Micro Nations

MicronationsA Brief History

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ContentsArticlesAn IntroductionMicronation Sovereignty 1 1 12 22 22 25 30 32 34 47 51 53 57 60 70 73 77 84 88 92 106 113 117 121 123 126 128 131 133 136 145 149

Alphabetical List of MicronationsAerican Empire Empire of Atlantium Grand Duchy of Avram Nation of Celestial Space Freetown Christiania Conch Republic Kingdom of EnenKio Crown Dependency of Forvik Frestonia Global Country of World Peace Hajduka Republika Mijata Tomia Hay-on-Wye Principality of Hutt River Ladonia Llanrwst Lundy Dominion of Melchizedek Republic of Minerva Republic of Molossia Nova Roma Other World Kingdom Perloja Republic of Peenica Independent State of Rainbow Creek Kingdom of Redonda Principality of Sealand Principality of Seborga Talossa

Uupis Rockall Westarctica Wirtland

152 155 167 170 173 173 181 186 192 199

AppendicesEmperor Norton How to Start Your Own Country List of micronations Flags of micronations List of micronation currencies

ReferencesArticle Sources and Contributors Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors 201 202

Article LicensesLicense 206

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An IntroductionMicronationMicronationssometimes also referred to as model countries and new country projectsare entities that claim to be independent nations or states but which are not recognized by world governments or major international organizations. These nations often exist only on paper, on the Internet, or in the minds of their creators. Micronations differ from secession and self-determination movements in that they are largely viewed as being eccentric and ephemeral in nature, and are often created The Principality of Sealand and maintained by a single person or family group. This criterion excludes entities such as the Republic of China (Taiwan) that have diplomatic relations with other recognized nation-states of the world without being formally recognized themselves by many nation-states or accepted by major international bodies. Some micro-nationalists call their countries Nomadic Countries, especially ones that have no land and are based on the Internet. Micronations are also distinguished from imaginary countries and from other kinds of social groups (such as eco-villages, campuses, tribes, clans, sects, and residential community associations) by expressing a formal and persistent, even if unrecognized, claim of sovereignty over some physical territory. Some micronations have managed to extend some of their operations into the physical world by trying to enforce their alleged sovereignty. Several have issued coins, flags, postage stamps, passports, medals, and other items, which are rarely accepted outside of their own community. The earliest known micronations date from the beginning of the 19th century. The advent of the Internet provided the means for the creation of many new micronations, whose members are scattered all over the world and interact mostly by electronic means. The differences between such Internet micronations, other kinds of social networking groups, and role playing games are often hard to define. The term "micronation" to describe those entities dates at least to the 1970s.[1] The term micropatrology is sometimes used to describe the study of both micronations and microstates by micronational hobbyists, some of whom refer to sovereign nation-states as "macronations".

Micronation

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HistoryEarly history and evolutionThe earliest recognizable micronations on record date from the beginning of the 19th century. Most were founded by eccentric adventurers or business speculators, and several were remarkably successful. One early example of a micronation is the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, ruled by the Clunies-Ross family. Less successful micronations are the Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia (186062) in southern Chile and Argentina; the Republic of Indian Stream (183235) in North America; and the Kingdom of Sedang (188890) in French Indochina. The oldest extant micronation to arise in modern times is the Kingdom of Redonda, founded in 1865 in the Caribbean. It failed to establish itself as a real country, but has nonetheless managed to survive into the present day as a unique literary foundation with its own king and aristocracyalthough it is not without its controversies: there are presently at least four competing claimants to the Redondan throne.

The Old Light, Lundy

Martin Coles Harman, owner of the 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 16-acre (65000 m2) 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.

History during 1960 to 1980The 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 East Anglian 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 three are known to have had even limited success in realizing that goal. The Republic of Rose Island was a 400m2 (4300sqft) platform built in 1968 in Italian national waters in the Adriatic Sea, 7 miles (11km) off the 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. In the late 1960s, Leicester Hemingway, brother of author Ernest, was involved in another such projecta small timber platform in international waters off the west coast of Jamaica. This territory, consisting of an 8-foot (2.4m) by 30-foot (9.1m) 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 1000sqyd (840m2) 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.) 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 OceanThe 550m2 (5900sqft) Principality of Sealand

Micronation south of Fiji. They succeeded in creating a small artificial island, but their efforts at securing international recognition met with little success, and near-neighbour Tonga sent a military force to the area and annexed it. On April 1, 1977, bibliophile Richard George William Pitt Booth declared the Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye an independent kingdom with himself as its monarch. The town has 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.[2]

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Australian and New Zealand developmentsMicronational activities were disproportionately common throughout Australia in the final three decades of the 20th century. The Principality of Hutt River was founded in 1970, when Leonard Casley declared his property independent after a dispute over wheat quotas. 1976 witnessed the creation of the Province of Bumbunga on a rural property near Snowtown, South Australia, by an eccentric British monarchist. The Sovereign State of Aeterna Lucina was created in a hamlet on the New South Wales north coast in 1978. 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. In Victoria, a long-running dispute over flood damage to farm properties led to the creation of the Independent State of Rainbow Creek in 1979. The Empire of Atlantium was established in Sydney, in 1981 as a non-territorial global government. A mortgage foreclosure dispute led George and Stephanie Muirhead of Rockhampton, Queensland, to briefly and abortively secede as the Principality of Marlborough in 1993. The Principality of Snake Hill was established in 2003 as a result of a mortgage dispute and is located near Mudgee, New South Wales. The Head of State is Prince Paul and the constitution is based on the Ten Commandments. Lawyers are barred from entering.[3] The Principality of Wy was established in 2004 by Paul Delprat after a dispute with the local council of Mosman Municipality in Sydney. The Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands was established in 2004 as a symbolic political protest by a group of gay rights activists based in southeast Queensland. The United Federation of Koronis, based in Australia, claims the Koronis family of asteroids as its territory. The Principality of Ponderosa, based on a small farm in Northern Victoria, achieved notoriety in 2005 when its foundersVergilio and "Little Joe" Rigoliwere convicted of tax fraud.[4] The Independent State of Aramoana was established in 1980. The Republic of Whangamomona was established in 1989.

