In 1979, fourteen-year-old Robert Ben Madison proclaimed himself Robert I, king of the Kingdom of Talossa, founded in his bedroom: the territory then expanded to the kitchen, the living room, the back garden and ended up incorporating the whole neighborhood. Today it has more than 200 citizens.
It is just one example, among many, of micronation. Micronations are also called card states or virtual states (they, however, prefer "fifth world"), because they are not officially recognized by governments and international organizations. Despite the snobbery of the United Nations, they indicate periodic elections, print identity documents and sometimes speak their own language. Anyone can found one: colonizing an abandoned platform in international waters or solemnly proclaiming the independence of their own closet.
Stories of micronations
In the Middle Ages there were small theocratic border lands, the microstates, in which the power of the abbeys "Nullius Dioecesis" was often exercised in political terms. This is the case, for example, of the Cistercian Abbey of Tre Fontane in Rome which possessed the island of Ponza, the island of Giglio and here the monastery of San Giovanni Battista, the island of Giannutri, l 'Argentario, Orbetello, Ansedonia, Serpeta, Montalto di Castro, Nemi, Manoppello, Vada and other ultramarine territories "for a hundred miles and more" (Sardinia, etc.), by concession of the Emperor Carlo Magno (803) to whom they made themselves trace the autonomous political dynamics with respect to the Papal States. Most of these territories were occupied militarily by the Republic of Pisa in 1250.
Andorra is an ancient border theocratic medieval border dating back to 1278, and still in force.
In the 14th century, due to a border error in the current municipality of San Giustino in Umbria between the Papal State and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Republic of Cospaia was born, a microstate that constituted a 300 hectare extended free zone, dedicated to the tobacco trade. It was repealed in the nineteenth century and annexed to the Papal States.
The nineteenth century saw the growth of the nation-state concept, and the first micronations came to light at that time. The phenomenon was in contrast with the claim of states to subordinate private initiatives, including the establishment of colonies, to their own sovereignty. The majority were the work of adventurers or speculators, and some had great success. The Cocos and Keeling Islands are a special case, governed by the Clunies-Ross family, as "king of the Cocos Islands", or Sarawak, administered by the "white Rajahs" of the Brooke house. These are exceptional cases of "feudal states", tolerated by Great Britain and survived until the 20th century.
Peter Lamborn Wilson also suggested considering pirate utopia that could be placed in barbarian states in the 16th century as an ancient example of micronation.
Less successful were projects such as the Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia (1860-1862) in the southern part of Chile and Argentina, and the Kingdom of Sedang (1888-1890) in French Indochina. One of the oldest still alive micronations is the Kingdom of Redonda, founded on the homonymous Caribbean island in 1865: singularly, the Kingdom of Redonda is a sort of literary association with its king and nobility (currently, however, there are four candidates who claim the throne).
In the 20th century Martin Coles Harman, owner of Lundy Island, coined coins and stamps for private use. Although the island was ruled as a virtual fiefdom, its owner never claimed independence from the UK, so Lundy Island can be described as a precursor of the territorial micronations that came later.
During the Second World War, the United Kingdom planted many artificial marine platforms outside territorial waters, located in the North Sea at the Thames and Mersey estuaries, to protect its industrial centers with anti-aircraft batteries; these platforms, true artificial islands, took the name of maritime fortresses Maunsell (Maunsell Sea Forts), from the name of their creator, Guy Anson Maunsell. After the war these structures were abandoned and, at the beginning of the sixties, many pirate radio stations took possession of them, radiating their transmissions from "abroad" to the United Kingdom.
11 May 1956 The lawyer Tomás Cloma and about forty other men founded the "Free Territory of Freedomland", a very popular independent micronation among the Filipinos, located on the islands between the Philippines and the Spratly Islands, so the then dictator Ferdinand Marcos imprisoned the freedom and Filipino citizen Tomás Cloma and thus obtained from them the sale of Freedomland to the Philippines.
