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To the Sea! Sealand and Other Wannabe States

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Abstract

This chapter covers the rise of aspiring states. It tells the story of the Principality of Sealand, a quasi-state that used a loophole in international law to claim sovereignty. Next, the chapter compares Sealand to similar examples. It also discusses the divergent standards for statehood.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Michael was contacted by email for this chapter and had several things to say about Sealand and its future and past. See Appendix A.

  2. 2.

    Why would a state pass on the opportunity to get more territory?

References and Suggested Readings

  • Crawford, James. “The Criteria for Statehood in International Law,” British Yearbook of International Law 48, no. 1 (1977): 93–182.

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  • Eggers, Allison. “When Is a State a State? The Case for Recognition of Somaliland,” Boston College International and Comparative Law Review 30, no. 1 (2012). Accessed on February 23, 2018 at http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/iclr/vol30/iss1/12.

  • Michael of Sealand, Principality of Sealand: Holding the Fort. Sealand: Principality of Sealand, 2015.

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  • “Microwiki, the Free Micronational Encyclopedia,” Microwiki. n.d. Accessed on February 23, 2018 at https://micronations.wiki/wiki/Main_Page.

  • “Principality of Sealand,” Principality of Sealand. n.d. Accessed on February 23, 2018 at http://www.sealandgov.org.

  • “Reimagining Civilization with Floating Cities,” The Seasteading Institute. n.d. Accessed on February 1, 2018 at http://www.seasteading.org.

  • Ryan, John, George Dunford, and Simon Sellars. Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations. London: Lonely Planet Publications, 2006.

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  • Williams, Paul. “What Makes a State? Territory,” American Society of International Law Proceedings 106 (2012): 449–450.

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  • Worster, William Thomas. “Law, Politics, and the Conception of the State in State Recognition Theory,” Boston University International Law Journal 27, no. 1 (2009): 115–171.

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Correspondence to David Bell Mislan .

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Mislan, D.B., Streich, P. (2019). To the Sea! Sealand and Other Wannabe States. In: Weird IR. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75556-4_2

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