Category Archives: Micronations

From MicroWiki, the micronational encyclopdia

MicroWiki is the largest online encyclopdia about micronations, small and often rather eccentric nations that are unrecognised by the wider international community. The wiki is being continually improved and updated by hundreds of editors, with content being moderated by a small group of staff. Since its creation on 27 May 2005, the site has grown to become one of the largest micronational-related websites with a total of 46,697 pages and 10,044 articles, of which 40 have achieved good article status. However, before you start editing, it is recommended that you take a look at our content disclaimer, basic rules of editing, and the Nation page guide. If you need help, visit our meeting point, the MicroWiki forums.

HIM Emperor Jonathan I is the fourth Emperor of Austenasia and constitutionally-designated Founder of the country. Prime Minister from the Empire of Austenasia's independence in September 2008 to his ascension to the Throne on 20 January 2013, and son of the founding Emperor Terry I, Jonathan I was de jure Heir to the Throne to all three of his predecessors, with the second and third Monarchs becoming Emperors through Acts of Parliament instead of the rules of succession. The reign of Jonathan I has so far been notable for a huge expansion of the Empire, both in terms of size and population. Another notable aspect of his reign so far has been the promulgation of numerous comprehensive pieces of legislation in both criminal and civil law, including the monumental Codex Jonathanus. Jonathan I is also owner and head administrator of MicroWiki. (more...)

Originally posted here:

MicroWiki - micronations.wiki

According to pedestrian wisdom, a micronation sometimes referred to as a model country or new country project is an entity that apparently intends to replace, resemble, mock, or exist on equal footing with a recognised and/or sovereign state. Some micronations are created with serious intent, while others exist as a hobby or stunt. Scholarly research shows, however, that a real micronation must be at least an empirical tribe or community, or it simply isn't a micronation. Actually, most so-called micronations are more of a mocking of real nations than real states it is intellectually dishonest to classify something, as the Wikipedia does in its article about micronations, based not on what it actually is, but rather on what it isn't, and a micronation is, first and foremost, a very small nation by size and/or population.

The term micronation, which literally means small nation, is a neologism. The first reference in English to the word micronation in a popular book appears in the 1978 edition of The People's Almanac #2, where David Wallechinsky and Irving Wallace write:

The term has since come to be used also retrospectively to refer to earlier unrecognised entities, some of which date to as far back as the 17th century.

According to micronational scholars, the term micronation is synonymous with the term Fifth and Sixth World nation. The more mature micronations (Fifth World nations) can also be social identity or irredentist groups.

Supporters of micronations often use the term macronation to describe any real sovereign nation-state. However, macronations are more appropriately medium- to large-sized nations that do not enjoy significant recognition, and according to micronational scholars they are Fourth World nations. The term macronation is also synonymous with the term self-determination or secessionist group.

Micronations should not be confused with legitimately recognised, but geographically tiny nations such as Fiji, Monaco, and San Marino, for which the term microstate is more accurate and descriptive.

Micronations generally have a number of common features:

A criterion which distinguishes micronations from imaginary countries, eco-villages, campuses, tribes, clans, sects, and residential community associations, is that these latter entities do not usually seek to be recognised as sovereign.

The Montevideo Convention was one attempt to create a legal definition distinguishing between states and non-states. A few micronations meet this definition, while most do not. Some micronational scholars find the Montevideo Convention unenlightened, or at the very least deceptive, with its emphasis on a state possessing a defined territory, since it has been discovered that states do not necessarily have to possess a territory to exist and be functional.

The academic study of micronations and microstates is termed micropatrology, and the hobby or activity of establishing and operating micronations is known as micronationalism.

The world's oldest and longest living micronation was probably the Indian princely state of Pudukkottai. From the 6th to the 14th century AD, Pudukkottai was successively ruled by the Pallavas, the Cholas, and the Pandyas. Then Pudukkottai came under the rule of Muslim sultans, who held power for about 50 years before being vanquished by the Vijayanagar kings. When the Vijayanagar kingdom disintegrated, Raghunatha Kilavan wrested the country from them in 1680, and appointed Raghunatha Tondaiman, his brother-in-law, as viceroy. The kingdom eventually acceded to the independent Dominion of India in August 1947, and merged with the Madras state in the following year.

The 19th century saw the rise to prominence of the nation-state concept, and the earliest recognisable micronations can be dated to that period. Most were founded by eccentric adventurers or business speculators, and several were remarkably successful.

The oldest extant micronation to arise in modern times is the Kingdom of Redonda, founded in 1865 in the Caribbean. It failed to establish itself as a real country, but has nonetheless managed to survive into the present day as a unique literary foundation with its own king and aristocracy although it is not without its controversies; there are presently at least four competing claimants to the Redondan throne.

Another very old extant micronation is relatively obscure to Anglophiles: Parva Domus. Parva Domus today is a cultural and recreational civil association based in Montevideo, Uruguay. It was founded on 25 August 1878, when Jos Achinelli raised the new nation's flag on a mast in front of a farmhouse. The Republic is reminiscent of a secret society, and its membership is restricted to men. Females are actually allowed entrance twice a year, for a special dinner. [1]

The 1960s and 1970s saw a micronational renaissance, with the foundation of a number of territorial micronations. The first of these, the Principality of Sealand, was founded in 1967 on an abandoned World War II gun platform in the North Sea, and has survived into the present day. Others were based on schemes requiring the construction of artificial islands, but only two are known to have risen above sea level.

The Republic of Rose Island was a 400 square metre platform built in international waters off the Italian town of Rimini, in the Adriatic Sea in 1968. It is reported to have issued stamps, minted currency, and declared Esperanto to be its official language. Shortly after completion, however, it was destroyed by the Italian Navy.

The Republic of Minerva was set up in 1972 as a libertarian new country project by Nevada businessman Michael Oliver. Oliver's group conducted dredging operations at the Minerva Reefs, a shoal located in the Pacific Ocean south of Fiji. They succeeded in creating a small artificial island, but their efforts at securing international recognition met with little success, and near-neighbour Tonga sent a military force to the area and annexed it.

