# declaring a country?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declaring-a-country/301258>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 26, 2005, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declaring-a-country/301258 "2005-04-26T22:07:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![two\_bit\_charlie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@two\_bit\_charlie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/two_bit_charlie)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declaring-a-country/301258/1 "2005-04-26T22:07:35Z")

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Is it possible to declare land that i own as a country in its own right?

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declaring-a-country/301258/2 "2005-04-26T22:15:04Z")

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The Master Speaks:

[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3\_300.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_300.html)

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**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declaring-a-country/301258/3 "2005-04-26T22:18:20Z")

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Yes. There have been threads on this. In a nutshell:

1. Prepare to lose your claim of soverignty as soon as your claim buts up against the will of others who also declare soverighnty over the same land (e.g., the United States); and

2. If there are no opposing claims… Google “Sealand”

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**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declaring-a-country/301258/4 "2005-04-26T23:39:13Z")

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> [@two\_bit\_charlie](#):
>
> Is it possible to declare land that i own as a country in its own right?

You may need to fight a war over it.

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2005, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/declaring-a-country/301258/5 "2005-04-26T23:50:40Z")

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> [@Imasquare](#):
>
> You may need to fight a war over it.

Indeed. I’m pretty sure there was a skirmish or two around the 1860s.