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A file photo of Sealand.
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For sale: the world's smallest country with its own flag, stamps, currency and passports.
Apply to Prince Michael of Sealand if you want to run your own nation, even if it is just a wartime fort perched on two concrete towers in the North Sea.
Built in World War Two as ananti-aircraftbase to repel German bombers, the derelict platform was taken over 40 years ago by retired army major Paddy Roy Bates who went to live there with his family.
He declared the platform, perched seven miles off the east coast of England and just outside Britain'sterritorial waters, to be the principality of Sealand.
The self-styled Prince Roy adopted a flag, chose a national anthem and minted silver and gold coins.
The family saw off attempts by Britain's Royal Navy to evict them and also an attempt in 1978 by a group of German and Dutch businessmen to seize Sealand by force.
Roy, 85, now lives in Spain and his son Michael told BBC Radio on Monday his family had been approached by estate agents with clients "who wanted a bit more than a bit of real estate, they wanted autonomy."
He suggested Sealand, which has eight rooms in each tower, could be a base for online gambling or offshore banking.
Asked to describe the delights of living on what he described as a cross between a house and a ship, the 54-year-old said: "The neighbors are very quiet. There is a good sea view."
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(Reuters)
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出售信息：世界上最小的国家，国旗、邮票、货币、护照样样俱全。
如果你想拥有一个由自己“统治”的国家，那就赶紧向“海国”的迈克尔王子申请购买吧！不过这个“海国”是战争时代建造的堡垒，座落于北海中的两根混凝土塔柱之上。
“海国”的前身是一个建于二战时期抵御德国轰炸的防空基地。40年前，已退休的帕迪·罗伊·贝茨海军少校携家人“占领”了这个被遗弃的平台，并宣布成立“海国”公国。
“海国”距英国东海岸仅7公里，而且恰好位于英国的领水之外。
自封为王的罗伊王子专为“海国”确定了国旗、国歌，还发行了金银铸币。
但英国海军却多次试图将贝茨家族从“海国”驱逐出去。1978年，一群来自德国和荷兰的商人曾试图通过武力占领这块“领土”。
今年85岁的罗伊现居住在西班牙，他的儿子迈克尔于本周一向BBC广播透露，一些房地产中介日前与他们联系过，因为有些客户“想购置一处可以‘自治’的房产”。
“海国”的两个堡垒里各有八间屋子，迈克尔王子建议，这块地方适合作在线赌博或离岸银行业务用。
谈到住在这个“船房一体”的“海国”的最大优点时，54岁的迈克尔王子说：“这里没有邻居的烦扰，而且还能看到海景。”
（英语点津姗姗编辑）
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