Difference between revisions of "Micronation"

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[[File:Hollywood Heads of State.jpg|thumb|400px|Micronational leaders meeting in Hollywood, California at the Chinese Theater in 2015]]
A '''micronation''', sometimes referred to as a '''model country''' or '''new country project''', is an entity that claims to be an independent nation or state but is not generally recognized by world governments or major international organizations.
A '''micronation''', sometimes referred to as a '''model country''' or '''new country project''', is an entity that claims to be an independent nation or state but is not generally recognized by world governments or major international organizations.


Micronations are distinguished from imaginary countries and from other kinds of social groups (such as eco-villages, campuses, tribes, clans, and sects) by expressing a formal and persistent, even if unrecognized, claim of sovereignty over some physical territory. Micronations are also distinct from true secessionist movements; micronations' activities are almost always peaceful enough to be ignored rather than challenged by the established nations whose territory they claim.
Micronations are distinguished from imaginary countries and from other kinds of social groups (such as eco-villages, campuses, tribes, clans, and sects) by expressing a formal and persistent, even if unrecognized, claim of [[sovereignty]] over some physical territory. Micronations are also distinct from true secessionist movements; micronations' activities are almost always peaceful enough to be ignored rather than challenged by the established nations whose territory they claim.


Several micronations have issued coins, flags, postage stamps, passports, and other items. These items are rarely accepted outside their own community, but may be sold as novelties to help raise money or collected by enthusiasts.
Several micronations have issued [[Coins of Westarctica|coins]], [[Flag of Westarctica|flags]], [[Stamps of Westarctica|postage stamps]], passports, and other items. These items are rarely accepted outside their own community, but may be sold as novelties to help raise money or collected by enthusiasts.


The earliest known micronations date from the beginning of the 19th century. The advent of the Internet provided the means for people to create many new micronations, whose members are scattered all over the world and interact mostly by electronic means, often calling their nations "nomadic countries".  The differences between such Internet micronations, other kinds of social networking groups, and role-playing games are often difficult to define.
The earliest known micronations date from the beginning of the 19th century. The advent of the Internet provided the means for people to create many new micronations, whose members are scattered all over the world and interact mostly by electronic means, often calling their nations "nomadic countries".  The differences between such Internet micronations, other kinds of social networking groups, and role-playing games are sometimes difficult to define.


The term "micronation" to describe those entities dates at least to the 1970s. The term '''micropatriology''' is sometimes used to describe the study of both micronations and [[microstate]]s by micronationalists, some of whom refer to [[sovereignty|sovereign]] nation-states as "macronations."
The term "micronation" to describe those entities dates at least to the 1970s. The term '''micropatriology''' is sometimes used to describe the study of both micronations and microstates by micronationalists, some of whom refer to [[sovereignty|sovereign]] nation-states as "macronations."


==Etymology==
==Etymology==
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The term has since also come to be used retrospectively to refer to earlier unrecognized entities, some of which date to as far back as the 19th century. Amongst supporters of micronations ("micronationalists") the term "macronation" is in common use to refer to any internationally recognised sovereign nation-state.
The term has since also come to be used retrospectively to refer to earlier unrecognized entities, some of which date to as far back as the 19th century. Amongst supporters of micronations ("micronationalists") the term "macronation" is in common use to refer to any internationally recognised sovereign nation-state.


Not all micronations are small; some can be rather large, like [[Westarctica]] or those with claims on other planets.
Not all micronations are small; some can be rather large, like [[Westarctica]], or those with claims on other planets.


==Definition==
==Definition==
[[File:Conch Republic FH020010.jpg|thumb|"Welcome to the [[Conch Republic]]" – a sign at [[Key West International Airport]].]]
[[File:Hutt-River-Sign.jpg|thumb|350px|Border sign to the Hutt River micronation]]
Micronations generally have a number of common features, although these may vary widely. They may have a structure similar to established sovereign states, including territorial claims, government institutions, official symbols and citizens, albeit on a much smaller scale. Micronations are often quite small, in both their claimed territory and claimed populations — although there are some exceptions to this rule, with different micronations having different methods of citizenship. Micronations may also issue formal instruments such as postage stamps, coins, banknotes and passports, and bestow honours and titles of nobility.
Micronations generally have a number of common features, although these may vary widely. They may have a structure similar to established sovereign states, including territorial claims, government institutions, official symbols and citizens, albeit on a much smaller scale. Micronations are often quite small, in both their claimed territory and claimed populations — although there are some exceptions to this rule, with different micronations having different methods of citizenship. Micronations may also issue formal instruments such as postage stamps, coins, banknotes and passports, and bestow honors and [[Peerage of Westarctica|titles of nobility]].


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, and others reject the convention. Some micronations like [[Principality of Sealand|Sealand]] or [[Principality of Hutt River|Hutt River]] reject the term micronation and consider themselves as sovereign states; other micronations like [[Flandrensis]] or [[Molossia]] have no intention to be recognized as real states.
The [[Montevideo Convention|Montevideo Convention on the Right and Duties of States]] was one attempt to create a legal definition distinguishing between states and non-states. Some micronations like [[Principality of Sealand|Sealand]] or [[Principality of Hutt River|Hutt River]] reject the term "micronation" and consider themselves fully sovereign states (feigning ignorance of the political reality of their condition); other micronations like [[Grand Duchy of Flandrensis|Flandrensis]] or [[Republic of Molossia|Molossia]] have no desire to be recognized as sovereign to the same degree as UN member states.