On April Fools' Day in 1973, John Lennon and Yoko Ono announced the birth of Nutopia, the world's first country where all people are ambassadors. Nutopia was described as "a conceptual country" with no boundaries and "no laws other than cosmic." At the time, Mr. Lennon was being threatened with deportation because of a 1968 marijuana conviction in Britain. As Nutopian ambassadors, Mr. and Ms. Lennon asked for diplomatic immunity and United Nations recognition, and they gave "One White Street" as the embassy address. Neither of them ever lived at that address.

On 1 April 1977, bibliophile Richard Booth, declared the UK town of Hay-on-Wye an "independent republic" with himself as its king. The town has subsequently developed a healthy tourism industry based literary interests, and "King Richard" (whose sceptre consists of a recycled toilet plunger) continues to dole out Hay-on-Wye peerages and honours to anyone prepared to pay for them. The official website for Hay-on-Wye, however, admits that the declaration of independence, along with the later claim to have annexed the United States and renamed it the "US of Hay" were publicity stunts.[2]

Micronational activities were disproportionately common throughout Australia in the final three decades of the 20th century. The Hutt River Province Principality started the ball rolling in 1970, when Prince Leonard (born Leonard George Casley) declared his farming property independent after a dispute over wheat quotas. The year 1976 witnessed the creation of the Province of Bumbunga on a rural property near Snowtown, South Australia, by an eccentric British monarchist named Alex Brackstone, and a dispute over flood damage to farm properties led to the creation of the Independent State of Rainbow Creek in northeastern Victoria (Australia) by Tom Barnes in 1979. In New South Wales, a political protest by a group of Sydney teenagers led to the 1981 creation of the Empire of Atlantium, and a mortgage foreclosure dispute led George and Stephanie Muirhead of Rockhampton, Queensland to secede as the Principality of Marlborough in 1993.

Yet another Australian secessionist state came into existence on 1 May 2003, when Peter Gillies declared the independence of his 66 hectare northern New South Wales farm as the Principality of United Oceania after an unresolved year-long dispute with Port Stephens Council over Gillies' plans to construct a private residence on the property.

Micronational hobbyists received a significant boost in the mid-1990s when popularisation of the Internet gave them the ability to promote their activities to a global audience. As a result, the number of online and fantasy micronations expanded dramatically. The majority were based in English-speaking countries, however a significant minority arose elsewhere in Portuguese-speaking countries as well.

In the 21st century micronationalism has taken on a less quixotic character, especially through the more mature micronations (Fifth World nations).

There are now micronationists who have been elected to an Official World parliament; micronationists who have been honoured with a MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire); micronationists who have developed new languages in working use; authentic micronational navigators/explorers; and there are even micronational athletes who have appeared on a world championship podiums.

There are also micronations that run alternative Internets with great sophistication; micronations which have issued gold coins; micronations which have co-sponsored a major cultural events; micronations which have been recognised by international organisations; micronations which have launched significant political petitions; and there are even micronations which have sent their flag into the vacuum of space.

But the list of real achievements doesn't end with specific micronationalists or micronations since there are, or have been, academic conferences on micronations; micronational travel guides; micronational bishops; micronational saints; micronational educational systems; micronational sports; micronational astrologies; micronational races; micronational meridians; micronational legal systems; micronational intellectual property; micronational archaeological findings; micronational virtual invasions with non-virtual consequences; micronational religions; micronational health discoveries; micronational environmental philosophies; and even micronationalism itself has developed into a real protoscience.

In the present day, eight main types of micronations are prevalent:

Micronations of the first type tend to be fairly serious in outlook, involve sometimes significant numbers of relatively mature participants, and often engage in highly sophisticated, structured activities that emulate the operations of real-world nations. A few good examples of these includes:

These micronations also tend to be fairly serious, and involve significant numbers of people interested in recreating the past, especially the Roman or Mediaeval past, and living it in a vicarious way. Examples of these include:

With literally thousands in existence, micronations of this type are by far the most common. They are ephemeral, and tend to be Internet-based, rarely surviving more than a few months, although there are notable exceptions. They generally involve a handful of people, and are concerned primarily with arrogating to their founders the outward symbols of statehood. The use of grand-sounding titles, awards, honours, and heraldic symbols derived from European feudal traditions, and the conduct of "wars" with other micronations, are common manifestations of their activities. Examples include:

Micronations of this type include stand-alone artistic projects, deliberate exercises in creative online and offline fiction, artistamp creations, and even popular films. Examples include:

These types of micronations are typically associated with a political or social reform agenda. Some are maintained as media and public relations exercises, and examples of this type include:

A number of micronations have been established for fraudulent purposes, by seeking to link questionable or illegal financial actions with seemingly legitimate nations. The best known of these are:

A small number of micronations are founded with genuine aspirations to be sovereign states. Many are based on historical anomalies or eccentric interpretations of law, and tend to be easily confused with established states. This category includes:

New-country projects are attempts to found completely new nation-states. They typically involve plans to construct artificial islands (few of which are ever realised), and a large percentage have embraced or purported to embrace libertarian or democratic principles. Examples include:

Seasteading is a lifestyle of making the oceans, or at least water-borne craft, one's home. Most seasteads historically have been sailing craft, whether perhaps demonstrated by the the Chinese Junk, modified canoes of Oceania, or even the famous Pirates of Libertaria. In modern times in the west the cruising sailboat has begun to be used in the same manner. The term seasteading is of uncertain origin, used at least as early as the turn of the century by Uffa Fox, and others; many feel that catamaran designer and historian James Wharram and his designs represent ideal seasteads. More recently, American sailor and ecological philosopher Jerome FitzGerald has been a leading and effective proponent of seasteading, mostly teaching the concept through the environmental/sailing organization "The Oar Club". The Seasteader's Institute in Hilo, Hawaii offers classes, boat-building opportunities, education in forage foods, diving, and other aspects of a Seasteading lifestyle.

Some theoretical seasteads are floating platforms which could be used to create sovereign micronations, or otherwise serve the ends of ocean colonization. The concept is introduced in a paper by Wayne Gramlich, and later in a book by Gramlich, Patri Friedman and Andy House, which is available for free online. Their research aims at a more practical approach to developing micronations, based on currently available technology and a pragmatic approach to financial aspects.