The Isle of Roses
The sixties and seventies saw a micronational renaissance with the foundation of different territorial micronations. The first of these, the Principality of Sealand, was founded in 1967 on an abandoned platform of World War II. Others instead were based on projects that required the construction of artificial islands, but only two of them were able to keep above sea level.
A Hutt River coin
The Isle of Roses was a 400 m² platform built in international waters off the city of Bellaria-Igea Marina (RN) in the Adriatic Sea; in 1968 on the initiative of Ing. Giorgio Rosa, its designer and builder, was proclaimed the independence of the Esperanto Republic of the Rose Island (Esperanta Respubliko de la Insulo de la Rozoj). Stamps were issued, and a post office, a restaurant and a night club were active on the artificial platform. The international language Esperanto was declared an official language. The Italian government sent the Guardia di Finanza to put an end to these activities and, subsequently, had the island dismantled by the divers of the Navy.
The Republic of Minerva was formed in 1972 as a project for a new libertarian country by a US businessman named Michael Oliver. Oliver's group conducted dredging operations on the rocks of Minerva, a seabed located in the Pacific Ocean south of Fiji. They succeeded in creating an artificial island, but their efforts to obtain international recognition had no result, and neighboring Tonga sent a military force and annexed the area.
The Principality of Freedonia was a libertarian project that tried to lease a part of the territory from the Sultan of Awdal in Somaliland in 2001. The public discontent led to the revolt and the death of a Somaliland.
Australia has been a veritable theater of micronational activity in the last three decades of the twentieth century. The Principality of Hutt River Province originated in 1970 when Prince Leonard (Leonard George Casley) declared his independent agricultural property after a dispute over wheat rates. In 1981 the political protest of a group of young people from Sydney led to the creation of Atlantium.
Since the 1990s, micronational activity has been further stimulated, when the popularity of the Internet gave many the opportunity to promote their activities to a global audience. As a result of this, the number of so-called "virtual nations" has grown dramatically since then.
Create your nation, how?
• Study your nation. It would be better to learn something about your nation before going on to found another.
• Make a project. Write the name of your new nation, its capital, the provinces, and its language. Think carefully. If possible, create a flag, a national anthem and symbols.
• Know the rules. As Bob Dylan said, "to live outside the law, you must be honest." The same thought applies to the formation of a micronation: to create the ‘’ your ’rules, you must follow the established rules and conventions. Many of the bases on nation-building are taken from the 1933 "Convention on the Rights and Duties of States", also known as the Montevideo Convention. These are the basic rules, formalized by the first article of the Convention:
The state, as an international entity, should have the following qualifications:
Conquer an existing nation. There are some small island nations that dot the Pacific, and they are unlikely to have great military defense. Sure, it's a crazy idea - but crazy enough to work! You will need an army, a navy, and the support of the world community - which usually protects these small nations from invaders. This tactic was attempted in the Comoros, Vanuatu and the Maldives, but it never succeeded.
Buy an existing nation. If you are rich enough, you can buy an island, although it is unlikely that the host nation will give you sovereignty. A corrupt or distressed nation could be convinced, but even then it is difficult: a group of liberals tried to buy Tortuga from Haiti in a moment of crisis, but they were rejected. There are things you can't buy.
Find a flaw in the system. The Indian Stream Republic, for example, was founded on lands between the United States and Canada that had not been defined precisely by the 1783 Treaty of Paris. It survived from 1832 to 1835, when it was annexed to the United States .
Find regions that are unproductive for their government. Local authorities may have no use in maintaining possession of a disputed territory and consuming only valuable resources, both economically and politically unproductive.
At this point, you may think that there is no hope, but we left the best solution last. Due to the lack of land, and the continuous need for new spaces for man, creative (and very rich) people have begun to claim the sea.
• Build an island. The ocean, they say, is the last great frontier. International waters are not claimed by any nation, and this has inspired interest and original undertakings.