===New-country projects===
===New-country projects===
[[File:Seborga frontier.jpg|thumb|The putative border crossing from Italy into the [[Principality of Seborga]]]]
* '''Operation Atlantis''': an early 1970s New York–based libertarian group, built a concrete-hulled ship called ''Freedom'', which they sailed to the Caribbean, intending to permanently anchor it as their territory. The ship sank in a hurricane and the project was then abandoned.
* [[Operation Atlantis]], an early 1970s New York–based libertarian group, built a concrete-hulled ship called ''Freedom'', which they sailed to the Caribbean, intending to permanently anchor it as their "territory". The ship sank in a hurricane and the project was then abandoned.
* [[Republic of Minerva]], another libertarian project that succeeded in building a small man-made island on the Minerva Reefs south of Fiji in 1972 before being invaded by troops from [[Tonga]], who annexed it before destroying the island.
* [[Principality of Freedonia]], a libertarian project that supported the Awdal Road Company's attempts to lease land from the Sultan of Awdal in [[Somaliland]] in 2001. If the Awdal Road Company is able to build a road, then the Sultan of Awdal will give land to allow the ARC to create an economic free zone, and some of that territory will then be handed over to the Principality of Freedonia. After the men from Awdal Roads Company were deported following false allegations about the lease, resulting public dissatisfaction led to rioting, and the reported death of a Somali.
* [[Republic of Rose Island]], an artificial island constructed in 1968 by Italian architect [[Giorgio Rosa]] in the Adriatic Sea. The structure was built as a tourist attraction, but soon after it was finished, Rosa declared sovereignty.
* Oceania (also known as "The Atlantis Project", but unrelated to the 1970s project listed above), another libertarian artificial island project that raised US $400,000 before going bankrupt in 1994.
* [[Asgardia (nation)|Asgardia]], founded on October 12, 2016 by [[Igor Ashurbeyli]], is a proposed nation based in outer space. Plans are for the country to be pacifist, have no official language, to hold a competition to design its flag, insignia and national anthem, and to become part of the United Nations. {{As of|2017|03|25}} over 169,327 people have signed up and become officially recognized members of the country.


===Micronations based on historical claims===
* '''Republic of Minerva''': a libertarian project that succeeded in building a small man-made island on the Minerva Reefs south of Fiji in 1972 before being invaded by troops from Tonga, who annexed it before destroying the island.
A small number of micronations are founded based on historical anomalies or on legal anomalies (deriving from disputed interpretations of law). These types of micronations are usually located on small (usually disputed) territorial enclaves, generate limited economic activity founded on[tourism and philatelic and numismatic sales, and are tolerated or ignored by the nations from which they claim to have seceded. This category includes:


* [[Principality of Seborga|Seborga]], a town in the region of [[Liguria]], [[Italy]], near the southern end of the border with France, which traces its history back to the Middle Ages.
* '''Principality of Freedonia''': a libertarian project that supported the Awdal Road Company's attempts to lease land from the Sultan of Awdal in Somaliland in 2001. If the Awdal Road Company is able to build a road, then the Sultan of Awdal will give land to allow the ARC to create an economic free zone, and some of that territory will then be handed over to the Principality of Freedonia. After the men from Awdal Roads Company were deported following false allegations about the lease, resulting public dissatisfaction led to rioting, and the reported death of a Somali.
* The [[Principality of Hutt River]] (formerly "Hutt River Province"), a farm in Western Australia, claims to have seceded from Australia to become an independent [[principality]], with a worldwide population numbered in the tens of thousands.
* The [[Principality of Sealand]], a [[World War II]]-era anti-aircraft platform built in the [[North Sea]] beyond Britain's then territorial limit, seized by a pirate radio group in 1967 as a base for their operations, and now used as the site of a secure web-hosting facility. Sealand has continued to promote its independence by issuing stamps, money, and appointing an official national athlete. It has been described as the "world's most notorious micronation" as well as the "world's smallest and weirdest country".
* The [[Crown Dependency of Forvik]] is an island in [[Shetland]], currently recognized as part of the UK. [[Stuart Hill|Stuart Hill]] claims that independence comes from an arrangement struck in 1468 between King Christian I of Denmark/Norway and Scotland's James III, whereby Christian pawned the Shetland Islands to James in order to raise money for his daughter's dowry. Hill claims that the dowry was never paid and therefore it is not part of the UK and should be a crown dependency like the Isle of Man. Hill has also encouraged the rest of Shetland to declare independence.
*The [[Free Republic of Liberland]], founded in 2015, claims a small parcel of land between Croatia and Serbia called Siga. It shares a land border with Croatia and has its eastern border on the Danube. Because of the Croatia-Serbia border dispute some land is claimed by both countries and other parcels are claimed by neither. It has established formal relations with [[Somaliland]] as well as other partially recognized and unrecognized states.
* In Germany, several individuals and groups—collectively labeled ''Kommissarische Reichsregierung'' (KRR)—assert that the German Empire continues to exist in its pre-World War II borders and that they are its government, or [[government-in-exile]]
* The [[Imperial Throne (micronation)|Imperial Throne]] formerly the Russian Empire, is a micronation created in 2011 by Russian businessman and politician Prince [[Anton Bakov]], chairman of the Monarchist Party of the Russian Federation. In 2014, the Imperial Throne proclaimed that [[Prince Karl Emich of Leiningen]], one of several [[pretender|claimants]] to the royal Romanov line, was now ''Nicholas III, Emperor of All Russia''. The Imperial Throne claims to be in contact with the governments of Macedonia and Montenegro about a grant of territory and state recognition.


==History==
* '''Republic of Rose Island''': an artificial island constructed in 1968 by Italian architect Giorgio Rosa in the Adriatic Sea. The structure was built as a tourist attraction, but soon after it was finished, Rosa declared sovereignty.


===Early history and evolution===
* '''Oceania''': a libertarian artificial island project that raised US $400,000 before going bankrupt in 1994.
[[Martin Coles Harman]], owner of the [[United Kingdom|British]] island of [[Lundy]] in the early decades of the 20th century, declared himself King and 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]], so Lundy can at best be described as a precursor to later territorial micronations. Another example is the [[Principality of Outer Baldonia]], a {{convert|16|acre|m2|adj=on}} rocky island off the coast of [[Nova Scotia]], founded by Russell Arundel, chairman of the Pepsi Cola Company (later: [[PepsiCo]]), in 1945 and comprising a population of 69 fishermen.