The authors argue that seasteading has the potential to drastically lower the barrier to entry to the governing industry. This allows for more experimentation and innovation with varying social, political, and economic systems. Potential business opportunities include data havens, offshore aquaculture, and casinos, as well as the gamut of typical business endeavors.

There has been a small but growing amount of attention paid to the micronation phenomenon in recent years. Most interest in academic circles has been concerned with studying the apparently anomalous legal situations affecting such entities as Sealand and the Hutt River Province, in exploring how some micronations represent grassroots political ideas, and in the creation of role-playing entities for instructional purposes.

In 2000, Professor Fabrice O'Driscoll, of the Aix-Marseille University, published a book about micronations: Ils ne sigent pas l'ONU ("They are not in the United Nations"), with more than 300 pages dedicated to the subject.

In May 2000, an article in the New York Times entitled "Utopian Rulers, and Spoofs, Stake Out Territory Online" brought the phenomenon to a wider audience for the first time. Similar articles were published by newspapers such as the French Liberation, the Italian La Repubblica, the Greek "Ta Nea", by O Estado de So Paulo in Brazil, and Portugal's Viso at around the same time.

Several recent publications have dealt with the subject of particular historic micronations, including Republic of Indian Stream (University Press), by Dartmouth College geographer Daniel Doan, The Land that Never Was, about Gregor MacGregor, and the Principality of Poyais, by David Sinclair (ISBN 0-7553-1080-2).

In August 2003 a Summit of Micronations took place in Helsinki at Finlandia Hall, the site of the Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE). The summit was attended by delegations such as the Principality of Sealand, NSK, Ladonia, the Transnational Republic, and by scholars from various academic institutions.

From 7 November through 17 December 2004, the Reg Vardy Gallery at the University of Sunderland (UK) hosted an exhibition on the subject of micronational group identity and symbolism. The exhibition focused on numismatic, philatelic and vexillological artifacts, as well as other symbols and instruments created and used by a number of micronations from the 1950s through to the present day. A summit of micronations conducted as part of this exhibition was attended by representatives of Sealand, Elgaland-Vargaland, New Utopia, Atlantium, Frestonia and Fusa. The exhibition was reprised at the Andrew Kreps Gallery in New York City from 24 June29 July of the following year. Another exhibition about micronations opened at Paris' Palais de Tokyo in early 2007.

The Sunderland summit was later featured in a 5-part BBC light entertainment television series called "How to Start Your Own Country" presented by Danny Wallace. The series told the story of Wallace's experience of founding a micronation, Lovely, located in his London flat. It screened in the UK in August 2005.

Similar programs have also aired on television networks in other parts of Europe.

On 9 September 2006, The Guardian newspaper reported that the travel guide company Lonely Planet had published the world's first travel guide devoted to micronations, the Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations (ISBN 1741047307).

The Democratic Empire of Sunda, which claims to be the Government of the Kingdom of Sunda (an ancient kingdom, in present-day Indonesia) in exile in Switzerland, made media headlines when two so-called princesses, Lamia Roro Wiranatadikusumah Siliwangi Al Misri, 21, and Fathia Reza Wiranatadikusumah Siliwangi Al Misiri, 23, were detained by Malaysian authorities at the border with Brunei, on 13 July 2007, and are charged for entering the country without a valid pass.

In 2010, a documentary film by Jody Shapiro entitled "How to Start your Own Country" was screened as part of the Toronto International Film Festival. The documentary explored various micronations around the world, and included an analysis of the concept of statehood and citizenship. Erwin Strauss, author of the eponymous book, was interviewed as part of the film.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article, "Micronation" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micronation, used under the GNU Free Documentation License.

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Micronation | Fifth World Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia

Une micronation[1], se dit d'une entit cre par un petit nombre de personnes, qui prtend au statut de nation indpendante ou qui en prsente des caractristiques, mais n'est en aucune faon reconnue comme telle par les nations officielles ou par les organismes transnationaux.

Certaines micronations ont de vritables prtentions l'indpendance (Hutt River enclave en Australie, Sealand au large du Royaume-Uni, par exemple)[2], alors que d'autres sont plus fantaisistes ou folkloriques (la Rpublique du Saugeais en France par exemple)[3].

Certains critres rcurrents caractrisent la micronation comme, par exemple:

Gnralement de petite taille (gographiquement et dmographiquement), les micronations se caractrisent le plus souvent par une volont de reconnaissance de leur souverainet, par l'intermdiaire d'mission de passeports, de timbres, de monnaie et de titres de noblesse. Pour la plupart, faute de reconnaissance extrieure, elles n'existent que sur papier ou sur internet. Elles sont la plupart du temps soit le fruit d'une rflexion sur la politique, l'conomie, la diplomatie (et sont dans ce cas-l des jeux ou des crations personnelles), soit des assises pour des activits illicites ou indpendantistes.

La plupart des royaumes africains traditionnels encore existants, aujourd'hui inclus dans les tats africains modernes issus de la colonisation, se retrouvent de facto dans la situation de micronations, alors que leur existence historique est atteste et ancienne. Le royaume Xhosa de Thembu, en Afrique du Sud, qui abrite prs de 2 millions d'habitants, est un exemple. Cette nation, qui n'a plus aucune existence lgale depuis 1885, a eu comme roi Rolihlahla Mand'ela, plus connu sous le nom de Nelson Mandela[5].