Effects of the InternetMicronationalism 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 on November 1995, and was reported in the New York Times and other print media in 2000.[5] As a result, the number of exclusively online, fantasy or simulation-based micronations expanded dramatically. 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 the Micronational News Network [6]), the conduct and operation of simulated elections and parliaments, and participation in simulated warsall of which are carried out through online bulletin boards, mailing

Micronation lists and blogs. A number of older-style territorial micronations, including the Hutt River Province, Seborga, and Sealand, maintain websites that serve largely to promote their claims and sell merchandise.

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CategoriesIn the present day, eight main types of micronations are prevalent: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Social, economic, or political simulations. Exercises in personal entertainment or self-aggrandisement. Exercises in fantasy or creative fiction. Vehicles for the promotion of an agenda. Entities created for fraudulent purposes. Historical anomalies and aspirant states. New-country projects. Exercises in historical revisionism.

Social, economic, or political simulationsThese micronations tend to have a reasonably serious intent, and often involve significant numbers of people interested in recreating the past or simulating political or social processes. Examples include: Freetown Christiania, a semi-legal district in Copenhagen, Denmark where there are relaxed laws on drugs and squatting. Talossa, a political simulation founded in 1979, with more than 130 members ("citizens") and an invented culture and language, recently split into three separate groups.[7] [8] [9] Nova Roma, a group claiming a worldwide membership of several thousand that has minted its own coins, maintains its own wiki, and which engages in real-life Roman-themed re-enactments. Republic of Jamtland, a self-proclaimed republic in the county of Jmtland, Sweden. It was founded in 1963 due to Sweden's social welfare politics. It wanted Jmtland to merge with the county of Vsternorrland. It also wanted more people to move away from the countryside of northern Sweden and in to the big cities of southern Sweden, leaving upper Sweden to fend for itself. This started protests in Jmtland and later that year they declared themselves a free republic within the Kingdom of Sweden. The Republic of Jmtland has a population of 130,573 inhabitants and has an area of 19,090.4 square miles. Jmtland also has embassies and consulates in 17 different countries, such as China, Germany, the USA, England, Norway and Russia. In 1967, Yngve Gamlin, the president of the republic at that time, went to see the Swedish prime minister Tage Erlander about merging with Vsternorrland county. Yngve was greeted at Harpsund estate by Tage as a chief of state on a state visit to Sweden. This gave Jamtland some recognition from Sweden as a free republic. This event has, however, been debated whether it should be seen as formal recognition or not.

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Exercises in personal entertainment or self-aggrandisementWith literally thousands in existence, micronations of the second type are by far the most common. This type can also be known as "political simulationism" or simply "simulationism" They generally exist "for fun," have relatively few participants, are ephemeral, today usually Internet-based, and many do not survive more than a few monthsalthough there are notable exceptions. They are usually concerned solely with arrogating to their founders the outward symbols of statehood. The use of grand-sounding titles, awards, honours, and heraldic symbols derived from European feudal traditions, the conduct of "wars" (often known as recwars) and "diplomacy" with other micronations, and simulated continents or planets are common manifestations of their activities. Examples include:President Kevin Baugh of Molossia. The Aerican Empire, a Monty Pythonesque micronation founded in 1987 and known for its tongue-in-cheek interplanetary land claims, smiley-faced flag and a range of national holidays that includes "Topin Wagglegammon" amongst others.

Republic of Molossia, a desert-based micronation of 2.5ha located near Reno, Nevada ruled by President Kevin Baugh, founded in 1977. There is a nationwide ban on smoking.[10] The Kingdom of Lovely is an attempt by King Danny I (Danny Wallace) to create an internet nation based in his flat in London.

Exercises in fantasy or creative fictionMicronations of the third type include stand-alone artistic projects, deliberate exercises in creative online fiction, and artistamp creations. Examples include: The Republic of Kugelmugel, founded by an Austrian artist and based in a ball-shaped house in Vienna, which quickly became a tourist attraction. The Copeman Empire, run from a caravan park in Norfolk, England, by its founder Nick Copeman, who changed his name by deed poll to HM King Nicholas I. He and his empire are the subject of a book and a website where King Nicholas sells Knighthoods. San Serriffe, an April Fool's Day hoax created by the British newspaper The Guardian, in its April 1, 1977 edition. The fictional island nation was described in an elaborate seven-page supplement and has been revisited by the newspaper several times. Republic of Saugeais (Rpublique du Saugeais), a fifty-year-old "republic" in the French dpartement of Doubs, bordering Switzerland. The republic is made of the 11 municipalities of Les Allies, Arcon, Bugny, La Chaux-de-Gilley, Gilley, Hauterive-la-Fresne, La Longeville, Montflovin, Maisons-du-Bois-Lievremont, Ville-du-Pont, and its capital Montbenoit. It had a "president"Georgette Bertin-Pourchet, elected in 2006a "prime minister" and numerous "citizens". It was born from a joke between a Sauget resident and the local Prfet.