[[File:Sealand-sky.jpg|thumb|left|The {{convert|550|m2|abbr=on}} [[Principality of Sealand]]]]
===Micronations based on historical claims===
A small number of micronations are founded based on historical anomalies or on legal anomalies (deriving from disputed interpretations of law). These types of micronations are usually located on small (usually disputed) territorial enclaves, generate limited economic activity founded on tourism and philatelic and numismatic sales, and are tolerated or ignored by the nations from which they claim to have seceded. This category includes:


===History during 1960 to 1980===
* '''Principality of Seborga''': a town in the region of Liguria, Italy, near the southern end of the border with France, which traces its history back to the Middle Ages.
The 1960s and 1970s witnessed the foundation of a number of territorial micronations. The first of these, [[Principality of Sealand|Sealand]], was established in 1967 on an abandoned [[World War II]] gun platform in the [[North Sea]] just off the [[East Anglian]] coast of England, and has survived into the present day. Others were founded on [[Libertarianism|libertarian]] principles and involved schemes to construct [[artificial island]]s, but only three are known to have had even limited success in realizing that goal.


The [[Republic of Rose Island]] was a {{convert|400|m2|abbr=on}} platform built in 1968 in Italian national waters in the [[Adriatic Sea]],{{convert|7|mi}} off the [[Italy|Italian]] town of [[Rimini]]. It is known to have issued stamps, and to have declared [[Esperanto]] to be its official language. Shortly after completion, however, it was seized and destroyed by the [[Italian Navy]] for failing to pay state taxes.
* '''Crown Dependency of Forvik''': is an island in Shetland, currently recognized as part of the UK. Stuart Hill claims that independence comes from an arrangement struck in 1468 between King Christian I of Denmark/Norway and Scotland's James III, whereby Christian pawned the Shetland Islands to James in order to raise money for his daughter's dowry. Hill claims that the dowry was never paid and therefore it is not part of the UK and should be a crown dependency like the Isle of Man. Hill has also encouraged the rest of Shetland to declare independence.


In the late 1960s, [[Leicester Hemingway]], brother of author [[Ernest Hemingway|Ernest]], was involved in another such project—a small timber platform in international waters off the west coast of [[Jamaica]]. This territory, consisting of an {{convert|8|ft|m|adj=on}} by {{convert|30|ft|m|adj=on}} barge, he called "New Atlantis". Hemingway was an honorary citizen and President; however, the structure was damaged by storms and finally pillaged by Mexican fishermen. In 1973, Hemingway was reported to have moved on from New Atlantis to promoting a {{convert|1000|sqyd|abbr=on}} platform near the Bahamas. The new country was called "Tierra del Mar" (''Land of the Sea''). (Ernest Hemingway's adopted hometown of [[Key West]] was later itself part of another micronation; see [[Conch Republic]].)
==History==
===Early history and evolution===
[[File:Sealand-Fort.jpg|400px|thumb|Sealand, an old artillery fort in the North Sea, just off the coast of Great Britain. It is generally considered to be the most successful micronation of all time in terms of recognized legitimacy]]
The 1960s and 1970s witnessed the foundation of a number of territorial micronations. The first of these, [[Principality of Sealand|Sealand]], was established in 1967 on an abandoned World War II gun platform in the North Sea just off the coast of England, and has survived into the present day. Others were founded on libertarian principles and involved schemes to construct artificial islands, but only a few are known to have had even limited success in realizing that goal.


The [[Republic of Minerva]] was set up in 1972 as a libertarian new-country project by [[Nevada]] businessman [[Michael Oliver (real estate)|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.
* In the late 1960s, Leicester Hemingway, brother of author Ernest Hemingway, was involved in another such project—a small timber platform in international waters off the west coast of Jamaica. This territory, consisting of an 8 foot by 30 foot barge, he called "New Atlantis". Hemingway was an honorary citizen and President; however, the structure was damaged by storms and finally pillaged by Mexican fishermen. In 1973, Hemingway was reported to have moved on from New Atlantis to promoting a 1000 square yard platform near the Bahamas. The new country was called "''Tierra del Mar''" (''Land of the Sea''). (Ernest Hemingway's adopted hometown of Key West was later itself part of another micronation, the Conch Republic.)


On April 1, 1977, [[Bibliophily|bibliophile]] [[Richard Booth]] declared the [[Wales|Welsh]] town of [[Hay-on-Wye]] an independent kingdom with himself as its monarch. The town subsequently developed a healthy tourism industry based on literary interests, and "King Richard" (whose sceptre is a recycled toilet plunger) continues to award Hay-on-Wye peerages and honours to anyone prepared to pay for them.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/halloffame/arts/richard_booth.shtml |title=Mid Wales Arts – Richard Booth |publisher=BBC |accessdate=2010-09-24}}</ref>
* 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 the Kingdom of Tonga sent a military force to the area and annexed it.


===Japanese micronations in the 1980s===
* On 1 April 1977, bibliophile Richard Booth declared the Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye an independent kingdom with himself as its monarch. The town subsequently developed a healthy tourism industry based on literary interests, and "King Richard" (whose scepter is a recycled toilet plunger) continues to award Hay-on-Wye peerages and honors to anyone prepared to pay for them.
In 1981, drawing on a news report about Leicester Hemingway's "New Atlantis", novelist [[Hisashi Inoue]] wrote a 700-page work of [[magic realism]], ''[[Kirikirijin]]'', about a village that secedes from Japan and proclaims its bumpkinish, marginalized [[dialect]] its national language, and its subsequent [[war of independence]]. This single-handedly inspired a large number of Japanese villages, mostly in the northern regions, to "declare independence", generally as a move to raise awareness of their unique culture and crafts for urban Japanese who saw village life as backwards and uncultured. These micronations even held "international summits" from 1983 to 1985, and some of them formed confederations. Throughout the 1980s there was a "micronation boom" in Japan that brought many urban tourists to these wayward villages. But the harsh economic impact of the [[Japanese asset price bubble]] in 1991 ended the boom. Many of the villages were forced to merge with larger cities, and the micronations and confederations were generally dissolved.<ref>Shigeru Inoue, ''Nippon Matchidukuri Jiten'', pp. 407–409, 2010, {{ISBN|4-621-08194-2}}</ref>
 