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Micronation Wikipdia

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Slide: 1 / of 18 . Caption: Travis McHenry or Montague Ier, King of Calsahara. Lo Delafontaine

Slide: 2 / of 18 . Caption: With a living area of 5,920 square feet, Sealand boasts multiple bedrooms, a chapel and a prison. Lo Delafontaine

Slide: 3 / of 18 . Caption: Princess Chirley of Sealand. Lo Delafontaine

Slide: 4 / of 18 . Caption: Prince Michael of Sealand. Lo Delafontaine

Slide: 5 / of 18 . Caption: The Consul Philippon de la Boirie of the Consulate of la Boirie. Lo Delafontaine

Slide: 6 / of 18 . Caption: The Consul Pascalux de la Boirie of the Consulate of la Boirie. Lo Delafontaine

Slide: 7 / of 18 . Caption: Frederikke Rose Holm, Julie Holstein, Nanna Gilsgaard, Christine Barnett and Bolette Winnerskjold Gjaldbk, The Butterflies of the Kingdom of Elleore. Lo Delafontaine

Slide: 8 / of 18 . Caption: The people of Elleore waiting for their king. Lo Delafontaine

Slide: 9 / of 18 . Caption: Sir Peter Anderson, Secretary General of the Conch Republic. Lo Delafontaine

Slide: 10 / of 18 . Caption: The airport of the Conch Republic. Lo Delafontaine

Slide: 11 / of 18 . Caption: The border between Molossia and the United States. Lo Delafontaine

Slide: 12 / of 18 . Caption: The post office of Molossia. Lo Delafontaine

Slide: 13 / of 18 . Caption: Kevin Baugh, President of the Republic of Molossia. Lo Delafontaine

Slide: 14 / of 18 . Caption: Georgette Bertin-Pourchet, President of the Republic of Saugeais. Lo Delafontaine

Slide: 15 / of 18 . Caption: Jacques Vuillemin, customs officer of the Republic of Saugeais. Lo Delafontaine

Slide: 16 / of 18 . Caption: Gianni Trucchi, guard of the Principality of Seborga. Lo Delafontaine

Slide: 17 / of 18 . Caption: Emperor George II of the Empire of Atlantium. Lo Delafontaine

Slide: 18 / of 18 . Caption: A television crew interviews the Emperor of Atlantium. Lo Delafontaine

Never heard of the Imperial Kingdom of Calsahara? The Conch Republic? The Principality of Sealand? Youre not alone.Lo Delafontaine hadnt either until 2012, when he visited the Republic of Saugeais, a self-proclaimed micronation in eastern France. Hes since become fascinated with countries unrecognized by world governments and organizations. His bookMicronations documents independent states that are just as varied and interesting as their official counterparts.

Humankind likes discoveries and challenges. One solution is the creation of new countries, but not in order to persecute people or for religious reasons. The idea, rather, is to create new countries and territories for fun, to make people think, to re-enchant the world in a way, he says via email.

French writer and historian Bruno Fuligni, who wrote the introduction to Micronations, estimates there are more than 400 of these self-proclaimed entities.

Delfontaine visited 12 locationsthroughout the US, Europe, and Australia. They included monarchies, republics, funny dictatorships, and some with no government at all. He earned citizenship in threethe Principality of Sealand, the Principality of Seborga, and the Conch Republic.

ThePrincipality ofHutt Riverin Australia draws thousands of visitors annually, which is one reason it exists at all. Others serve as political satire.Conch Republic, for example, was created in 1982 after Key West Mayor Dennis Wardlow symbolically began the Conch Republics Civil Rebellion by breaking a loaf of stale Cuban bread over the head of a man dressed in a U.S. Navy uniform according to the Conch Republics website. Some micronations are easily accessiblewhile others are difficult to get to.In Copenhagen, tourists can enter Christiania on foot, while visitors to thePrincipality of Sealand, a WWII island fortress six miles off the eastern shores of Britain, have to shell out over $2,000 for transport and a visa.

Regardless of their intention, these countries commit: They have national anthems and flags, passports and coins, militaries and laws. The Kingdomof Elleore hosts history classes for kids and created its own national sport.

Most of the people I met were really well educated, curious, ironic and completely aware of what they are doing. They are not crazy or greedy for power. But they like to dress up and make fun of their country of origin, he says.

Most of these micronations declared sovereignty between the 1970s and 1990s. But there have been some newcomers; the Imperial Kingdom of Calsahara in southern California declared its sovereignty in 2009. Delafontaine says most new micronations, like theKingdom of Talossa,exist primarily online.

I think that the golden age of micronations is almost over. The famous ones, like the Principality ofHutt River and the Republic ofSaugeais,are headed by very old people, he says. And after their death, their micronations will disappear with them. Young people interested in micronations dont seem to be interested in claiming a physical territory. They prefer to create new countries online. Its not better or worse, but its different.

Original post:

micronations! - wired.com

A micronation sometimes referred to as a model country or new country project is a political entity that intends to replace, resemble, mock, or exist on equal footing with a recognised and/or sovereign state.

Some micronations are created with serious intent, while others exist as a hobby or stunt.

The term micronation, which literally means small nation, is a neologism. The first reference in English to the word micronation in a popular book appears in the 1978 edition of The People's Almanac #2, where David Wallechinsky and Irving Wallace write:

"Established in 1972 by a declaration of sovereignty by a group of Californians, the Republic of Minerva has more claim to authenticity than most micronations because it actually has some land, although it disappears at high tide. The republic consists of two coral reefs 17 miles apart in the South Pacific Ocean some 3,400 miles southwest of Honolulu and 915 miles northeast of Auckland, New Zealand."

The term has since come to be used also retrospectively to refer to earlier unrecognised entities, some of which date to as far back as the 17th century. Micronations should not be confused with internationally recognised but geographically tiny nations such as Fiji, Monaco, and San Marino, for which the term microstate is more commonly used.

Micronations generally have a number of common features:

A criterion which distinguishes micronations from imaginary countries, eco-villages, campuses, tribes, clans, sects, and residential community associations, is that these latter entities do not usually seek to be recognised as sovereign.

The Montevideo Convention was one attempt to create a legal definition distinguishing between states and non-states. Some micronations meet this definition, while some do not. The academic study of micronations and microstates is termed 'micropatrology', and the hobby or activity of establishing and operating micronations is known as micronationalism.

The Principality of Sealand is one of the more recognised micronations in the world.

The 17th century saw the rise to prominence of a world order dominated by the existing concept of the nation-state, following the Treaty of Westphalia. However, the earliest recognisable micronations can be dated to the 18th Century. Most were founded by eccentric adventurers or business speculators, and several were remarkably successful. These include the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, ruled by the Clunies-Ross family, and Sarawak, ruled by the "White Rajas" of the Brooke family. Both were independent personal fiefdoms in all but name, and survived until well into the 20th Century.

