Principality of Sealand

The Principality of Sealand is a self-declared state that was founded on 2 September 1967 by Patrick "Paddy" Roy Bates, claiming sovereignty over HM Fort Roughs (also known as Roughs Tower), an offshore platform in the North Sea, some 7.5 mi. (12 km.) from the coast of Suffolk, East Anglia, England. Twenty years later, in 1987, the territory of Sealand was claimed by the United Kingdom, consequent the kingdom's expansion of its borders to encompass all waters within 12 nautical miles of its coast.