===Australian and New Zealand developments===
Micronational developments that occurred in New Zealand and Australia in the final three decades of the 20th century included:
*The [[Principality of Hutt River]] was founded in 1970, when Leonard Casley declared his property independent after a dispute over wheat quotas.<ref name="Lonely Planet"/>{{Rp|22–27}}
*{{Citation needed span|text=In 1976 the [[Province of Bumbunga]] was created on a rural property near [[Snowtown, South Australia]], by an eccentric British monarchist.|date=April 2016}}
*{{Citation needed span|text=The [[Sovereign State of Aeterna Lucina]] was created in a hamlet on the [[New South Wales]] north coast in 1978.|date=April 2016}}
*In [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], a long-running dispute over flood damage to farm properties led to the creation of the [[Independent State of Rainbow Creek]] in 1979.<ref name="Lonely Planet"/>{{Rp|145}}
*An anti-taxation campaigner founded the [[Grand Duchy of Avram]] in western [[Tasmania]] in the 1980s;  "His Grace the Duke of Avram" was later elected to the Tasmanian Parliament.<ref name="Lonely Planet"/>{{Rp|144}}
*{{Citation needed span|text=The [[Independent State of Aramoana]] was established in New Zealand in 1980.|date=April 2016}}
*The [[Empire of Atlantium]] was established in [[Sydney]], in 1981 as a non-territorial global government.<ref name="Lonely Planet"/>{{Rp|74–77}}
*The Republic of [[Whangamomona]] was established in 1989.<ref name="Lonely Planet"/>{{Rp|34–37}}
*{{Citation needed span|text=A mortgage foreclosure dispute led George and Stephanie Muirhead of [[Rockhampton]], Queensland, to briefly and abortively secede as the [[Principality of Marlborough]] in 1993.|date=April 2016}}


===Effects of the Internet===
===Effects of the Internet===
Micronationalism shed much of its traditionally eccentric anti-establishment mantle and took on a distinctly hobbyist perspective in the mid-1990s, when the emerging popularity of the Internet made it possible to create and promote statelike entities in an entirely electronic medium with relative ease. An early example is the [[Talossa|Kingdom of Talossa]], a micronation created in 1979 by then-14-year-old [[Robert Ben Madison]], which went online in November 1995, and was reported in the ''[[New York Times]]'' and other print media in 2000.<ref name=nytimes2000>
Micronationalism shed much of its traditionally eccentric anti-establishment mantle and took on a distinctly hobbyist perspective in the mid-1990s, when the emerging popularity of the Internet made it possible to create and promote statelike entities in an entirely electronic medium with relative ease. An early example is the [[Talossa|Kingdom of Talossa]], a micronation created in 1979 by then-14-year-old Robert Ben Madison, which went online in November 1995, and was reported in the ''New York Times'' and other print media in 2000.
  Stephen Mimh (2000) ''Utopian Rulers, and Spoofs, Stake Out Territory Online''. New York Times, May 25, 2000
</ref> As a result, the number of exclusively online, fantasy or simulation-based micronations expanded dramatically.{{Citation needed|date=October 2012}}


The activities of these types of micronations are almost exclusively limited to simulations of diplomatic activity (including the signing of "treaties" and participation in "supra-micronational" forums such as the League of Micronations) and contribution to [[wiki]]s. With the introduction of the Internet, many articles on how to create micronations were made available on such wikis, which serve as a hub of online activity for micronations. The most notable wiki for the forum, MicroWiki,<ref>MicroWiki. https://micronations.wiki/wiki/Main_Page. Retrieved October 14, 2016</ref> was created in 2005<ref>''History of the MicroWiki Community.'' MicroWiki. https://micronations.wiki/wiki/History_of_the_MicroWiki_Community. Retrieved October 14, 2016</ref> and is currently administered by Jonathan Austen, the leader of [[Austenasia]].
The activities of these types of micronations are almost exclusively limited to simulations of diplomatic activity (including the signing of treaties" and participation in inter-micronational organizations such as the League of Micronations) and contribution to wikis. With the introduction of the Internet, many articles on how to create micronations were made available on such wikis, which serve as a hub of online activity for micronations. The most notable wiki for the forum, MicroWiki, was created in 2005.


A number of traditional territorial micronations, including the Hutt River Province, Seborga, and Sealand, maintain websites that serve largely to promote their claims and sell merchandise.
A number of traditional territorial micronations, including the [[Principality of Hutt River|Hutt River Province]], Seborga, and [[Principality of Sealand|Sealand]], maintain websites that serve largely to promote their claims and sell merchandise. In 1999, the [[MicroFreedom|MicroFreedom Index]], an academic [[list of micronations]] created by Mr. [[Steven Scharff]], went online and has served as a resource for the micronational community for nearly twenty years.


==Legitimacy==
==Legitimacy==
{{See also|Sovereign_state#Constitutive theory|Sovereign_state#Declarative theory|l1=Constitutive theory of statehood|l2=Declarative theory of statehood}}
In international law, the [[Montevideo Convention|Montevideo Convention on the Right and Duties of States]] sets down the criteria for statehood in article 1.
In [[international law]], the [[Montevideo Convention]] on the Right and Duties of States sets down the criteria for statehood in article 1''The [[Sovereign state|state]] as a person of [[international law]] should possess the following qualifications: (a) a permanent [[population]]; (b) a defined territory; (c) [[government]]; and (d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states.''
 