Less successful were the Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia (1860-1862) in southern Chile and Argentina, and the Kingdom of Sedang (1888-1890) in French Indochina. The oldest extant micronation to arise in modern times is the Kingdom of Redonda, founded in 1865 in the Caribbean. It failed to establish itself as a sovereign nation-state, but has nonetheless managed to survive into the present day as a unique literary foundation with its own king and aristocracy although it is not without its controversies; there are presently at least four competing claimants to the Redondan throne.

M. C. Harman, owner of the UK island of Lundy in the early decades of the 20th century, issued private coinage and postage stamps for local use. Although the island was ruled as a virtual fiefdom, its owner never claimed to be independent of the United Kingdom. Thus, Lundy can at best be described as a precursor to later territorial micronations.

The 1960s and 1970s saw a 'micronational renaissance', with the foundation of a number of territorial micronations, some of which still persist to this day. The first of these, the Principality of Sealand, was founded in 1967 on an abandoned World War II gun platform in the North Sea, and has endured a military coup, court rulings and rough weather throughout its existence. Others were based on schemes requiring the construction of artificial islands, but only two are known to have risen above sea level.

The Republic of Rose Island was a 400 square metre platform built in international waters off the Italian town of Rimini, in the Adriatic Sea in 1968. It is reported to have issued stamps, minted currency, and declared Esperanto to be its official language. Shortly after completion, however, it was destroyed by the Italian Navy.

The Republic of Minerva was set up in 1972 as a libertarian new country project by Nevada businessman Michael Oliver. Oliver's group conducted dredging operations at the Minerva Reefs, a shoal located in the Pacific Ocean south of Fiji. They succeeded in creating a small artificial island, but their efforts at securing international recognition met with little success, and near-neighbour Tonga sent a military force to the area and annexed it.

On April 1, 1977, bibliophile Richard Booth, declared the UK town of Hay-on-Wye an "independent republic" with himself as its king. The town has subsequently developed a healthy tourism industry based literary interests, and "King Richard" (whose sceptre consists of a recycled toilet plunger) continues to dole out Hay-on-Wye peerages and honours to anyone prepared to pay for them. The official website for Hay-on-Wye, however, admits that the declaration of independence, along with the later claim to have annexed the USA and renaming it the "US of Hay" were all merely publicity stunts.

Micronationalism has since evolved mainly into hobbies, and with younger participants. Although no all-compassing authority on micronations exists, nor any comprehensive listing, it is known that a number of widely diverse communities and sectors persist throughout the micronational world, often on the internet.

The internet provided micronationalism with a new outlet, and the number of entities able to be termed as 'micronations' skyrocketed from around 2000 onwards as a result. Exact figures may never be known, but it is thought that many thousands of micronations now exist throughout the world. However, with this new outlet of the internet came a large anomaly between micronationalists and micronations. Before the advent of micronationalism on the internet, micronations were few and far between, and were able to coax many hundreds of people in their citizenry. At present, many micronations are 'One-man micronations' or 'Egostans', with only one or two people being citizens of the micronation. The majority are based in English-speaking countries, but a significant minority arose elsewhere in other countries as well.

Micronational activities were disproportionately common throughout Australia in the final three decades of the 20th century. The Principality of Hutt River started the ball rolling in 1970, when Prince Leonard (born Leonard George Casley) declared his farming property independent after a dispute over wheat quotas. 1976 witnessed the creation of the Province of Bumbunga on a rural property near Snowtown, South Australia, by an eccentric British monarchist named Alex Brackstone, and a dispute over flood damage to farm properties led to the creation of the Independent State of Rainbow Creek in northeastern Victoria by Tom Barnes in 1979. In New South Wales, a political protest by a group of Sydney teenagers led to the 1981 creation of the Empire of Atlantium, and a mortgage foreclosure dispute led George and Stephanie Muirhead of Rockhampton, Queensland to secede as the Principality of Marlborough in 1993. Although some newer micronations, like Ding Dong, were created purely for the experience of forming and running a micronation.

Yet another Australian secessionist state came into existence on May 1, 2003, when Peter Gillies declared the independence of his 66 hectare northern New South Wales farm as the Principality of United Oceania after an unresolved year-long dispute with Port Stephens Council over Gillies' plans to construct a private residence on the property.

In the present day, the following categories are generally accepted as being standard:

Micronations of the first type tend to be fairly serious in outlook, involve sometimes significant numbers of relatively mature participants, and often engage in highly sophisticated, structured activities that emulate the operations of real-world nations. A few examples of these include:

These micronations also tend to be fairly serious, and involve significant numbers of people interested in recreating the past, especially the Roman or Mediaeval past, and living it in a vicarious way. Examples of these include:

With literally thousands in existence, micronations of this type are by far the most common. They are ephemeral, and tend to be Internet-based, rarely surviving more than a few months, although there are notable exceptions. They generally involve a handful of people, and are concerned primarily with arrogating to their founders the outward symbols of statehood. The use of grand-sounding titles, awards, honours, and heraldic symbols derived from European feudal traditions, and the conduct of 'wars' with other micronations, are common manifestations of their activities. Examples include:

Micronations of this type include stand-alone artistic projects, deliberate exercises in creative online and offline fiction, artistic creations, and even popular films. Examples include:

These types of micronations are typically associated with a political or social reform agenda. Some are maintained as media and public relations exercises. Examples of this type include:

A number of micronations have been established for fraudulent purposes, by seeking to link questionable or illegal financial actions with seemingly legitimate nations. Some examples of these are:

A small number of micronations are founded with genuine aspirations to be sovereign states. Many are based on historical anomalies or eccentric interpretations of law, and tend to be easily confused with established states. These types of micronations are usually located in small (usually disputed) territorial enclaves, generate limited economic activity founded on tourism, philatelic and numismatic sales, and are at best tolerated or at worst ignored by other nations. This category includes:

New-country projects are attempts to found completely new nation-states. They typically involve plans to construct artificial islands (few of which are ever realised), and a large percentage have embraced or purported to embrace libertarian or democratic principles. Examples include:

Seasteading is a lifestyle of making the oceans, or at least water-borne craft, one's home. Most seasteads historically have been sailing craft, whether perhaps demonstrated by the the Chinese Junk, modified canoes of Oceania, or even the famous Pirates of Libertaria. In modern times in the west the cruising sailboat has begun to be used in the same manner. The term seasteading is of uncertain origin, used at least as early as the turn of the century by Uffa Fox, and others; many feel that catamaran designer and historian James Wharram and his designs represent ideal seasteads. More recently, American sailor and ecological philosopher Jerome FitzGerald has been a leading and effective proponent of seasteading, mostly teaching the concept through the environmental/sailing organisation "The Oar Club". The Seasteader's Institute in Hilo, Hawaii offers classes, boat-building opportunities, education in forage foods, diving, and other aspects of a Seasteading lifestyle.

