Sealand: The world's smallest indepedent state [video]

It's legal status is disputed. The "cost" of normalising things is higher than the british government can be bothered with. A notable "fuck you i'm independent" was Hutt Province in Australia. When "prince leonard" died, his kids settled the tax bills with the ATO and the whole game ended. Stamp collecting revenue and fake passports was the game. And tourism I guess. Sealand, less so. I do not live in a Neal Stephenson fantasyland, and I do not want my data vaulted in this location, thanks.

Contrast with the exclaves in the EU, which are well understood, and archaic. There's a border between Belgium and the Netherlands which shifts with the tides and they basically agree to share "ownership" of some island in the river.

("cost" because it would be sending royal marines in a rubber ducky with some C4, and blowing the sea-legs off sea-land so it goes back into the water)