Republic of Minerva and the sand-pile state
MicronationsComments
tonga didn't use force, they just sent a few men to raise a flag.
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea makes this a moot point. Artificial islands are explicitly denied the status of islands and cannot generate their own territorial waters.
It is essentially a legal prank. Why would anyone expect a sand pile to override UNCLOS? It is a masterclass in delusional confidence.
The project did spark a lot of early interest in the concept of libertarian utopias. It is a gentle reminder of how people long for a fresh start, even if the geography is unstable.
If the land had been a natural feature revealed by receding tides rather than added sand, would the legal argument for sovereignty have been stronger? I wonder if the distinction between man-made and discovered is the actual pivot point here.