Some theoretical seasteads are floating platforms which could be used to create sovereign micronations, or otherwise serve the ends of ocean colonisation. The concept is introduced in a paper by Wayne Gramlich, and later in a book by Gramlich, Patri Friedman and Andy House, which is available for free online. Their research aims at a more practical approach to developing micronations, based on currently available technology and a pragmatic approach to financial aspects.

The authors argue that seasteading has the potential to drastically lower the barrier to entry to the governing industry. This allows for more experimentation and innovation with varying social, political, and economic systems. Potential business opportunities include data havens, offshore aquaculture, and casinos, as well as the gamut of typical business endeavours.

There has been a small but growing amount of attention paid to the micronation phenomenon in recent years. Most interest in academic circles has been concerned with studying the apparently anomalous legal situations affecting such entities as Sealand and the Hutt River Province, in exploring how some micronations represent grassroots political ideas, and in the creation of role-playing entities for instructional purposes.

In 2000, Professor Fabrice O'Driscoll, of the University Aix-Marseille University, published a book about micronations: Ils ne sigent pas l'ONU ("They are not in the United Nations"), with more than 300 pages dedicated to the subject.

Several recent publications have dealt with the subject of particular historic micronations, including Republic of Indian Stream (University Press), by Dartmouth College geographer Daniel Doan, The Land that Never Was, about Gregor MacGregor, and the Principality of Poyais, by David Sinclair (ISBN 0-7553-1080-2).

In May 2000, an article in the New York Times entitled "Utopian Rulers, and Spoofs, Stake Out Territory Online" brought the phenomenon to a wider audience for the first time. Similar articles were published by newspapers such as the French Liberation, the Italian La Repubblica, the Greek "Ta Nea", by O Estado de So Paulo in Brazil, and Portugal's Viso at around the same time.

The Democratic Empire of Sunda, which claims to be the Government of the Kingdom of Sunda (an ancient kingdom, in present-day Indonesia) in exile in Switzerland, made media headlines when two so-called princesses, Lamia Roro Wiranatadikusumah Siliwangi Al Misri, 21, and Fathia Reza Wiranatadikusumah Siliwangi Al Misiri, 23, were detained by Malaysian authorities at the border with Brunei, on 13 July 2007, and are charged for entering the country without a valid pass.

In August 2003 a Summit of Micronations took place in Helsinki at Finlandia Hall, the site of the Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE). The summit was attended by delegations such as the Principality of Sealand, Neue Slowenische Kunst|NSK, Ladonia, the Transnational Republic, and by scholars from various academic institutions.

From November 7 through December 17, 2004, the Reg Vardy Gallery at the University of Sunderland (UK) hosted an exhibition on the subject of micronational group identity and symbolism. The exhibition focused on numismatic, philatelic and vexillological artefacts, as well as other symbols and instruments created and used by a number of micronations from the 1950s through to the present day. A summit of micronations conducted as part of this exhibition was attended by representatives of Sealand, Elgaland-Vargaland, New Utopia, Atlantium, Frestonia and Fusa. The exhibition was reprised at the Andrew Kreps Gallery in New York City from 24 June29 July of the following year. Another exhibition about micronations opened at Paris' Palais de Tokyo in early 2007.

The Sunderland summit was later featured in a 5-part BBC light entertainment television series called "How to Start Your Own Country" presented by Danny Wallace. The series told the story of Wallace's experience of founding a micronation, Lovely, located in his London flat. It screened in the UK in August 2005. Similar programs have also aired on television networks in other parts of Europe.

On 9 September 2006, The Guardian newspaper reported that the travel guide company Lonely Planet had published the world's first travel guide devoted to micronations, the Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations (ISBN 1741047307).

2 messages

Hello, you may ask yourself "what is that micronation? Never heard of it". Well it's because I established it (for fun). Though I still ... 2015-12-22T17:31:30Z

Hi. Welcome to MicroWiki. Only administrators are allowed to create threads in the announcement board. 2015-12-24T15:11:00Z

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Ah, I understand the confusion. Yes, to users on this site, this is MicroWiki. However, from a .org user's perspective, this site has the nickn... 2014-06-21T13:03:01Z

Well, I understand you, the only reason for my post on this forum is that WUS is almost not active and I love myself that moves a little and t... 2014-06-21T14:29:31Z

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Micronation - MicroWiki - Wikia

List of Physical Micronations

This page documents micronational entities which are reliably known to have projected one or more aspects of their operations into the corporeal world. This might involve any of the following:

claiming, but not holding legal title to or occupying a defined physical territory on Earth, or on other planets or asteroids.

claiming and holding legal title to but not occupying, a defined physical territory on Earth.

claiming, holding legal title to and physically occupying a defined physical territory on Earth.

producing original stamps, coins, banknotes, flags, medals, regalia etc in commercial quantities, via commercial processes, either for commercial sale or for specific publicly-documented internal purposes.

creating and maintaining group-specific monuments, buildings and structures.

conducting publicly-documented, group-specific activities (such as inaugurations, commemorations, media briefings, meetings of principals and social gatherings) - in person.