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Vehicles for agenda promotionThese types of micronation are typically associated with a political or social reform agenda. Some are maintained as media and public relations exercises, and examples of this type include: Akhzivland is a self-declared and officially tolerated "independent republic" established by Israeli hippie and former sailor Eli Avivi on the Mediterranean beach at Akhziv in Israel.[11] Beaulosage (full name:The United Kingdom of Beaulosage and the Knights Templar of the Holy Grail) Beaulosage seceeded peacefuly from Spain in protest over cuts the Spanish gouverment "Welcome to the Conch Republic" - a sign at Key has made during the economic crisis (see West International Airport www.unitedkingdomofbeaulosagne.org for more information) The Conch Republic, which began in 1982 as a protest by residents and business owners in the Florida Keys against a United States Border Patrol roadblock. It has since been maintained as a tourism booster, and the group has engaged in other protests. The Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands, founded in June 2004 on the uninhabited Coral Sea Islands off the coast of Queensland, in response to the Australian government's refusal to recognize same-sex marriage. The Republic of New Afrika, a controversial separatist group seeking the creation of an independent black nationalist state across much of the Southeastern U.S. Republic of Lakotah, a proposed republic for the American Indian Lakota people of North and South Dakota, eastern Montana and eastern Wyoming, and northern Nebraska. Republic of Aztlan, a movement calling for independence and restoration of Hispanic-Mexican rule of the Southwestern U.S. in parts of Arizona, California and New Mexico. The Maritime Republic of Eastport, a part of the City of Annapolis, Maryland, that "seceded" from the rest of the city. It still exists as a charitable and publicity vehicle, and runs a unique fund-raiser in the form of a cross-water Tug of War. In 1977, the town of Kinney, Minnesota, unable to obtain funding to replace a failing water system, formed the Republic of Kinney. The Republic of Kinney, in a 'tongue-in-cheek' secession letter to U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance sought foreign aid and, failing that offered to declare war and quickly surrender, similar to The Mouse That Roared. Kinney holds an annual "secession days" celebration. Valask krlovst (Kingdom of Wallachia) is a tongue-in-cheek micronation established by Tom Harabi, with the Czech actor Bolek Polvka as its king in 1997 in the territory of Moravian Wallachia, for the purpose of promoting the region and tourist activities. The micronation has been registered as a tourist agency in 2000. The micronation suffered coup d'tat during which Polvka has been stripped of his throne and ousted of the kingdom.

Entities created for allegedly fraudulent purposesA number of micronations have been established for fraudulent purposes, by seeking to link questionable or illegal financial actions with seemingly legitimate nations. The Territory of Poyais was invented by Scottish adventurer and South American independence hero Gregor MacGregor in the early 19th century. On the basis of a land grant made to him by the Anglophile native King of the Mosquito people in what is present-day Honduras, MacGregor wove one of history's most elaborate hoaxes, managing to charm the highest levels of London's political and financial establishment with tales of the bucolic, resource-rich country he claimed to rule as a benevolent sovereign prince, or "Cazique", when he arrived in the UK in 1822.

Micronation The Dominion of Melchizedek has been widely condemned for promoting fraudulent banking activities and other financial scams, and for the involvement by one of its founders in the attempted secession of the Fijian island of Rotuma.[12] [13] New Utopia, operated by Oklahoma City longevity promoter Howard Turney as a libertarian new country project was stopped by a United States federal court temporary restraining order from selling bonds and bank licenses. New Utopia has claimed for a number of years to be on the verge of commencing construction of an artificial island territory located approximately midway between Honduras and Cuba, on the Misteriosa Bank but no such project has yet been undertaken. The Kingdom of EnenKio, which claims Wake Atoll in the Marshall Islands belonging to the US minor outlying islands, has been condemned for selling passports and diplomatic papers by the governments of the Marshall Islands and of the United States.[14] On April 23, 1998, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Marshall Islands issued an official Circular Note, denouncing representatives of both "EnenKio" and "Melchizedek" for making fraudulent representations.[15] The United Kingdom of Atlantis operated a website that ceased to function in 2005, and claimed to be located in the Pacific Ocean near Australia. The "kingdom" published maps of its alleged location; however, the islands shown did not exist. Atlantis' leader, the self-styled Sheikh Yakub Al-Sheikh Ibrahim, was wanted in the US for various crimes including fraud and money laundering. At one point, Atlantis sent a delegation to the legitimate state of Palau to offer a low interest loan of $100million.[16]

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Historical anomalies and aspirant statesA small number of micronations are founded on historical anomalies or eccentric 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: 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 putative border crossing from Italy into the Principality of Seborga

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 currently 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 best-known micronation.[17] The Crown Dependency of Forvik is an island in Shetland, currently recognized as part of 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 UK and should be a crown dependency like the Isle of Man. Hill has also encouraged the rest of Shetland to declare independence.[18]

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New-country projectsNew-country projects are attempts to found completely new nation-states. They typically involve plans to construct artificial islands (few of which are ever realised), and a large percentage have embraced or purported to embrace libertarian or democratic principles. Examples include: Operation Atlantis, an early 1970s New Yorkbased libertarian group that built a concrete-hulled ship called Freedom, which they sailed to the Caribbean, intending to anchor it permanently there as their "territory". The ship sank in a hurricane and the project foundered with it. 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 ejected by troops from Tonga, who later formally annexed it. Principality of Freedonia, a libertarian project that tried to lease territory from the Sultan of Awdal in Somaliland in 2001. Resulting public dissatisfaction led to rioting, and the reported death of a Somali.Landing on Minerva

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.[19] Seasteading, a project aiming at building competitive governments at sea. Global Country of World Peace, "a country without borders for peace loving people everywhere", was declared by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 2000. It made several attempts to buy or lease land for a sovereign territory.[20] It is currently governed by Maharaja Tony Nader.[21] Its currency is the RAAM and its capitals include Maharishi Vedic City, Iowa and MERU, Holland.

Exercises in historical revisionismIn Germany, numerous individuals and groupscollectively labeled Kommissarische Reichsregierungen (KRR)assert that the German Empire continues to exist in its pre-World War II borders and that they are its government.[22]

LegitimacyIn 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; and (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. Most micronations have failed to meet one or more of these criteria. 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:[23] IV. Territorial integrity of States

Micronation 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.