The principality of Sealand. Sealand, initially created as a military base in the North Sea, off the English coast, during the Second World War, is a football field-sized structure that housed troops and weapons to hit German invaders. After the war it was abandoned until 1966, when an independent DJ named Roy Bates - tired of fighting with the British government over his pirate radio stations - moved his operations to the island. The stations never came back on the air, but declared the floating fortress the Principality of Sealand. He raised a flag, declared himself Prince, and his wife Joan Princess. Sealand has resisted lawsuits, and still remains an independent nation.
Palm Island Group. Although it is not a nation, the Palm Island Group off the coast of Dubai is indicative of the most promising direction for those who want to found a nation. 3 artificial palm-shaped islands extend into the Persian Gulf and offer a wonderful place for millionaires and billionaires from around the world.
The Seasteading Institute. Founded by the grandson of Milton Friedman and Peter Thiel, founder of Paypal; this pseudo-utopian and liberal nation believes in the free market of the government - an enterprise for democracy. Their hope is that experimental and innovative governments can generate new ideas for government that will change the world. They are promoting the goal of building sea platforms with permissive construction requirements, no minimum salary, and a limited restriction on firearms. Those who propose this idea see it as the next generation of free enterprise. Critics suggest that permissive construction regulations, low-income workers and many weapons, in a pseudo-John Galt-led nation is a recipe for disaster. Although the policies of the Seasteading Institute may not be suitable for you, it is reasonable to believe that the ocean is really the new frontier.
The Republic of Minerva. A millionaire activist has accumulated sand on a reef in the Pacific Ocean south of Fiji and created an artificial island to found the Republic of Minerva. If you're not rich enough to create a territory, invent it - some of the less serious micronations claim lands on continents or imaginary planets.
In addition to the traditional nations on earth, there is a free territory, without rules and unexplored, virtually infinite - because it exists only virtually. You can call it the cloud, the network, or borrow a definition from William Gibson and call it cyberspace, but people spend more and more time creating interactive emotional connections with their friends and colleagues on the internet. Virtual worlds like Second Life and Blue Mars create three-dimensional habitats, have their own currency, and their constitution (the "Terms and conditions of use"). More flat worlds like Facebook (social networks), encourage groups of people around the world to work together for the common good. Like the ocean, virtual territories will have an increasing impact, and could be populated by independent nations over the next 100 years.
• Invite your friends. One of the fundamental elements for a nation - in addition to the territory - is the population. If the land you conquered or built is not populated by natives, you will need to bring a population. Invite your friends and family to take part in this adventure with you, and you will have a small but faithful population.
Nowadays, if you have a real interest, you will have to create a site. Use it to find people of the same opinion, and give them a good reason to populate your new republic. You can offer work or money, or the freedom to have many wives, or simply the opportunity to take part in the birth of a nation.
You will need to decide what to ask your citizens for. Will they have to pass a test to obtain citizenship, or follow certain laws? What kind of identification will they have to have - a passport? Driver's license? A subcutaneous chip?
• Establish a government and a constitution. The success or failure of your adventure will be determined, in large part, by your government. Consider the success of the United States, which is based on a clear and defined constitution, but open to interpretation and growth. Without it, they could have become dozens of small, disorganized nations and not a single, compact entity. Your government, and your constitution, should be guided by the principles on which you want to found your nation. Here are some examples of micronations, and the principles that distinguish them:
Nova Roma, dedicated "to the recovery of religion, culture and virtue of ancient Rome".
The American Empire, based on a strong sense of humor and a love of science fiction, fantasy and games.
Fake politics or political movements. These micronations have strong political ideas, often controversial. In the past, some have been able to attract media and political attention, but only in rare cases. Despite their little reputation, they are some of the most common types of micronations.
Cultural missions. These micronations, similar to historical projects, exist to promote a particular culture or tradition. There are many German micronations, such as Domanglia which attempt to recreate the culture and traditions of the German Empire. Many of these include nationalistic and patriotic projects.
Secessionist entities. By far the most serious form of micronations, secessionist entities are often even older than the other forms. Famous secessionist micronations include Sealand, the Hutt River Province, and Freetown Christinia.