Name (short form)

Name (long form)

Active

n/a

Rural property near Cooma + private residence in Sydney suburb of Narrabeen + various other properties in New South Wales.

n/a

Active

Austenasia

Bahoudii

Active

-

+61 2 4871 2483

Leif Elggren

-

Defunct

n/a

Little Scotland

Defunct

n/a

n/a

-

Mark Pedley

Pearlasia Pedley

Richard McDonald

n/a

n/a

-

(also known as Kingdom of Lindisfaras)

n/a

Joseph "Little Joe" Rigoli

Rua Sacadura Cabral,

301GamboaCentro,

Rio de JaneiroRJ CEP 20.221-160

Brazil

Active

n/a

Rainbow Creek

Reunion

Active

Active

n/a

Michael Bates

Johannes Seiger

Derwin Mak

Alan Caum

State of Freedom

Defunct

(King John)

(King Louis)

n/a

Twochairs

Defunct

West Antarctica

Robert Taylor

Defunct

-

To be included in this list, a micronation must be able to demonstrate that it has been in existence for a minimum of 12 months. Micronations whose members publicly advocate the prosecution of acts of criminality will not be listed.

Website link:

If the micronation is active or inactive, a link to its website is provided.

If the micronation is defunct, a link is provided to the following: (i) an archived version of the micronation's website - or if that does not exist, (ii) the relevant Wikipedia article about the micronation - or if that does not exist, (iii) a report about the micronation published by a reliable print media source.

Email:

If the micronation lists an email address on its website, it is linked with an .

If the micronation has no published email address, and only allows form-based communication via its website, no email address is listed.

Primary contact:

For active micronations, the primary contact is the founder or current leader - whichever is most relevant.

For inactive or defunct micronations, the primary contact is the founder or last known leader.

The name of the primary contact is their actual legal name; false names, pseudonymous identities and assumed styles and titularies are not listed.

If the primary contact has a known publicly-listed telephone number, it is listed below their name.

If the primary contact is known to be deceased, the entry is marked with a

Where information is uncertain or unknown, it is marked with a ?

Contact location:

The contact location is the primary contact's most recent known primary place of residence.

Where information is uncertain or unknown, it is marked with a ?

Physical territory claimed:

If the micronation maintains claims over one or more pieces of physical geography on Earth or on planets, planetoids, natural satellites, asteroids or other heavenly bodies elsewhere in the universe, the entry is marked with a .

If the micronation does not maintain any such claim, the entry is marked with a .

Physical territory owned / occupied / controlled:

If the micronation maintains claims over one or more pieces of physical geography on Earth or on planets, planetoids, natural satellites, asteroids or other heavenly bodies elsewhere in the universe and shows credible evidence that it, or one or more of its members physically owns, occupies and otherwise exercises control over the territory in question, the entry is marked with a .

If the micronation does not physically own, occupy and otherwise exercise control over the territory which it claims, the entry is marked with a .

If the micronation physically owns, occupies and controls part of the territory it claims, the entry is marked with a if the area under its control is less than or equal to 50% of the claim, and if it is 51% or greater of the claim.

Status:

Active = the micronation's website has been updated within the previous 12 months, or offline activity is credibly known to have occurred.

Inactive = there is no credible evidence of online or offline activity by the micronation in the previous 12 months, but its domain and website remain registered and publicly accessible, and there is a credible reason to believe that this indicates a willingness or intent on the part of those involved to revive the project at some future juncture.

Defunct = the micronation has entirely ceased to exist. There is no credible evidence of online or offline activity of any sort in the previous 12 months, and no credible reason to assume this is likely to change. Alternatively, those involved in creating or maintaining it have announced the termination of the project, are credibly known to be no longer involved, or are no longer contactable. If the micronation possessed a website, that site may still be publicly accessible by default (ie without the need for human intervention) - but it is more likely than not to now only be accessible via third party archives, or not at all.

Read the original here:

List of Micronations

Why settle for a house when you can have a nation of your own? These Micronations are not just tiny, they're also weird! 1 The Kingdom of Talossa: created by a 14-Year-Old All hail the Boy King!

On December 26, 1979 from his bedroom in Milwaukee Wisconsin, 14-year-old Robert Ben Madison declared it a separate country called Talossa and appointed himself King. While this proclamation has never been recognized by any Government, Talossa is considered one of the first micronations, inspiring many copycats. Madison/Talossa was tech-savvy enough to have its own website since 1995. It now boasts 222 citizens (you can become one here.)

This peaceful Kingdom is not without internal strife in 2004 a group seceded, forming the Republic of Talossa. However, in 2012 the country was made whole again. (Source 1 | Source 2)

The Province of Bumbunga is yet another tiny breakaway region from a First World country in this case, Australia. It was founded March 29, 1976 by Alex Brackstone, a former monkey-trainer and British Crown loyalist who did not like how Australia was turning against the monarchy. He created Bumbunga on his 4 hectare property and named himself Governor, so at least a small part of the country would still be loyal to the British Throne. He tried to create a giant model of Great Britain out of strawberry patches, but they ended up dying in a drought.

Bumbunga also issued a series of stamps with British royalty; these cannot be used to actually mail anything but became a collector's item amongst nerds. (Source)

On June 2, 1996, the tiny country of Ladonia was founded by artist Lars Vilks in a nature reserve in southern Sweden because of a legal dispute over his art. In 1980, he had built a 70-ton driftwood sculpture entitled Nimis in this remote region accessible only by water or a long hike. When the authorities finally discovered it, they ordered it destroyed and a years-long battle in the courts ensued. After losing his last appeal, Vilks created the country of Ladonia, which he says trades only in creative expression. There is a queen and crown princess as well as ambassadors and ministers and its official language only has two words: waaaall and p (although it's unclear what they mean). Anyone can apply to be a citizen here as Ladonia claims all its people are nomads. (Source 1 | Source 2 | Photo)

The inventor of the Segway, Dean Kamen, owns this tiny island just off Long Island, New York (and north of South Dumpling Island). Like many micronations on this list, it was started because of a dispute with government authorities about building something without permission in this case it was a wind turbine. Kamen seceded and established his own one-man nation with flag, navy, currency, and even its own anthem written by Broadway director Paul Lazarus, who is also the nation's Ministry of Brunch. He even got his friend President George H.W. Bush to sign a non-aggression pact. While this is the folly of a very rich, well connected person, he claims his busy life offers no time to relax and this lets him unwind. Why not just take a ride along a trail on a Segway instead? (Source 1 | Source 2 | Photo)