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Academic, literary and media attentionThere has been a small but growing amount of attention paid to the micronation phenomenon in recent years. Most interest in academic circles has been concerned with studying the apparently anomalous legal situations affecting such entities as Sealand and the Hutt River Province, in exploring how some micronations represent grassroots political ideas, and in the creation of role-playing entities for instructional purposes. In 2000, Professor Fabrice O'Driscoll, of the Aix-Marseille University, published a book about micronations: Ils ne sigent pas l'ONU ("They are not in the United Nations"), with more than 300 pages dedicated to the subject.[24] In May 2000, an article in the New York Times entitled "Utopian Rulers, and Spoofs, Stake Out Territory Online" brought the phenomenon to a wider audience.[25] Similar articles were published by newspapers such as the Italian La Repubblica, O Estado de So Paulo in Brazil, and Portugal's Viso at around the same time. Several recent publications have dealt with the subject of particular historic micronations, including Republic of Indian Stream (University Press), by Dartmouth College geographer Daniel Doan, and The Land that Never Was, about Gregor MacGregor and the Principality of Poyais, by David Sinclair (Review, 2003, ISBN 0-7553-1080-2). In August 2003, a summit of micronations took place in Helsinki at Finlandia Hall, the site of the Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE). The summit was attended by delegations of the Principality of Sealand, the Kingdoms of Elgaland-Vargaland, NSK-State in Time, Ladonia, the Transnational Republic, the State of Sabotage and by scholars from various academic institutions.[26] From 7 November through 17 December 2004, the Reg Vardy Gallery at the University of Sunderland (UK) on the subject of micronational group identity and symbolism. The exhibition focused on numismatic, philatelic and vexillological artifacts, as well as other symbols and instruments created and used by a number of micronations from the 1950s through to the present day. A summit of micronations conducted as part of this exhibition was attended by representatives of Sealand, Elgaland-Vargaland, New Utopia, Atlantium, Frestonia and Fusa.[27] The exhibition was reprised at the Andrew Kreps Gallery in New York City from 24 June 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 TATS (faites-le vous-mme)/States (Do it yourself). 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, Lovely, located in his London flat. It screened in the UK in August 2005. Similar programs have also aired on television networks in other parts of Europe. In France, several Canal+ programs have centered on the satirical 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 around the producer's creation of Robland. Among other things Vanoudenhoven minted his own coins denominated in "Robbies".

Micronation On September 9, 2006, The Guardian newspaper reported that the travel guide company Lonely Planet had published the world's first travel guide devoted to micronations, Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations. The Democratic Empire of Sunda, which claims to be the Government of the Kingdom of Sunda (an ancient kingdom, in present-day Indonesia) in exile in Switzerland, made media headlines when two so-called princesses, Lamia Roro Wiranatadikusumah Siliwangi Al Misri, 21, and Fathia Reza Wiranatadikusumah Siliwangi Al Misiri, 23, were detained by Malaysian authorities at the border with Brunei, on 13 July 2007, and are charged for entering the country without a valid pass. The hearing continues.[28] 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[29] [30] 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.[31]

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Coins of micronations

A Principality of Seborga coin

35 Dollars Minerva Republic coin

20 Dollar Hutt River Province

Lundy Island 1 Puffin coin

100 Cifras Holy Empire of Reunion coin

10 ICU gold "Wirtland Crane"

Sealandic coins, from left to right: Half Dollar, Silver One Dollar and Quarter Dollar

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References[1] The People's Almanac #2, page 330. [2] "Mid Wales Arts - Richard Booth" (http:/ / www. bbc. co. uk/ wales/ mid/ halloffame/ arts/ richard_booth. shtml). BBC. . Retrieved 2010-09-24. [3] "The Principality of Snake Hill" (http:/ / members. lycos. co. uk/ snakehill/ ). Members.lycos.co.uk. 2003-09-02. . Retrieved 2010-09-24. [4] Miletic, Daniella (2005-07-05). "'Prince' found guilty of tax fraud" (http:/ / www. theage. com. au/ news/ national/ prince-found-guilty-of-tax-fraud/ 2005/ 07/ 06/ 1120329501217. html). The Age. . Retrieved 2008-01-08. [5] Stephen Mimh (2000) Utopian Rulers, and Spoofs, Stake Out Territory Online. New York Times, May 25, 2000 [6] http:/ / www. micronations. net/ [7] "Kingdom of Talossa (1)" (http:/ / my. execpc. com/ ~talossa/ ). My.execpc.com. . Retrieved 2010-09-24. [8] "(2)" (http:/ / www. kingdomoftalossa. net/ ). Kingdom of Talossa. . Retrieved 2010-09-24. [9] "Republic of Talossa" (http:/ / www. talossa. com/ ). Talossa.com. 2010-06-01. . Retrieved 2010-09-24. [10] EscapeArtist.com. "Start Your Own Country - Creating A New Country" (http:/ / www. escapeartist. com/ unique_lifestyles/ for_a_new_nation. htm). Escapeartist.com. . Retrieved 2010-09-24. [11] Miller, Colin. "A World of His Own: Eli Avivi" (http:/ / www. goworldtravel. com/ ex/ aspx/ articleGuid. {672DD612-3DFA-4C10-8A9E-0690F5D275F6}/ xe/ article. htm). Go World Travel Online Magazine. . Retrieved 2008-06-14. [12] http:/ / www. occ. treas. gov/ ftp/ Alert/ 98-38. txt [13] "Litigation Release No. 16368 / November 23, 1999" (http:/ / www. sec. gov/ litigation/ litreleases/ lr16368. htm). Sec.gov. . Retrieved 2010-09-24. [14] "Richard's Ramblings... History of Wake Island" (http:/ / www. richardsramblings. com/ 2002/ 09/ 15/ history-of-wake-island/ ). Richardsramblings.com. . Retrieved 2010-09-24. [15] "Official Marshall Islands Notices" (http:/ / www. angelfire. com/ nv/ micronations/ marshallnotice. html). Angelfire.com. 1998-04-23. . Retrieved 2010-09-24. [16] (http:/ / www. pacificislands. cc/ pm42004/ pmdefault. php?urlarticleid=0015) (http:/ / www. angelfire. com/ nv/ micronations/ warning. html) (also contains an image of the flag) (http:/ / www. szed. com/ szdaily/ 20040218/ ca779186. htm) [17] "JOURNEYS THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY: Simon Sellars braves wind and waves to visit the unlikely North Sea nation of Sealand" (http:/ / www. theaustralian. news. com. au/ story/ 0,25197,22726244-5002031,00. html). The Australian. . Retrieved 2007-11-10. [18] Hill, Stuart (2008-06-21). "Forvik Declaration of Direct Dependence" (http:/ / www. forvik. com/ index. php?option=com_content& view=article& id=44& Itemid=53). The Crown Dependency of Forvik. . Retrieved 2009-05-04. [19] The Oceania Project (http:/ / oceania. org/ ). Retrieved November 9, 2006. [20] McGirk, Jan (June 8, 2001). "Yogi's disciples want to create new utopia". The Independent (London (UK)): p.17. [21] MIZROCH, AMIR (July 23, 2006). "Forget the F-16s, Israel needs more Yogic Flyers to beat Hizbullah. 30-strong TM group, sole guests at Nof Ginnosar Hotel, say they need another 235 colleagues to make the country safe" (http:/ / fr. jpost. com/ servlet/ Satellite?cid=1153291974316& pagename=JPArticle/ ShowFull). Jerusalem Post: p.04. . [22] Thiriet, Maurice (11 March 2009). "Reichsfhrerschein im Thurgau nicht gltig" (http:/ / www. tagesanzeiger. ch/ panorama/ vermischtes/ Reichsfuehrerschein-im-Thurgau-nicht-gueltig/ story/ 27903000) (in German). Tages-Anzeiger. . Retrieved 2009-03-25. [23] http:/ / www. osce. org/ documents/ mcs/ 1975/ 08/ 4044_en. pdf [24] Ils ne sigent pas l'ONU (http:/ / www. webcitation. org/ query?url=http:/ / www. geocities. com/ CapitolHill/ 5829/ Livre. html& date=2009-10-25+ 06:45:27) [25] "Utopian Rulers, and Spoofs, Stake Out Territory Online" (http:/ / query. nytimes. com/ gst/ fullpage. html?res=9F00E2DE143DF936A15756C0A9669C8B63& sec=& spon=& pagewanted=all) [26] summit of micronations (http:/ / www. muu. fi/ amorph03) [27] hosted an exhibition (http:/ / www. sunderland. ac. uk/ caffairs/ 204oct10. htm) [28] "The Borneo Post Online Print DPP: Sunda princesses 'Prohibited Immigrants'" (http:/ / www. theborneopost. com/ ?p=28228& print=1). Theborneopost.com. . Retrieved 2010-09-24. [29] Telegraph UK (http:/ / www. telegraph. co. uk/ news/ worldnews/ australiaandthepacific/ australia/ 7673696/ Wacky-world-of-micronations-unite-to-demand-recognition. html) Article on the conference of micronations on Dangar Island [30] Kuwait Times (http:/ / www. kuwaittimes. net/ read_news. php?newsid=NjY0MDc3ODQ=) [31] How to Start your Own Country (http:/ / tiff. net/ filmsandschedules/ tiff/ 2010/ howtostartyourowncou)

