This article is about self-proclaimed political entities that are not recognised as states. For small countries that are officially recognised, seeMicrostate. For recognized small countries larger than microstates, seeSmall state.
Amicronation is apolitical entity whose representatives claim that they belong to an independentnation orsovereign state, but which lackslegal recognition by anysovereign state. Micronations are classified separately fromde facto states andquasi-states; they are also not considered to beautonomous orself-governing as they lack the legal basis ininternational law for their existence. The activities of micronations are almost always trivial enough to be ignored rather than disputed by the established nations whose territory they claim—referred to in micronationalism asmacronations. Several micronations have issued coins,flags, postage stamps,passports, medals and other state-related items, some as a source of revenue. Motivations for the creation of micronations include theoretical experimentation, politicalprotest, artistic expression, personal entertainment and the conduct of criminal activity. The study of micronationalism is known asmicropatriology[1] ormicropatrology.[2][a]
Although several historical states have been retroactively called micronations, the concept was formulated in the 1970s, with a particular influence from theInternational Micropatrological Society. Micronationalism saw several developments thereafter, with several micronations being founded in Australia in the 1970s and Japan in the 1980s. As a result of the emergence of theWorld Wide Web in the mid-1990s, micronationalism lost much of its traditionally eccentric anti-establishment sentiment in favour of more hobbyist perspectives, and the number of exclusively online or merely simulation-based micronations expanded dramatically. This has allowed several intermicronational organisations to form, as well as allowing for manydiplomatic summits to take place between micronations since the 2000s, including the biennialMicroCon convention.
Micronations areaspirant states that claimindependence but lacklegal recognition by world governments or majorinternational organisations.[5][6] Micronations are classified separately fromstates with limited recognition andquasi-states, nor are they considered to beautonomous orself-governing as they lack the legal basis ininternational law for their existence.[7] While some aresecessionist in nature, most micronations are widely regarded as sovereignty projects that instead seek to mimic asovereign state rather than to achieveinternational recognition, and their activities are almost always trivial enough to be ignored rather than challenged by the established nations whose territory they claim[8][9]—referred to as amacronation in micronationalism.[10] Some micronations admit to having no intention of actually becoming internationally recognised as sovereign.[11] Geographically, most micronations are very small, are often the outgrowth of a single individual, rely on their sovereign state to some extent, and mimic sovereign states by creating their own government, legislation, proclaimingnational symbols, holding national elections and engaging indiplomacy with other micronations.[12][13] While most micronations claim sovereignty over physical territory, others are based solely around theInternet or do not claim sovereignty at all, a hobbyist paradigm of micronationalism that arose with the rise of the Internet from the mid-1990s onwards.[14][15][16]
In 2021, legal academicsHarry Hobbs andGeorge Williams, in theirMicronations and the Search for Sovereignty, defined micronations as "self-declared nations that perform and mimic acts of sovereignty, and adopt many of the protocols of nations, but lack a foundation in domestic and international law for their existence and are not recognised as nations in domestic or international forums".[17]
Online dictionaryCollins English Dictionary, published byHarperCollins, gives a similar definition: "Anentity, typically existing only on the internet or within the private property of its members, that lays claim to sovereign status as an independent nation, but which is unrecognized by real nations."[18]
Several entities that can be considered micronations by contemporary standards were established throughout the 1960s and early 1970s and based on ideals oflibertarianism and many of them created viaseasteading.
New Atlantis was founded in 1964 by writerLeicester Hemingway, claiming a bamboo raft that he had constructed with steel, iron piping and rock. Hemingway had it towed 9.7 kilometres (6.0 mi) off the coast of Jamaica and argued that it was technically anisland and fully sovereign based on theGuano Islands Act of 1856. Although Hemingway had plans to expand the raft, it was destroyed within a few years by a cyclone, and the project was completely abandoned in 1973.[26][27][28] In 1967,Paddy Roy Bates squatted onHM Fort Roughs, an offshore platform in theNorth Sea used during World War II approximately 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) off the coast of the United Kingdom.[29] Bates had intended to broadcast apirate radio station from the platform, however ultimately never did so.[30] He instead declared the independence of Fort Roughs and declared it thePrincipality of Sealand.[29][30] Bates died in 2012, andMichael Bates has since succeeded him as Prince of Sealand.[31]
Operation Atlantis was a project started in 1968 by Werner Stiefel, aiming to establish a new, libertarian nation in international waters via seasteading.[32] The operation launched aferrocement boat on theHudson River in December 1971, piloting it to an area near the Bahamas with the intent to permanently anchor it as their territory.[33] Upon reaching its destination, however, it sank in a hurricane.[34] After a number of subsequent failed attempts to construct a habitable sea platform and achieve sovereign status, the project was abandoned in 1976.[35] TheRepublic of Rose Island was an artificial platform originally constructed as atourist attraction in theAdriatic Sea in 1968. However, Italian architect Giorgio Rosa soon declared it sovereign.[36] The micronation had its own currency, a post office and commercial establishments. In 1969, theItalian Navy used explosives to destroy the facility, claiming it was a ploy to raise money from tourists while avoiding nationaltaxation.[37] TheRepublic of Minerva was a libertarian project that succeeded in building a smallartificial island on theMinerva Reefs in 1972 by importing sand.[38] It was invaded by troops from Tonga that same year, whoannexed it before destroying the island.[36] During its brief existence, Minerva was amedia sensation.[39]
In 1981, drawing on a news story about Hemingway's New Atlantis, novelistHisashi Inoue wrote a 700-page work ofmagic realism,Kirikirijin, about a village that secedes from Japan and proclaims its bumpkinish, marginalizeddialect its national language, and its subsequentwar of independence. This single-handedly inspired a large number of real-world 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, known asmini-independent countries (Japanese:ミニ独立国,romanized: mini dokuritsu koku),[64][65] held intermicronationalsummits, and some of them formed confederations and intermicronational organisations. The Ginko Federation held an intermicronationalOlympic games in 1986. However, the economic impact of theJapanese 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.[66][67][68]
The 1980s saw the establishment of several micronational entities in protest.