''The state as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications:''
* (a) a permanent population
* (b) a defined territory
* (c) government
* (d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states


The first sentence of article 3 of the Montevideo Convention explicitly states that ''"The political existence of the state is independent of recognition by the other states."''
The first sentence of article 3 of the Montevideo Convention explicitly states that ''"The political existence of the state is independent of recognition by the other states."''
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Under these guidelines, any entity which meets all of the criteria set forth in article 1 can be regarded as sovereign under international law, whether or not other states have recognized it.
Under these guidelines, any entity which meets all of the criteria set forth in article 1 can be regarded as sovereign under international law, whether or not other states have recognized it.


The [[Sovereign Military Order of Malta]], as an independent subject of international law does not meet all the criteria for recognition as a State (however it does not claim itself a State either), but is and has been recognized as a sovereign nation for centuries.
The Sovereign Military Order of Malta, as an independent subject of international law does not meet all the criteria for recognition as a State (however it does not claim itself a State either), but is and has been recognized as a sovereign nation for centuries.


The doctrine of [[territorial integrity]] does not effectively prohibit unilateral [[secession]] from established states in international law, per the relevant section from the text of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Final Act, Helsinki Accords or Helsinki Declaration:<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110606111706/http://www.osce.org/zagreb/39485 Second round required for the Presidential election]. Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (2005-01-07).</ref>
The doctrine of territorial integrity does not effectively prohibit unilateral secession from established states in international law, per the relevant section from the text of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Final Act, Helsinki Accords or Helsinki Declaration:


{{quote|
<blockquote>
IV. Territorial integrity of States
IV. Territorial integrity of States
 
<br>
The participating States will respect the territorial integrity of each of the participating States.
The participating States will respect the territorial integrity of each of the participating States.
 
<br>
Accordingly, they will refrain from any action inconsistent with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations against the territorial integrity, political independence or the unity of any participating State, and in particular from any such action constituting a threat or use of force.
Accordingly, they will refrain from any action inconsistent with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations against the territorial integrity, political independence or the unity of any participating State, and in particular from any such action constituting a threat or use of force.
 
<br>
The participating States will likewise refrain from making each other's territory the object of military occupation or other direct or indirect measures of force in contravention of international law, or the object of acquisition by means of such measures or the threat of them. No such occupation or acquisition will be recognized as legal.}}
The participating States will likewise refrain from making each other's territory the object of military occupation or other direct or indirect measures of force in contravention of international law, or the object of acquisition by means of such measures or the threat of them. No such occupation or acquisition will be recognized as legal.
</blockquote>


In effect, this states that ''other'' states (i.e., third parties), may not encourage secession in a state. This does not make any statement as regards persons within a state electing to secede of their own accord.
In effect, this states that ''other'' states (i.e., third parties), may not encourage secession in a state. This does not make any statement as regards persons within a state electing to secede of their own accord.


==Academic, literary, and media attention==
==Academic, literary, and media attention==
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 [[Principality of Sealand|Sealand]] and the [[Hutt River Province Principality|Hutt River Province]], in exploring how some micronations represent grassroots political ideas, and in the creation of role-playing entities for instructional purposes.
[[File:Arthur-PhD Researcher.jpg|400px|thumb|Vice President John Farr of West Who, Princess Edith of the House of Homestead, and Dr. Sandra Petermann, a Geography professor at Johannes Gutenberg University]]
 
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 [[Principality of Sealand|Sealand]] and [[Principality of Hutt River|Hutt River]], 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 siègent pas à l'ONU'' (''They are not in the United Nations''), with more than 300 pages dedicated to the subject.<ref name="webcitation.org">[https://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/5829/Livre.html&date=2009-10-25+06:45:27 '&#39;Ils ne siègent pas à l'ONU'&#39;]. Webcitation.org. Retrieved on 2012-07-15.</ref>
 
In May 2000, an article in the ''[[New York Times]]'' titled "Utopian Rulers, and Spoofs, Stake Out Territory Online" brought the phenomenon to a wider audience.<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F00E2DE143DF936A15756C0A9669C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all "Utopian Rulers, and Spoofs, Stake Out Territory Online"]. New York Times (2000-05-25). Retrieved on 2012-07-15.</ref> Similar articles were published by newspapers such as the Italian ''La Repubblica'',{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}} ''O Estado de S. Paulo'' in Brazil,{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}} and Portugal's ''Visão''{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}} at around the same time.
 
Several recent publications have dealt with the subject of particular historical 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 (Review, 2003, {{ISBN|0-7553-1080-2}}) and ''An Australian Monarch'' about the Principality of Hutt River by William Pitt (CopyRight Publishing, {{ISBN|978-1-876344-67-2}}).
 
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 ([[Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe|CSCE]]). The summit was attended by delegations of the [[Principality of Sealand]], the Kingdoms of Elgaland-Vargaland, [[Neue Slowenische Kunst|NSK-State in Time]], [[Ladonia (micronation)|Ladonia]], the Transnational republic|Transnational Republic, the State of Sabotage and by scholars from various academic institutions.<ref>[http://www.muu.fi/amorph03 Summit of micronations] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114184122/http://www.muu.fi/amorph03/ |date=2014-11-14 }}. Muu.fi. Retrieved on 2012-07-15.</ref>
 
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 [[vexillology|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 [[Principality of Sealand|Sealand]], [[Elgaland-Vargaland]], [[New Utopia]], [[Empire of Atlantium|Atlantium]], [[Frestonia]] and [[Fusa]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110724093611/http://seacoast.sunderland.ac.uk/~wu0caf//204oct10.htm Nations come together in Sunderland]. sunderland.ac.uk</ref> The exhibition was reprised at the Andrew Kreps Gallery in [[New York City]] from 24 June&nbsp;– 29 July of the following year and organized by R. Blackson and Peter Coffin. Peter Coffin organized a more extensive exhibition about micronations at Paris' [[Palais de Tokyo]] in early 2007 called ÉTATS (faites-le vous-même)/States (Do it yourself).{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}}
 