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Further reading Anonymous (2003-07-24). "Prince finds if all else fails, secede". Australian Daily Telegraph. Alex Blumberg (March 2000). "It's Good to Be King" (http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.03/kingdoms. html). Wired. Retrieved 2009-07-03. Adam Clanton, "The Men Who Would Be King: Forgotten Challenges to U.S. Sovereignty," UCLA Pacific Basin Law Journal, Vol. 26, No. 1, Fall 2008, pp.150. Dapin, Mark (2005-02-12). "If at first you don't secede...". The Sydney Morning Herald. Bruno Fuligni (1997). L'tat C'est Moi: Histoire des monarchies prives, criptarchies (L'tat C'est Moi: History of private monarchies and cryptarchies). Max Chaleil. Kochta & Kalleinen, editors. Amorph! 03 Summit of MicronationsDocuments/Asiakirjoja, 2003, ISBN 3-936919-45-3 Menefee, Samuel Pyeatt. "'Republics of the Reefs': Nation-Building on the Continental Shelf and in the World's Oceans," California Western International Law Journal, vol. 25, no. 1, Fall 1994, pp.81111 Peter Needham (2006-09-26). "Born to rule". The Australian. Nick Squires (2005-02-24). "Mini-states Down Under are sure they can secede". The Daily Telegraph. Strauss, Erwin S. How to start your own country, ISBN 0-915179-01-6

External links Micronation (http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Issues/Micronations/) at the Open Directory Project

Sovereignty

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Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory.[1] It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided. In theoretical terms, the idea of "sovereignty", historically, from Socrates to Thomas Hobbes, has always necessitated a moral imperative on the entity exercising it. The United Nations currently only requires that a sovereign state has an effective and independent government within a defined territory. According to current international law norms, states are only required to have an effective and independent system of government pursuant to a community within a defined territory.[2] For centuries past, the idea that a state could be sovereign was always connected to its ability to guarantee the best interests of its own citizens. Thus, if a state could not act in the best interests of its own citizens, it could not be thought of as a sovereign state.[3] The concept of sovereignty has been discussed, debated and questioned throughout history, from the time of the Romans through to the present day. It has changed in its definition, concept, and application throughout, especially during the Age of Enlightenment. The current notion of state sovereignty is often traced back to the Peace of Westphalia (1648), which, in relation to states, codified the basic principles:

The frontispiece of Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan, depicting the Sovereign as a massive body wielding a sword and crozier and composed of many individual people.

territorial integrity border inviolability supremacy of the state (rather than the Church) a sovereign is the supreme lawmaking authority within its jurisdiction.

HistoryDifferent cultures and governments have, understandably, had different ideas about sovereignty.

ClassicalThe Roman jurist Ulpian observed that: The imperium of the people is transferred to the Emperor, The Emperor is not bound by the law, The Emperor's word is law. Emperor is the law making and abiding force. Ulpian was expressing the idea that the Emperor exercised a rather absolute form of sovereignty, although he did not use the term expressly. Ulpian's statements were known in medieval Europe, but sovereignty was not an important concept in medieval times. Medieval monarchs were not sovereign, at least not strongly so, because they were constrained by, and shared power with, their feudal aristocracy. Furthermore, both were strongly constrained by custom.

