Over the next few weeks I will be posting what I find to be the top five most interesting micronations. This post contains #3. The previous ones are: #4 and #5

Name - The Republic of Rose Island
Location - The Adriatic Sea
Ruler - President Giorgio Rosa
About this Micronation- The Republic of Rose Island is a man made structure in the middle of the Adriatic Sea 7 miles off the coast of Italy. The platform where the country existed was built by its President (an engineer by trade) in 1967, it housed a restaurant, bar, nightclub, souvenir shop, post office, and even its own radio station. On June 24th, 1968, the island declared its independence, and started printing its own stamps, and declared it had its own currency (although no trace of said currency has ever been seen). Soon afterward a group of Italian Carabinieri (Italian Police) and a few tax inspectors landed on the island and took control. The acting government of the Republic of Rose Island sent a telegram  protesting the occupation, but it was ignored. Shortly after the initial occupation the Italian Navy destroyed the island.

(flag of the Republic of Rose Island)

In all the Research I have done this is one of the most successful attempts at creating a man made structure in the middle of a body of water for the sole purpose of creating a new micronation. I find the idea of a country, like Italy, having a major issue with tax revenue to be interesting considering the size of the country was only 400 square meters. It seems that the cost of the operation would have easily exceeded the revenue they would ever make from taxing it.