The Sunderland summit was later featured in the 5-part [[BBC]] light entertainment television series ''[[How to Start Your Own Country (TV series)|How to Start Your Own Country]]'' presented by [[Danny Wallace (writer)|Danny Wallace]]. The series told the story of Wallace's experience of founding a micronation, [[Kingdom of Lovely|Lovely]], located in his London flat. It screened in the UK in 2005.<ref name="Lonely Planet">{{cite book|last1=Sellars|first1=John Ryan, George Dunford, Simon|title=Micronations : [the Lonely Planet guide to home-made nations]|date=2006|publisher=Lonely Planet Publications|location=London|isbn=1-74104-730-7|pages=28–33}}</ref>{{RP|28}}
 
Similar programs have also aired on television networks in other parts of Europe. In France, several [[Canal+]] programs have centered on the satirical [[Groland|Presipality of Groland]], while in Belgium a series by Rob Vanoudenhoven and broadcast on the Flemish commercial network VTM in April 2006 was reminiscent of Wallace's series, and centred on the producer's creation of [[:nl:Robland|Robland]]. Among other things Vanoudenhoven minted his own coins denominated in "Robbies".
 
In 2006 the [[travel guide]] company [[Lonely Planet]] published a light-hearted guide micronations named ''[[Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations]]''.<ref name="Lonely Planet"/>


The Democratic Empire of Sunda, which claims to be the Government of the [[Kingdom of Sunda and Galuh|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. The hearing continues.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=28228&print=1 |title=Pizza Hut spends RM2 mln on advertising and promotion costs |publisher=The Borneo Post|date=2010-05-06 |accessdate=2010-09-24}}</ref>
* The Sunderland summit was later featured in the 5-part BBC light entertainment television series ''How to Start Your Own Country'' presented by Danny Wallace. The series told the story of Wallace's experience of founding a micronation, the Kingdom of Lovely, located in his London flat. It screened in the UK in 2005.


In 2010, a conference of micronations was held on [[Dangar Island]] in [[Sydney]], [[Australia]]. Micronations with representatives in attendance included the [[Empire of Atlantium]], the [[Principality of Hutt River]], the [[Principality of Wy]] and the [[Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands]]<ref>Nick Squires (2010-05-04). [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/7673696/Wacky-world-of-micronations-unite-to-demand-recognition.html The world's micronations unite to demand recognition ]. Telegraph UK.</ref>
* In 2006 the travel guide company Lonely Planet published a light-hearted guide micronations named ''[[Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations]]''.


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.<ref>Jody Shapiro (2010). [https://web.archive.org/web/20100822030950/http://tiff.net/filmsandschedules/tiff/2010/howtostartyourowncou How to Start your Own Country]. tiff.net.</ref>
* 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.
[[File:Flandrensispolination.JPG|thumb|[[Grand Duchy of Flandrensis]] and the Republic of St. Charlie on 15 July 2012 at the Pollination Micronational Conference in London]]
In 2012, a conference of micronations (PoliNation 2012) was held in [[London]] . Micronations with representatives in attendance included the Empire of [[Atlantium]], the [[Republic of Molossia]], the [[Grand Duchy of Flandrensis]], [[Ladonia (micronation)|Ladonia]], [[Neue Slowenische Kunst]] and [[Austenasia]].<ref name="Dutch">{{nl icon}} DAMIAANS, R., DILLEN, R., ''Uw krant op bezoek bij Europese micronaties Deel 1: Flandrensis'', Het Belang van Limburg, 20 July 2012, page 20–21</ref><ref name="DutchDAMIAANS">{{nl icon}}DAMIAANS, R., DILLEN, R., ''Dwergstaten Deel 1: Flandrensis, Gazet van Antwerpen'', 23 July 2012, page 8–9</ref><ref name="DutchVANSTEENKISTE">{{nl icon}} VANSTEENKISTE, A., "Hoogledenaar is Groothertog van micronatie Flandrensis'', Het Nieuwsblad, 13 September 2012, page 22–22</ref><ref name="Delafontaine">{{fr icon}} Delafontaine, L., '' Les Micronations, Montreuil-sur-Brêche, Diaphane, 14 September 2013, pages 160, {{ISBN|978-2-919077-19-9}}</ref><ref name="Gheeraert">{{nl icon}} GHEERAERT, T., ''Diplomatieke rel om een deel van Antarctica'', Het Wekelijks Nieuws, 05 September 2013, page 10–11</ref> A second conference was organized in 2015 in the Free Republic of Alcatraz in Perugia<ref name="brusselstimes.com">The Brussels Times, [http://www.brusselstimes.com/magazine2/4653/springtime-of-micronations-spearheaded-by-belgian-grand-duke-niels Springtime of micronations spearheaded by Belgian "Grand-Duke" Niels] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113080229/http://www.brusselstimes.com/magazine2/4653/springtime-of-micronations-spearheaded-by-belgian-grand-duke-niels |date=2016-01-13 }}, 8 December 2015</ref><ref>{{De icon}} MOPO 24, H. von Dirk, [https://mopo24.de/Dresden#!nachrichten/schraeg-die-brn-beim-kongress-der-mikro-staaten-9249 Schräg! BRN will Mini-Königreiche nach Dresden holen] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017164135/https://mopo24.de/Dresden#!nachrichten/schraeg-die-brn-beim-kongress-der-mikro-staaten-9249 |date=October 17, 2015 }}, Dresden, 28 July 2015</ref><ref>{{De icon}} TAZ, J. Hanka, [http://m.taz.de/Treffen-der-Mikronationen-in-Italien/!5214992;m/ Treffen der Mikronationen in Italien], Dresden, 23 July 2015</ref><ref>{{It icon}} IL FATTO QUOTIDIANO, [http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2015/07/04/micronazioni-conferenza-ad-alcatraz-quella-in-umbria-per-costituire-la-mini-onu/1837731/ Micronazioni, conferenza ad Alcatraz (quella in Umbria) per costituire la "mini Onu], 04 July 2015</ref><ref>{{En icon}} THE TELEGRAPH, T. Coote, [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/11737914/Inside-the-weird-world-of-the-micronation.html, Inside the weird world of the micronation], 14 July 2015</ref>