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MedievalSovereignty existed during the Medieval Period as the de jure rights of nobility and royalty, and in the de facto capability of individuals to make their own choices in life. Around c. 1380-1400, the issue of feminine sovereignty was addressed in Geoffrey Chaucer's Middle English collection of Canterbury Tales, specifically in The Wife of Bath's Tale.[4] A later English Arthurian romance, The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell (c. 1450),[5] uses much of the same elements of the Wife of Bath's tale, yet changes the setting to the court of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. The story revolves around the knight Sir Gawain granting to Dame Ragnell, his new bride, what is purported to be wanted most by women: sovereignty. We desire most from men, From men both rich and poor, To have sovereignty without lies. For where we have sovereignty, all is ours, Though a knight be ever so fierce, And ever win mastery. It is our desire to have master Over such a sir. Such is our purpose. The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell (c. 1450), [5]

ReformationSovereignty reemerged as a concept in the late 16th century, a time when civil wars had created a craving for stronger central authority, when monarchs had begun to gather power into their own hands at the expense of the nobility, and the modern nation state was emerging. Jean Bodin, partly in reaction to the chaos of the French wars of religion; and Thomas Hobbes, partly in reaction to the English Civil War, both presented theories of sovereignty calling for strong central authority in the form of absolute monarchy. In his 1576 treatise Les Six Livres de la Rpublique ("Six Books of the Republic") Bodin argued that it is inherent in the nature of the state that sovereignty must be: Absolute: On this point he said that the sovereign must not be hedged in with obligations and conditions, must be able to legislate without his (or its) subjects' consent, must not be bound by the laws of his predecessors, and could not, because it is illogical, be bound by his own laws. Perpetual: Not temporarily delegated as to a strong leader in an emergency or to a state employee such as a magistrate. He held that sovereignty must be perpetual because anyone with the power to enforce a time limit on the governing power must be above the governing power, which would be impossible if the governing power is absolute. Bodin rejected the notion of transference of sovereignty from people to sovereign; natural law and divine law confer upon the sovereign the right to rule. And the sovereign is not above divine law or natural law. He is above (ie. not bound by) only positive law, that is, laws made by humans. The fact that the sovereign must obey divine and natural law imposes ethical constraints on him. Bodin also held that the lois royales, the fundamental laws of the French monarchy which regulated matters such as succession, are natural laws and are binding on the French sovereign. How divine and natural law could in practice be enforced on the sovereign is a problematic feature of Bodin's philosophy: any person capable of enforcing them on him would be above him. Despite his commitment to absolutism, Bodin held some moderate opinions on how government should in practice be carried out. He held that although the sovereign is not obliged to, it is advisable for him, as a practical expedient, to convene a senate from whom he can obtain advice, to delegate some power to magistrates for the practical

Sovereignty administration of the law, and to use the Estates as a means of communicating with the people. With his doctrine that sovereignty is conferred by divine law, Bodin predefined the scope of the divine right of kings.

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Age of EnlightenmentHobbes, in Leviathan (1651) introduced an early version of the social contract (or contractarian) theory, arguing that to overcome the "nasty, brutish and short" quality of life without the cooperation of other human beings, people must join in a "commonwealth" and submit to a "Soveraigne [sic] Power" that is able to compel them to act in the common good. This expediency argument attracted many of the early proponents of sovereignty. Hobbes deduced from the definition of sovereignty that it must be: Absolute: because conditions could only be imposed on a sovereign if there were some outside arbitrator to determine when he had violated them, in which case the sovereign would not be the final authority. Indivisible: The sovereign is the only final authority in his territory; he does not share final authority with any other entity. Hobbes held this to be true because otherwise there would be no way of resolving a disagreement between the multiple authorities. Hobbes' hypothesis that the ruler's sovereignty is contracted to him by the people in return for his maintaining their safety, led him to conclude that if the ruler fails to do this, the people are released from their obligation to obey him. Bodin's and Hobbes's theories would decisively shape the concept of sovereignty, which we can find again in the social contract theories, for example, in Rousseau's (17121778) definition of popular sovereignty (with early antecedents in Francisco Surez's theory of the origin of power), which only differs in that he considers the people to be the legitimate sovereign. Likewise, it is inalienable Rousseau condemned the distinction between the origin and the exercise of sovereignty, a distinction upon which constitutional monarchy or representative democracy are founded. Niccol Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Montesquieu are also key figures in the unfolding of the concept of sovereignty. The second book of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's Du Contrat Social, ou Principes du droit politique (1762) deals with sovereignty and its rights. Sovereignty, or the general will, is inalienable, for the will cannot be transmitted; it is indivisible, since it is essentially general; it is infallible and always right, determined and limited in its power by the common interest; it acts through laws. Law is the decision of the general will in regard to some object of common interest, but though the general will is always right and desires only good, its judgment is not always enlightened, and consequently does not always see wherein the common good lies; hence the necessity of the legislator. But the legislator has, of himself, no authority; he is only a guide who drafts and proposes laws, but the people alone (that is, the sovereign or general will) has authority to make and impose them. Rousseau, in his 1763 treatise Of the Social Contract[6] argued, "the growth of the State giving the trustees of public authority more and means to abuse their power, the more the Government has to have force to contain the people, the more force the Sovereign should have in turn in order to contain the Government," with the understanding that the Sovereign is "a collective being of wonder" (Book II, Chapter I) resulting from "the general will" of the people, and that "what any man, whoever he may be, orders on his own, is not a law" (Book II, Chapter VI) and furthermore predicated on the assumption that the people have an unbiased means by which to ascertain the general will. Thus the legal maxim, "there is no law without a sovereign."[7] The 1789 French Revolution shifted the possession of sovereignty from the sovereign ruler to the nation and its people. Carl Schmitt (18881985) defined sovereignty as "the power to decide the state of exception", in an attempt, argues Giorgio Agamben, to counter Walter Benjamin's theory of violence as radically disjoint from law. Georges Bataille's heterodox conception of sovereignty, which may be said to be an "anti-sovereignty", also inspired many thinkers, such as Jacques Derrida, Agamben or Jean-Luc Nancy.