On October 20, 2008, at 11:30 am British Standard Time, another 14-year-old boy (see #1) declared a tiny nation within a bigger country's borders; in this case it was Jonathan Austen declaring his father Terry Emperor and himself Crown prince of Austenasia, located within the confines of their London flat. The country is run as a constitutional monarchy and has expanded to 5 territories in the nearby area. They are very serious about their endeavor (they claim Articles 1 and 3 of the 1933 Montevideo Convention allow them to declare their sovereignty) and have created dozens of Acts of Parliament. You can become an "honorary subject" here. They say you can visit their country as long as they are contacted beforehand. The website asks just don't turn up. (Source 1 | Source 2 | Photo)

How to start your own micronation in 9 easy steps!

1. Be very rich or very young 2. Be an artist and/or a little bit crazy 3. Give the country a funny name and yourself a ridiculous title 4. Write a declaration, cite Article 1 and 3 of Montevideo Convention 5. Try and get your president friend to sign a non-aggression pact 6. Set up a website and offer free citizenship 7. Mint your own coins or stamps 8. Prepare to be thrown in jail or taken to court for doing #7 9. If micronation is larger than 1 person, prepare for civil war or coup

More here:

10 Bizarre Micronations - ODDEE

UMMOA/AMOMU

The United Micronations Multi-Oceanic Archipelago (UMMOA) (Italian: Arcipelago Multi-Oceanico delle Micronazioni Unite or AMOMU) is a territorial nation and state, and community of nations and states enjoying a degree of international recognition not comparable to a UN member state, but not insignificant. The 29 insular possessions, one continental territory, and one diaxenospitia have no indigenous population, and an inhabitable area of 432,000 km (166,796 mi).

Since 2008, the islands have been claimed by several micronations.

On 6 May 2008, the UMMOA legally invaded the US namespace, and annexed the original 11 insular possessions formerly known as the United States Minor Outlying Islands. Today the UMMOA makes additional territorial and non-territorial claims:

On 14 September 2011, the UMMOA was first recognised as a state, and became a Member of the Organization of Emerging African States (OEAS) through the recognition of the Geyser Reef claim. On 5 May 2012, the Organization of Emerging African States (OEAS) recognised an additional 10 allodial title UMMOA claims beyond the Geyser Reef claim.

Read this article:

United Micronations Multi-Oceanic Archipelago (UMMOA)

Micronation.org costs 160 per year to keep online. Since we are unable to run advertisements, we ask that any users who are able and willing to do so make a contribution towards the site's costs so that we may continue to survive and thrive. Thank you!

From MicroWiki, the micronational encyclopdia

MicroWiki is the largest online encyclopdia about micronations, small and often rather eccentric nations that are unrecognised by the wider international community. The wiki is being continually improved and updated by hundreds of editors, with content being moderated by a small group of staff. Since its creation on 27 May 2005, the site has grown to become one of the largest micronational-related websites with a total of 39,300 pages and 8,977 articles, of which 45 have achieved good article status. However, before you start editing, it is recommended that you take a look at our content disclaimer, basic rules of editing, and the Nation page guide. If you need help, visit our meeting point, the MicroWiki forums.

The Cheslovian Federation (Russian: Chesloviyskaya Federatsiya, Cheslovian: Chesloviskai Vederatsiya) was a micronation founded on 11 March 2003, and reformed into the present day 2nd Federation. It bordered the United Kingdom, the Principality of Malokaz, the Republic of Arvas and the Kingdom of Ud Mahazar. Cheslovia had an area of 91km (not including its distant territories), and much of its territory was situated inside the Baltian Sector. Cheslovia had four distant territories not connected to the mainland (also known as Capital Sector, the main part of Cheslovia which lies inside Baltia); these were the New Cheslovia Collective, Yakuria Collective, Beslau Krai and South Kaznia Okrug. The Cheslovian Federation was classified as a micronational Regional Power, accourding to its Baltian neighbours and was also one of the most influential countries in the MicroWiki nations. Cheslovia was previously known as Kaznia before a name change occured on 2 November 2008 and the name was changed to Cheslovia; the name Kaznia is still used on an informal scale, with many Cheslovian citizens still calling themselves Kaznian and very occasionally formal documents still mention the name Kaznia. (more...)

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MicroWiki - The Micronation.org Wiki

Admit it you've thought about what life would be like if you ruled your own country. I would make an awesome Queen, just for the record. Diet Coke would flow from kitchen faucets, scientists would put all of the vitamins and minerals you need into low-calorie mint-chocolate chip ice cream and the Killers would sing our national anthem.

OK, so maybe not everyone would want to live in Conradtia, but that's fine. I'll declare myself a micronation.

Micronations usually exist only on paper or in the minds of their creators and aren't recognized by governments or organizations or anything like that (so maybe Conradtia already exists?!). Although some micronations actually have their own currency, stamps, passports, flags and other "national" memorabilia, none of it is considered valid except to the people who, well, consider it valid. If that makes any sense. It's different than an imaginary country, because in this case the "rulers" of the micronations actively seek to be recognized by world governments.

Now that we've established that, let's take a look at a few micronations.

Roy Bates and his wife, Joan, call themselves the Prince and Princess of Sealand (why not King and Queen, I wonder?). Their son is "His Royal Highness Prince Michael", but the Bates family refers to him as the "Prince Regent". Following a fire in 1999, the Bates' moved back to England but still retain "ownership" of Sealand. Oddly, Sealand citizens have competed at various sporting events and have even taken home medals in honor of the micronation. Mountaineer Slader Oviatt carried the Sealandic flag to the top of Muztagh Ata in 2004 and in 2007, Michael Martelle represented Sealand in the World Cup of Kung Fu, held in Quebec City, Canada, where he won two silver medals.

It's really more in good fun than anything else, though the residents of Seborga still pay Italian taxes and vote in Italian elections.

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Six Micronations You Can Join (Petoria, anyone?) - Neatorama