TheFree Republic of Wendland was aprotest camp established inGorleben,West Germany, in 1980 in order to protest against the establishment of anuclear waste dump at the site. The residents created aborder checkpoint and built a temporary village with more than 100 huts, ranging from elaborate round houses to tents. After 33 days, the local police moved in and evicted the camp.[69][70] Also in 1980, theIndependent State of Aramoana was declared by residents of theeponymous settlement during theSave Aramoana Campaign, which was opposed to the proposed construction of analuminium smelter at Aramoana in New Zealand.[71] This was because the project called for the destruction of the villages of Aramoana and Te Ngaru, and also threatened a local wildlife reserve. The project was ultimately abandoned in the early 1980s, and the micronation of Aramoana peacefully reintegrated into New Zealand.[72]
TheConch Republic was founded by local residents of theFlorida Keys in 1982 after theUnited States Border Patrol set up a roadblock and inspection point on one of the only two roads connecting the Florida Keys with the mainland. TheKey West City Council complained repeatedly about the inconvenience, claiming that it hurt the Keys' tourism industry. Though the roadblock was soon removed, the claim to sovereignty of the Conch Republic has persisted as atongue-in-cheek venture meant to bolster tourism.[73]
In 1986, theKingdom of North Dumpling was declared by inventorDean Kamen after a denial from local officials to build his own wind turbine on North Dumpling Island inLong Island Sound, which Kamen privately owns. Kamen wrote his own constitution and created a flag, currency and national anthem for the micronation.[74] In 1992, despite still being recognised as part ofNew York State in the United States, Kamen was able to leverage his personal relationship with then-presidentGeorge H. W. Bush to sign an unofficialnon-aggression pact.[75]
Severalconceptual art projects with micronational claims arose in the 1990s, usually as a means to challenge the idea ofstatehood.[76]
In 1991,Neue Slowenische Kunst (NSK), a Slovenianpoliticalart collective, declared independence. NSK describes itself as a "State in Time", claiming no territory in order to be a "stateless state".[76]Elgaland-Vargaland is a conceptual art project founded in 1992 by Swedish artistsCarl Michael von Hausswolff andLeif Elggren. According to them, everyone who dies is automatically granted citizenship. Among Elgaland-Vargaland's territorial claims includegraveyards, people'smental states and "the distance betweenhigh tide andlow tide" of France.[77][78] They also claim to operateembassies around the world.[79] In 1996, Swedish artistLars Vilks proclaimed theRoyal Republic of Ladonia as a result of a court battle between local authorities over Vilks'sillegal construction of two sculptures in the natural reserve ofKullaberg in southern Sweden. Ladonia's claim of independence has since persisted following Vilks's death in 2021, withCarolyn Shelby serving as Queen since 2011.[80] In 1997, the neighbourhood ofUžupis inVilnius, Lithuania declared tongue-in-cheek independence as a republic consisting of laidback artists.[81]
In the mid-1990s, the emerging popularity of theWorld Wide Web made it possible for anyone to create their own virtual state-like entity with relative ease,[15][82] and many micronations launched their ownwebsites.[14] As a result, micronationalism lost much of its traditionally eccentric anti-establishment sentiment in favour of more hobbyist perspectives, and the number of exclusively online or merely simulation-based micronations expanded dramatically.[83] Several intermicronationalorganisations were also established,[84] with theLeague of Secessionist States, originally founded in 1980 by theKingdom of Talossa,[85] and the United Micronations being at the forefront.[15] TheFrench Institute of Micropatrology (French:l'Institut français de micropatrologie) was founded in 1996 by Swiss academic Fabrice O'Driscoll to study this phenomenon.[14][86] Other online micronational services during the 1990s included MicroWorld, a monthly micronational magazine,[14] and alt.politics.micronations, aUsenetnewsgroup dedicated to discussions regarding micronationalism.[87] In 2000, O'Driscoll authoredIls ne siègent pas à l'ONU: revue de quelques micro-Etats, micro-nations et autres entités éphémères (They do not sit at the UN: a review of some micro-states, micro-nations and other ephemeral entities), which details over 600 micronations.[3]