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Definition and types

There exists perhaps no conception the meaning of which is more controversial than that of sovereignty. It is an indisputable fact that this conception, from the moment when it was introduced into political science until the present day, has never had a meaning which was universally agreed upon. Lassa Oppenheim, an authority on international law

[8]

AbsolutenessAn important factor of sovereignty is its degree of absoluteness. A sovereign power has absolute sovereignty when it is not restricted by a constitution, by the laws of its predecessors, or by custom, and no areas of law or policy are reserved as being outside its control. International law; policies and actions of neighboring states; cooperation and respect of the populace; means of enforcement; and resources to enact policy are factors that might limit sovereignty. For example, parents are not guaranteed the right to decide some matters in the upbringing of their children independent of societal regulation, and municipalities do not have unlimited jurisdiction in local matters, thus neither parents nor municipalities have absolute sovereignty. Theorists have diverged over the desirability of increased absoluteness.

ExclusivityA key element of sovereignty in a legalistic sense is that of exclusivity of jurisdiction. Specifically, the degree to which decisions made by a sovereign entity might be contradicted by another authority. International law, competing branches of government, and authorities reserved for subordinate entities (such as federated states or republics) represent legal infringements on exclusivity. Social institutions such as religious bodies, corporations, and competing political parties might represent de facto infringements on exclusivity.

De jure and de factoDe jure, or legal, sovereignty concerns the expressed and institutionally recognised right to exercise control over a territory. De facto, or actual, sovereignty is concerned with whether control in fact exists. Cooperation and respect of the populace; control of resources in, or moved into, an area; means of enforcement and security; and ability to carry out various functions of state all represent measures of de facto sovereignty. When control is practiced predominately by military or police force it is considered coercive sovereignty. It is generally held that sovereignty requires not only the legal right to exercise power, but the actual exercise of such power. Thus, de jure sovereignty without de facto sovereignty has limited recognition.

InternalInternal sovereignty is the relationship between a sovereign power and its own subjects. A central concern is legitimacy: by what right does a government exercise authority? Claims of legitimacy might refer to the divine right of kings or to a social contract (i.e. popular sovereignty). With Sovereignty meaning holding supreme, independent authority over a region or state, Internal Sovereignty refers to the internal affairs of the state and the location of supreme power within it.[9] A state that has internal sovereignty is one with a government that has been elected by the people and has the popular legitimacy. Internal sovereignty examines the internal affairs of a state and how it operates. It is important to have strong internal sovereignty in relation to keeping order and peace. When you have weak internal sovereignty organization such as rebel groups will undermined the authority and disrupt the peace. The presence of a strong authority allows you to keep agreement and enforce sanctions for the violation of laws. The ability for leadership to prevent these violations is a key variable in

Sovereignty determining internal sovereignty.[10] The lack of internal sovereignty can cause war in one of two ways, first, undermining the value of agreement by allowing costly violations and second requiring such large subsidies for implementation that they render war cheaper than peace.[11] Leadership needs to be able to promise members, especially those like armies, police forces, or paramilitaries will abide by agreements. The presence of strong internal sovereignty allows a state to deter opposition groups in exchange for bargaining. It has been said that a more decentralized authority would be more efficient in keeping peace because the deal must please not only the leadership but also the opposition group. While the operations and affairs within a state are relative to the level of sovereignty within that state, there is still an argument between who should hold the authority in a sovereign state. This argument between who should hold the authority within a sovereign state is called the traditional doctrine of public sovereignty. This discussion is between an internal sovereign or a authority of public sovereignty. An internal sovereign is a political body that possesses ultimate, final and independent authority; one whose decisions are binding upon all citizens, groups and institutions in society. Early thinkers believe sovereignty should be vested in the hands of a single person, a monarch. They believed the overriding merit of vesting sovereignty in a single individual was that sovereignty would therefore be indivisible; it would be expressed in a single voice that could claim final authority. An example of an internal sovereign or monarch is Louis XIV of France during the seventeenth century; Louis XIV claimed that he was the state. Jean-Jacques Rousseau rejected monarchial rule in favor of the other type of authority within a sovereign state, public sovereignty. Public Sovereignty is the belief that ultimate authority is vested in the people themselves, expressed in the idea of the general will. This means that the power is elected and supported by its members, the authority has a central goal of the good of the people in mind. The idea of public sovereignty has often been the basis for modern democratic theory.[12] Modern Internal Sovereignty: Within the modern governmental system you usually find internal sovereignty in states that have public sovereignty and rarely find it within a state controlled by an internal sovereign. A form of government that is a little different from both is the UK parliament system. From 1790-1859 it was argued that sovereignty in the UK was vested neither in the Crown nor in the people but in the "Monarch in Parliament". This is the origin of the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty and is usually seen as the fundamental principle of the British constitution. With these principles of parliamentary sovereignty majority control can gain access to unlimited constitutional authority, creating what has been called "elective dictatorship" or "modern autocracy". Public sovereignty in modern governments is a lot more common with examples like the USA, Canada, Australia and India where government is divided into different levels.[13]

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ExternalExternal sovereignty concerns the relationship between a sovereign power and other states. For example, the United Kingdom uses the following criterion when deciding under what conditions other states recognise a political entity as having sovereignty over some territory;

"Sovereignty." A government which exercises de facto administrative control over a country and is not subordinate to any other government in that country is a foreign sovereign state.

