independence anymore than you can declare sovereignty from your armchair inside a suburban bungalow. People have tried to get around the endless problems of sovereignty by building their own islands, through sand reclamation or floating platforms, often ships. Regardless of where you build, or float, you will land in the hot territorial waters of one country or another. Building an island from scratch, like the clever islands in The World project in Dubai, requires relatively shallow waters. If you're far enough offshore to be outside territorial waters, you will need an awful lot of sand (and money) to reach the bottom. If you should decide to take over a small island and create your own banana republic, be prepared to defend yourself against a large neighbouring country who will not take your invasion lightly. Cautionary Tales of Those Who Tried
The Principality of Sealand, home to the Bates family since 1967, is a delapitated and algae covered eyesore, 10 miles off the coast of Suffolk, England. Sealand's claims to sovereignty aren't recognized by any country, but Sealand is still managed (and defended with gunfire if necessary) by the Bates family as though it were recognized. In 1975, Paddy Roy Bates introduced a constitution, flag, national anthem, currency and passports to Sealand. In 2000, HavenCo was said to have established a secure offshore data haven on Sealand, intended to be the Cayman Islands of hosting. HavenCo's Acceptable Use Policy prohibited child pornography, spamming, and malicious hacking, but all other content was acceptable; HavenCo claimed that there were no restrictions on copyright or intellectual property for data hosted on its servers. In early 2007, Sealand was offered for sale by a Spanish estate company that sells islands out of a small kiosk designed to look like an orange. Interested parties are invited to submit offers of eight digits and over to the agent sitting in the naranja. |
Claiming sovereignty over an island is impossible, but that hasn't stopped a few people from trying in recent history. Libertarian
millionaire Michael Oliver attempted to create a sovereign micronation called Minerva by reclaiming underwater reefs in the Pacific in the 1970s. The site was located
about 400 miles south of Fiji and 250 miles west of Tonga. Oliver shipped in some sand from Australia and planted his flag. After Oliver had staked
his claim by sending out a declaration of independence to neighbouring countries, Tonga responded to Oliver by dispatching an angry and armed
envoy of Tongans to defend their turf. Minerva's flag was unceremoniously removed and Tonga laid real claim to the reef.