In 2007, two self-proclaimed princesses of theSunda Democratic Empire, sisters Puteri Lamia Roro Wiranata and Puteri Fathia Reza, were detained by Malaysian immigration authorities for attempting to enter from Brunei using diplomatic passports from the Sunda Empire. They claimed to be the princesses of the historicalSunda Kingdom and that their parents were inexile.[98][99] In early 2008, they were freed by the Sessions Court, but maintained their claim of Sundan citizenship, thus making them ineligible fordeportation to Indonesia. The Malaysian authorities subsequently deemed themstateless individuals, and they were interned at an immigration depot under supervision of theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.[100][101]
In 2015, the first convention of the biannualMicroCon was held inAnaheim, California, United States. Hosted by the Republic of Molossia, several presentations were held by micronationalists regarding various topics in micronationalism.[112][113][114] TheOrganisation de la microfrancophonie, a French intermicronational organisation, was founded in 2015.[115] The organisation organised its first summit in 2016, hosted by thePrincipality of Aigues-Mortes.[116] In 2018, thePrincipality of Islandia was established by two individuals aiming to build acrowdfunded micronation.[117] Successfully purchasing the uninhabitedCoffee Caye in theCaribbean Sea off the coast of Belize in 2019, Prime Minister of BelizeJohn Briceño dismissed the project in 2022, calling them "stupid" and stating "We will never allow anybody to have their own country within this country [Belize] - what a stupid thing. If you stupid enough to pay a lot of money to buy [a] piece of land, good for you."[118]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020, several micronations imposed their own restrictions, mimicking countries.[119] Some inactive Internet-based micronations also returned to activity as people were commanded to stay home and quarantine.[120] In 2020,Netflix released the filmRose Island, based on the story of engineer Giorgio Rosa and the Republic of Rose Island.[121] In 2021, academics Harry Hobbs and George Williams publishedMicronations and the Search for Sovereignty, a book exploring various aspects of micronationalism.[122] It was published byCambridge University Press.[123] A follow-up book on micronations by Hobbs and Williams, entitledHow to Rule Your Own Country: The Weird and Wonderful World of Micronations, was published in 2022 by theUniversity of New South Wales Press.[124] Also in 2022, illusionistUri Geller purchasedLamb, an uninhabited island off the coast of Scotland and declared it independent as the Republic of Lamb. Geller offers citizenship, with proceeds going toSave a Child's Heart, an Israeli charity.[125]
The micronation projectLiberland has claimed a piece of land it considersterra nullius due to technicalities in a border dispute between Croatia and Serbia.[127]
While most micronationsclaim land they can administer, often private property, some have made claims to uninhabitable tracts of land. For instance, some micronations have claimedBir Tawil in Africa andMarie Byrd Land inWest Antarctica, lands which areterra nullius—unclaimed by any other sovereign state.[128][129] Several others have also made claims to other portions ofAntarctica. Examples are theGrand Duchy of Westarctica andGrand Duchy of Flandrensis.[130] However, due to Antarctica's remoteness, no micronation has yet to establish a permanent residence on the continent.[131] On the other hand, at least one micronationalist has physically reached Bir Tawil;[132] in June 2014, Virginian farmer Jeremiah Heaton travelled to the area and proclaimed theKingdom of North Sudan. Heaton stated that he claimed the territory in order to fulfil a promise to his daughter to make her a princess, however Heaton has appeared to have other motivations, offering several initiatives—such as the implementation of a national currency and the construction of an international airport andcapital city—viacrowdfunding.[133][134]
Other micronational claims have been made tosmall pockets on the west bank of theDanube between Serbia and Croatia. Some micronationalists argue that the land isterra nullius because Croatia states the pockets are Serbian, whilst Serbia makes no claims on the land.[135] However, theCroatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs has rejected these claims, stating that the differing border claims between Serbia and Croatia do not involveterra nullius and are not subject to occupation by a third party.[136] The most prominent example is theFree Republic of Liberland, which was proclaimed in April 2015 by Czechright-libertarian politician and activistVít Jedlička, and claims the largest pocket, Gornja Siga.[137][127] The land lacks infrastructure and lies on thefloodplain of the Danube.[138]
Some micronations have attempted to establish themselves ininternational waters—parts of thesea that cannot be claimed by any sovereign state—by seasteading. This involves the creation of permanent dwellings at sea. Some micronations are associated withthe Seasteading Institute, anon-profit organisation formed to facilitate the establishment of these seasteads.[103][139][140]
