Episode Details

Can you actually build your own country by dumping sand on a reef in international waters? Someone tried in 1972 — and it worked, until the King of Tonga sailed out with a military band and a crew of convicts to tear down the flag. This episode explores the real history of the Republic of Minerva, the engineering challenges of artificial islands, and why Singapore and the Netherlands succeed at land reclamation while libertarian seasteading dreams keep failing. We break down what UNCLOS says about artificial islands, why they generate zero territorial waters, and what it actually takes to create habitable land from the ocean floor.