A crowd-funding campaign launched by a project called "Let’s Buy an Island" has led to a group of individuals purchasing the 1.2-acre uninhabited Coffee Island off the coast of Belize in a bid to set up their very own micronation.
As LADbible points out, this so-called Principality of Islandia is not officially recognised, although it does boast its own national flag, anthem, and government.
"We are as close to a nation as you can get, without getting an army and a navy," the project’s CEO Gareth Johnson said as quoted by the media outlet.
Having bought the island for $180,000 plus tax, the people behind this undertaking also offer others to become citizens of Islandia for a small donation.
"Registered in the Cayman Islands and managed by a global team of tourism and business professionals, we are dedicated to creating a socially responsible, eco-friendly, self-sustaining island property designed to rent to travellers who can visit, live, relax and enjoy the solitude of nature, and the joy of staying on your own private island," they explain on their website.
Having attracted a number of investors from different countries, the group seeks, as stated on their website, to "develop the island into a unique turnkey vacation rental."
They also intend to "generate revenue by selling everything from stamps to passports, as well as generating valuable marketing exposure for our island paradise."