Like countries, micronations engage in intermicronational diplomacy with one another. This includes the signing oftreaties,non-aggression pacts and intermicronational conventions,diplomatic missions anddeclarations of war.[158] Several intermicronationalorganisations also exist, with some having as many as 80member states. Most of these organisations generally work to maintain peace, strengthen micronational cooperation and to improve diplomatic relations between member states.[159][160]
Intermicronational summits are also commonplace within the micronational community,[161] and several reoccurring summits have taken place. These include the sporadically-held PoliNation,[162] biennial MicroCon;[112] and theOrganisation de la microfrancophonie has hosted three intermicronational summits between its member states.[163] PoliNation 2010 was held at Dangar Island, Sydney, Australia and was organised by Judy Lattas ofMacquarie University, Princess Paula of thePrincipality of Snake Hill and George Cruickshank of the Empire of Atlantium.[105][106] PoliNation 2012 was held in London, United Kingdom, and PoliNation 2015 commenced atUmbria, Italy.[164][165] MicroCon 2015 was held inAnaheim, California and hosted by Molossia;[113] MicroCon 2017 inTucker, Georgia by theKingdom of Ruritania;[166] MicroCon 2019 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, by the Kingdom of Slabovia;,[161][167] MicroCon 2022 inLas Vegas, Nevada by Westarctica, having been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic;[168]; MicroCon 2023 inChicago byLadonia and MicroCon EU inYpres in partnership withFlandrensis; MicroCon 2025 was inMontreal, Canada and hosted by theAerican Empire.[169] The first summit hosted by theMicrofrancophonie was held in 2016 inAigues-Mortes,Occitania, and hosted by the Principality of Aigues-Mortes;[116] the second summit took place in 2018 inVincennes, Paris, and was hosted by Angyalistan;[170] the third summit took place in 2022 inBlaye,Nouvelle-Aquitaine, organised by the Principality of Hélianthis.[163] Since 2022, the Micro Euro Summit has been held regularly as a congress for European micronations.[171][172][173]
There are thousands of micronations which exist and operate solely online.[174] Micronationalists convene and engage with one another through several online platforms, especiallysocial media and historicallyforums (message boards), where micronationalists can share lessons and ideas as well as gain inspiration for establishing their own micronation.[175]MicroWiki, the largest micronationalwiki andencyclopaedia, has thousands of articles on various topics related to micronationalism "with many country pages [on MicroWiki] longer than those of real nations [onWikipedia]",[176] and a number of micronations exist and conduct diplomacy solely on the wiki, utilising it as anonline community.[177][178]
Micronation as a word has no basis in international law.[179][180] Despite this, several micronations have attempted to justify their claims to sovereignty by citingloopholes in local laws. A commonly attempted tactic used by micronationalists to legitimise their claims is thedeclarative theory of statehood as defined by theMontevideo Convention, which defines astate as: "a person of international law [that] possess the following qualifications: (a) a permanentpopulation; (b) a defined territory; (c) government; and (d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states."[180][181]
In 2019, a couple seasteading off the coast of Thailand went into hiding after being accused by theRoyal Thai Navy of violating Thailand's sovereignty. If found guilty, they could facelife in prison or thedeath penalty.[182][183] As of 2020, they relocated to Panama.[184]
^Eccardt, Thomas M. (2005).Secrets of the Seven Smallest States of Europe: Andorra, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City.Hippocrene Books. p. 142.ISBN978-0-781-81032-6.
^Kurahara, Munetaka; Goto, Yuki; Hikage, Toshiya (30 October 1996)."住民主体のまちづくりに向けての北海道ミニ独立国の活動に関する考察" [Consideration on the activities of the mini-independent country of Hokkaido for resident-centered town planning].Proceedings of the Architectural Institute of Japan (in Japanese).61 (488). Architectural Institute of Japan:165–175.doi:10.3130/aija.61.165_2.ISSN1340-4210.
^Inoue, Shigeru (2010).日本まちづくり事典 [Nippon Matchidukuri Jiten] (in Japanese). Maruzen Publishing. pp. 407–409.ISBN978-4-621-08194-5.
Heinlein, Robert A. (1966).The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress.New York:G. P. Putnam's Sons.ISBN978-0-312-86355-5. [Award-winning SF: penal colonies on the Moon form a micronation which declares and defends its independence from Earth, becoming a microstate. Presciently for 1966, computer-aided communications play a crucial part.]
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