The [[manga]] and [[anime]] series ''[[Hetalia: Axis Powers]]'', in which the main characters are the [[stereotype]]d personifications of the nations of the world, features several micronations as characters. {{As of|2011}} micronations represented include Sealand, Seborga, Wy, Kugelmugel, Molossia, Hutt River, Ladonia, and the former micronation of Nikko Nikko.<ref>{{cite book|last=Himaruya|first=Hidekaz|author-link1=Hidekaz Himaruya|title=Hetalia: Axis Powers, Volume 6|chapter=Chapter 2: A Treasure Chest Full of Countries!|pages=31–48|publisher=TokyoPop|isbn=978-1-57032-152-8}}</ref>
* In 2012, a conference of micronations (PoliNation 2012) was held in London. Micronations with representatives in attendance included the [[Atlantium|Empire of Atlantium]], the [[Republic of Molossia]], the [[Grand Duchy of Flandrensis]], [[Royal Republic of Ladonia|Ladonia]], and the [[Empire of Austenasia]].


The Australian television comedy series ''[[Micro Nation (TV series)|Micro Nation]]'' is set on the fictional island micronation of Pullamawang, which remained independent from [[Australia]] because they "forgot to mail in their paperwork" at the [[Federation of Australia]] in 1901.
* The Australian television comedy series ''Micro Nation'' is set on the fictional island micronation of Pullamawang, which remained independent from Australia because they "forgot to mail in their paperwork" at the Federation of Australia in 1901.


==See also==
* [[List of micronations]]


==External links==
* [http://www.microfreedom.com The MicroFreedom Index]
* [https://micronations.webs.com/index.html Guide to Starting Your Own Micronation]
* [https://micronations.wiki/wiki/Main_Page MicroWiki - The Premiere Wiki About Micronations]


[[Category:Micronations]]
[[Category:Micronations]]

Revision as of 02:39, 26 September 2021

Micronational leaders meeting in Hollywood, California at the Chinese Theater in 2015

A micronation, sometimes referred to as a model country or new country project, is an entity that claims to be an independent nation or state but is not generally recognized by world governments or major international organizations.

Micronations are distinguished from imaginary countries and from other kinds of social groups (such as eco-villages, campuses, tribes, clans, and sects) by expressing a formal and persistent, even if unrecognized, claim of sovereignty over some physical territory. Micronations are also distinct from true secessionist movements; micronations' activities are almost always peaceful enough to be ignored rather than challenged by the established nations whose territory they claim.

Several micronations have issued coins, flags, postage stamps, passports, and other items. These items are rarely accepted outside their own community, but may be sold as novelties to help raise money or collected by enthusiasts.

The earliest known micronations date from the beginning of the 19th century. The advent of the Internet provided the means for people to create many new micronations, whose members are scattered all over the world and interact mostly by electronic means, often calling their nations "nomadic countries". The differences between such Internet micronations, other kinds of social networking groups, and role-playing games are sometimes difficult to define.

The term "micronation" to describe those entities dates at least to the 1970s. The term micropatriology is sometimes used to describe the study of both micronations and microstates by micronationalists, some of whom refer to sovereign nation-states as "macronations."

Etymology

The term 'micronation' literally means "small nation." It is a neologism originating in the mid-1970s to describe the many thousands of small unrecognised state-like entities that have mostly arisen since that time.

The term has since also come to be used retrospectively to refer to earlier unrecognized entities, some of which date to as far back as the 19th century. Amongst supporters of micronations ("micronationalists") the term "macronation" is in common use to refer to any internationally recognised sovereign nation-state.

Not all micronations are small; some can be rather large, like Westarctica, or those with claims on other planets.

Definition

Border sign to the Hutt River micronation

Micronations generally have a number of common features, although these may vary widely. They may have a structure similar to established sovereign states, including territorial claims, government institutions, official symbols and citizens, albeit on a much smaller scale. Micronations are often quite small, in both their claimed territory and claimed populations — although there are some exceptions to this rule, with different micronations having different methods of citizenship. Micronations may also issue formal instruments such as postage stamps, coins, banknotes and passports, and bestow honors and titles of nobility.

The Montevideo Convention on the Right and Duties of States was one attempt to create a legal definition distinguishing between states and non-states. Some micronations like Sealand or Hutt River reject the term "micronation" and consider themselves fully sovereign states (feigning ignorance of the political reality of their condition); other micronations like Flandrensis or Molossia have no desire to be recognized as sovereign to the same degree as UN member states.

New-country projects

  • Operation Atlantis: an early 1970s New York–based libertarian group, built a concrete-hulled ship called Freedom, which they sailed to the Caribbean, intending to permanently anchor it as their territory. The ship sank in a hurricane and the project was then abandoned.
  • Republic of Minerva: a libertarian project that succeeded in building a small man-made island on the Minerva Reefs south of Fiji in 1972 before being invaded by troops from Tonga, who annexed it before destroying the island.
  • Principality of Freedonia: a libertarian project that supported the Awdal Road Company's attempts to lease land from the Sultan of Awdal in Somaliland in 2001. If the Awdal Road Company is able to build a road, then the Sultan of Awdal will give land to allow the ARC to create an economic free zone, and some of that territory will then be handed over to the Principality of Freedonia. After the men from Awdal Roads Company were deported following false allegations about the lease, resulting public dissatisfaction led to rioting, and the reported death of a Somali.
  • Republic of Rose Island: an artificial island constructed in 1968 by Italian architect Giorgio Rosa in the Adriatic Sea. The structure was built as a tourist attraction, but soon after it was finished, Rosa declared sovereignty.
  • Oceania: a libertarian artificial island project that raised US $400,000 before going bankrupt in 1994.

