Corisco Bay

  • Contested territories
  • Controlled by Equatorial Guinea
  • Claimed by Gabon

Corisco Bay lies just north of the Gabonese capital Libreville and near where the border between Gabon and the Equatorial Guinea meets the Atlantic Ocean. Formerly the bay was administered by Spain, but the area was handed over to Equatorial Guinea when it became independent in 1968. In the late 20th century oil was discovered in Equatorial Guinea and it became one of Africa’s largest oil producers, making Equatorial Guinea the richest country per capita in Africa—though the wealth is extremely unevenly divided. Neighbouring country Gabon also claims the islands in Corsico Bay as they hold a key position with regards to the oil reserves in the area.

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Somaliland

Somaliland is a self-declared state, internationally considered to be an autonomous region of Somalia. It lies in northwestern Somalia, on the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden. After the overthrow of Somali military dictator Siad Barr, the former British protectorate declared independence in 1991. Somaliland is ranked as partly free by Freedom House, and maintains informal ties with some foreign governments. The de facto state issues its own money: the Somaliland shilling. However, Somaliland’s self-proclaimed independence remains unrecognized by any country or international organization.

Greater and Lesser Tunbs

The Tunbs (Persian: تنب بزرگ و تنب کوچک‎, Arabic: طنب الكبرى و طنب الصغرى) are two Islands in the Persian Gulf. Over the course of time the islands have been ruled by various rulers: the kings of Hormuz, Portuguese colonizers, Persian emperors and the British Empire. The British put the Emirate of Sharjah in control in 1921. In 1971, just two days before the British protectorate was about to end and the United Arab Emirates were formed, Iran seized the opportunity to take the islands by force, claiming that they never acknowledged the possession by others. Iran now administers the islands, but they are claimed by the UAE. The islands’ location near the busy Strait of Hormuz, through which numerous oil tankers pass, gives the islands great strategic importance in the region.

EnenKio

The Kingdom of EnenKio (meaning island of the orange flower), is an atoll located near the Marshall islands that claimed its sovereignty in 1994 after nearly a century of dispute with various colonial powers. The self-declared Kingdom of EnenKio has also claimed Wake Island as a separate sovereign nation and has issued passports. In 1997 the Dominion of Melchizedek, another micronation which was engaged in financial fraud, reported that the two had entered into relations. In 2000, Robert Moore, who claimed to be the head of state of EnenKio, was prevented by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from fraudulently issuing bonds for the non-existent nation.