• Declare your independence. Now that you have a territory, a population and a government with a constitution, it's time to declare your presence. One of these three things will happen, depending on what you have in store for the world.
A collective yawn. The world could take a look at your declaration of independence, and return immediately to see a replica of Star Trek.
Welcome to the community of nations, a call to sit in the United Nations, and a request for embassies and ambassadors.
An armed invasion. If your nation invades borders, breaks treaties, human rights, or other legal protocols, you could receive a visit from a policeman who informs you that your "Independent Nation at number 43 bis via Cavour" it is in a territory that does not recognize your sovereignty and if you do not remove the flag from the roof it will be forced to multarti, or an invasion by the United Nations that will arrest you, telling you to get on the Mercedes bullet-proof SUV that will take you to The Hague where You will be tried for crimes against humanity. Alternatively, your micronation could suffer the same fate as the Republic of Minerva: shortly after it was created by Michael Oliver, the island was invaded and annexed by Tonga (with the support of the international community).
• Create an economy. If you do not trade in dollars, euros, or other currencies, you will need to create your financial system. Do you want to found your nation on gold and economic security or on a whim and a prayer? Even if your word can be worth a lot for your friends, for the public debt, you will need a considerable economic stability. If you rely on an existing currency, you will still have to decide how to finance the government, and the best way to do it could be the reason why you decided to create a nation: taxes. Through taxation, your government will be able to provide essential services, such as electricity, water supply, bureaucracy and the army.
It is a fundamental obligation of every state (large or small) to be able to defend its citizens against enemies. Whether you decide to create a permanent army, a national guard, a mandatory military service, or other defensive solutions, you will need to consider this when you write your constitution.
• Be recognized by the international community. If you can overcome all the problems listed in the previous steps, you can become part of world politics. To do this, you will need to get recognition from other countries. It will be necessary to become skilled in politics, in diplomacy and to know international laws well. If these are not your best skills, the wisest solution could be to recruit a group of experienced politicians to do so.
Perhaps this is the most difficult step of all. Some nations, such as Palestine, Taiwan, and Northern Cyprus have all the necessary qualifications, but are still not recognized by many countries today. There are no rules in this case - every nation has its own standards for deciding whether to recognize a state. Aspects that can influence the decision are the orientation towards Al Qaeda, communism and capitalism. They could evaluate your approach to human rights, or natural resources. In the United States, the decision to recognize a state is taken by the President. Your request will be in the hands of those who will occupy the White House at that time, and their political ideas can change a lot every four years.
Furthermore, membership of the United Nations requires that none of the five United States, United Kingdom, China, Russia and France powers veto your membership. In other words, you will need to have a neutral position on controversial issues like Palestine, Taiwan, the Crimea and so on.
If you live near or in Europe, try entering the European Union too. This will ensure that your voice is heard in world politics.
• Manage your brand. Every nation needs a flag. This is the symbol of a nation par excellence, but there are other symbols that will help you create a national identity:
The coin. What will your coin look like. Will your profile be depicted on a gold coin and on a 3d hologram on banknotes, or will you use a symbolic image like Lady Freedom or Charlon Heston? Will you use modern coins, or will you try to recall the handmade coins of the past?
State Seal. You can create a fake Latin phrase like "E Succubus Opes" or another effect phrase, and add images, like a shield, to suggest that you descend from a noble family - or you can clearly declare your mission and have a logo from a graphic. A beautiful logo can have more value than the crown jewels!
Official matches. With all the letters you write to the President of the Republic, the United Nations, the Prime Minister, and other state offices, you will need to have a nice header on a high quality card, with your seal.
National anthem. You will need a hymn to play during the most important events.
Get busy! The world is not getting bigger, and governments are not getting smaller, so the sooner you work to claim your independence, the sooner you can declare yourself Prince, King, Emperor, Ayatollah, Supreme Commander, or President of your state!
A Game, but it is a reality
now this article is just for laughing and playing at being the emperors of the fifth world, but this guide for absurd works. But in my opinion I will never be the president of a micronation.
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