Micronations based on historical claims

A small number of micronations are founded based on historical anomalies or on legal anomalies (deriving from disputed interpretations of law). These types of micronations are usually located on small (usually disputed) territorial enclaves, generate limited economic activity founded on tourism and philatelic and numismatic sales, and are tolerated or ignored by the nations from which they claim to have seceded. This category includes:

  • Principality of Seborga: a town in the region of Liguria, Italy, near the southern end of the border with France, which traces its history back to the Middle Ages.
  • Crown Dependency of Forvik: is an island in Shetland, currently recognized as part of the UK. Stuart Hill claims that independence comes from an arrangement struck in 1468 between King Christian I of Denmark/Norway and Scotland's James III, whereby Christian pawned the Shetland Islands to James in order to raise money for his daughter's dowry. Hill claims that the dowry was never paid and therefore it is not part of the UK and should be a crown dependency like the Isle of Man. Hill has also encouraged the rest of Shetland to declare independence.

History

Early history and evolution

Sealand, an old artillery fort in the North Sea, just off the coast of Great Britain. It is generally considered to be the most successful micronation of all time in terms of recognized legitimacy

The 1960s and 1970s witnessed the foundation of a number of territorial micronations. The first of these, Sealand, was established in 1967 on an abandoned World War II gun platform in the North Sea just off the coast of England, and has survived into the present day. Others were founded on libertarian principles and involved schemes to construct artificial islands, but only a few are known to have had even limited success in realizing that goal.

  • In the late 1960s, Leicester Hemingway, brother of author Ernest Hemingway, was involved in another such project—a small timber platform in international waters off the west coast of Jamaica. This territory, consisting of an 8 foot by 30 foot barge, he called "New Atlantis". Hemingway was an honorary citizen and President; however, the structure was damaged by storms and finally pillaged by Mexican fishermen. In 1973, Hemingway was reported to have moved on from New Atlantis to promoting a 1000 square yard platform near the Bahamas. The new country was called "Tierra del Mar" (Land of the Sea). (Ernest Hemingway's adopted hometown of Key West was later itself part of another micronation, the Conch Republic.)
  • 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 the Kingdom of Tonga sent a military force to the area and annexed it.
  • On 1 April 1977, bibliophile Richard Booth declared the Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye an independent kingdom with himself as its monarch. The town subsequently developed a healthy tourism industry based on literary interests, and "King Richard" (whose scepter is a recycled toilet plunger) continues to award Hay-on-Wye peerages and honors to anyone prepared to pay for them.

Effects of the Internet

Micronationalism shed much of its traditionally eccentric anti-establishment mantle and took on a distinctly hobbyist perspective in the mid-1990s, when the emerging popularity of the Internet made it possible to create and promote statelike entities in an entirely electronic medium with relative ease. An early example is the Kingdom of Talossa, a micronation created in 1979 by then-14-year-old Robert Ben Madison, which went online in November 1995, and was reported in the New York Times and other print media in 2000.

The activities of these types of micronations are almost exclusively limited to simulations of diplomatic activity (including the signing of treaties" and participation in inter-micronational organizations such as the League of Micronations) and contribution to wikis. With the introduction of the Internet, many articles on how to create micronations were made available on such wikis, which serve as a hub of online activity for micronations. The most notable wiki for the forum, MicroWiki, was created in 2005.

A number of traditional territorial micronations, including the Hutt River Province, Seborga, and Sealand, maintain websites that serve largely to promote their claims and sell merchandise. In 1999, the MicroFreedom Index, an academic list of micronations created by Mr. Steven Scharff, went online and has served as a resource for the micronational community for nearly twenty years.

Legitimacy

In international law, the Montevideo Convention on the Right and Duties of States sets down the criteria for statehood in article 1.

The state as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications:

  • (a) a permanent population
  • (b) a defined territory
  • (c) government
  • (d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states

The first sentence of article 3 of the Montevideo Convention explicitly states that "The political existence of the state is independent of recognition by the other states."

Under these guidelines, any entity which meets all of the criteria set forth in article 1 can be regarded as sovereign under international law, whether or not other states have recognized it.

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta, as an independent subject of international law does not meet all the criteria for recognition as a State (however it does not claim itself a State either), but is and has been recognized as a sovereign nation for centuries.

The doctrine of territorial integrity does not effectively prohibit unilateral secession from established states in international law, per the relevant section from the text of the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Final Act, Helsinki Accords or Helsinki Declaration:

IV. Territorial integrity of States
The participating States will respect the territorial integrity of each of the participating States.
Accordingly, they will refrain from any action inconsistent with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations against the territorial integrity, political independence or the unity of any participating State, and in particular from any such action constituting a threat or use of force.
The participating States will likewise refrain from making each other's territory the object of military occupation or other direct or indirect measures of force in contravention of international law, or the object of acquisition by means of such measures or the threat of them. No such occupation or acquisition will be recognized as legal.

In effect, this states that other states (i.e., third parties), may not encourage secession in a state. This does not make any statement as regards persons within a state electing to secede of their own accord.

Academic, literary, and media attention

Vice President John Farr of West Who, Princess Edith of the House of Homestead, and Dr. Sandra Petermann, a Geography professor at Johannes Gutenberg University

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 Hutt River, in exploring how some micronations represent grassroots political ideas, and in the creation of role-playing entities for instructional purposes.

  • The Sunderland summit was later featured in the 5-part BBC light entertainment television series How to Start Your Own Country presented by Danny Wallace. The series told the story of Wallace's experience of founding a micronation, the Kingdom of Lovely, located in his London flat. It screened in the UK in 2005.
  • 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.
  • The Australian television comedy series Micro Nation is set on the fictional island micronation of Pullamawang, which remained independent from Australia because they "forgot to mail in their paperwork" at the Federation of Australia in 1901.

See also

External links