Machias Seal Island is located off the coast of Maine and Canada about 9.9 miles from Cutler, Maine. Although it is located so close to our coast, the waters that crash along it's rocky shores also flow to Grand Manan Island of New Brunswick, Canada. The island is smack dab in the middle between the borders of U.S. and Canada.

Machias Seal Island is the only remaining land dispute between our neighboring countries, according to Smithsonian.com, and no one seems to give much care about who owns the parcel.

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The island has never been successfully settled, although Canada has done it's part to call dibs on the land with the British building a lighthouse there in 1832, according to the New York Times. The United States really hasn't had much presence on the island since World War I when Marines were placed there to protect the coast (Canada gave it's permission for this to happen), according to Smithsonian.com.

You probably won't see the two countries battling it out for this real estate, though. Other than the thousands of puffins and other birds who land here each year, the island doesn't offer much in the way of value to either country. If this island housed a secret stash of oil or gold or bitcoins, then maybe we'd care, but for now it's just a beautiful island with a lighthouse covered with birds and fog some months of the year.

Fun Fact: If you're born on Machias Seal Island, you can claim dual citizenship, because both the U.S. and Canada claim the place, and you don't need to present your passport to step foot on the island (but neither does anyone else from any other country, not just the U.S. and Canada).

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