(The Arantzazu Mendi, [1939] A.C. 256), Strouds Judicial Dictionary

External sovereignty is connected with questions of international law, such as: when, if ever, is intervention by one country onto another's territory permissible? Following the Thirty Years' War, a European religious conflict that embroiled much of the continent, the Peace of Westphalia in 1648 established the notion of territorial sovereignty as a norm of noninterference in the affairs of other nations, so-called Westphalian sovereignty, even though the actual treaty itself reaffirmed the multiple levels of sovereignty of the Holy Roman Empire. This resulted as a natural extension of the older principle of cuius regio, eius religio (Whose realm, his religion), leaving the Roman Catholic Church with little ability to interfere with the

Sovereignty internal affairs of many European states. It is a myth, however, that the Treaties of Westphalia created a new European order of equal sovereign states.[2] In international law, sovereignty means that a government possesses full control over affairs within a territorial or geographical area or limit. Determining whether a specific entity is sovereign is not an exact science, but often a matter of diplomatic dispute. There is usually an expectation that both de jure and de facto sovereignty rest in the same organisation at the place and time of concern. Foreign governments use varied criteria and political considerations when deciding whether or not to recognise the sovereignty of a state over a territory. Sovereignty may be recognized even when the sovereign body possesses no territory or its territory is under partial or total occupation by another power. The Holy See was in this position between the annexation in 1870 of the Papal States by Italy and the signing of the Lateran Treaties in 1929, when it was recognised as sovereign by many (mostly Roman Catholic) states despite possessing no territory a situation resolved when the Lateran Treaties granted the Holy See sovereignty over the Vatican City. Another case, sui generis, though often contested, is the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the third sovereign entity inside Italian territory (after San Marino and the Vatican City State) and the second inside the Italian capital (since in 1869 the Palazzo di Malta and the Villa Malta receive extraterritorial rights, in this way becoming the only "sovereign" territorial possessions of the modern Order), which is the last existing heir to one of several once militarily significant, crusader states of sovereign military orders. In 1607 its Grand masters were also made Reichsfrst (princes of the Holy Roman Empire) by the Holy Roman Emperor, granting them seats in the Reichstag, at the time the closest permanent equivalent to a UN-type general assembly; confirmed 1620). These sovereign rights never deposed, only the territories were lost. 100 modern states still maintain full diplomatic relations with the order[14] (now de facto "the most prestigious service club"), and the UN awarded it observer status.[15] The governments-in-exile of many European states (for instance, Norway, Netherlands or Czechoslovakia) during the Second World War were regarded as sovereign despite their territories being under foreign occupation; their governance resumed as soon as the occupation had ended. The government of Kuwait was in a similar situation vis--vis the Iraqi occupation of its country during 1990-1991. Commonly mistaken to be sovereign, the International Committee of the Red Cross, having been granted various degrees of special privilege and legal immunity in many countries, that in cases like Switzerland are considerable for a private organisation governed by Swiss law.[16] By formal agreement between the Swiss government and the ICRC, Switzerland grants full sanctity of all ICRC property in Switzerland including its headquarters and archive, grants members and staff legal immunity, exempts the ICRC from all taxes and fees, guarantees the protected and duty-free transfer of goods, services, and money, provides the ICRC with secure communication privileges at the same level as foreign embassies, and simplifies Committee travel in and out of Switzerland. On the other hand Switzerland does not recognize ICRC issued passports [17], which are described as amounting to de facto sovereignty.

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SharedJust as the office of head of state can be vested jointly in several persons within a state, the sovereign jurisdiction over a single political territory can be shared jointly by two or more consenting powers, notably in the forms of a condominium or a co-principality (e.g. Andorra).

Nation-statesA community of people who claim the right of self-determination based on a common ethnicity, history and culture might seek to establish sovereignty over a region, thus creating a nation-state. Such nations are sometimes recognised as autonomous areas rather than as fully sovereign, independent states.

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FederationsIn a federal system of government, sovereignty also refers to powers which a constituent state or republic possesses independently of the national government. In a confederation constituent entities retain the right to withdraw from the national body, but in a federation member states or republics do not hold that right. Controversy over states' rights contributed to the outbreak of the American Civil War. Eleven southern states in which slavery was legal declared their independence from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America. The position of the United States government was that this act was unconstitutional and that secession was not a right that the states possessed, and thus that the states were not sovereign entities.

AcquisitionA number of methods of acquisition of sovereignty are presently or have historically been recognised by international law as lawful methods by which a state may acquire sovereignty over territory.

JustificationsThere exist vastly differing views on the moral basis of sovereignty. A fundamental polarity is between theories that assert that sovereignty is vested directly in the sovereign by divine or natural right, and theories that assert it originates from the people. In the latter case there is a further division into those that assert that the people transfer their sovereignty to the sovereign (Hobbes), and those that assert that the people retain their sovereignty (Rousseau). Absolute monarchies are typically based on concepts such as the divine right of kings in Europe or the mandate of Heaven in China. A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, retain sovereignty over the government and where offices of state are not granted through heritage.[18] [19] A common modern definition of a republic is a government having a head of state who is not a monarch.[20] [21] Democracy is based on the concept of popular sovereignty. In a direct democracy the public plays an active role in shaping and deciding policy. Representative democracy permits a transfer of the exercise of sovereignty from the people to a legislative body or an executive (or to some combination of legislature, executive and Judiciary). Many representative democracies provide limited direct democracy through referendum, initiative, and recall. Parliamentary sovereignty refers to a representative democracy where the parliament is ultimately sovereign and not the executive power nor the judiciary.

Views on Realists view sovereignty as being untouchable and as guaranteed to legitimate nation-states. Rationalists see sovereignty similarly to Realists. However, Rationalism states that the sovereignty of a nation-state may be violated in extreme circumstances, such as human rights abuses. Internationalists believe that sovereignty is outdated and an unnecessary obstacle to achieving peace, in line with their belief of a 'global community'. In the light of the abuse of power by sovereign states such as Hitler's Germany or Stalin's Soviet Union, they argue that human beings are not necessarily protected by the state whose citizens they are, and that the respect for state sovereignty on which the UN Charter is founded is an obstacle to humanitarian intervention.[2] Anarchists and some libertarians deny the sovereignty of states and governments. Anarchists often argue for a specific individual kind of sovereignty, such as the Anarch as a sovereign individual. Salvador Dal, for instance, talked of "anarcho-monarchist" (as usual for him, tongue in cheek); Antonin Artaud of Heliogabalus: Or, The Crowned Anarchist; Max Stirner of The Ego and Its Own; Georges Bataille and Jacques Derrida of a kind of "antisovereignty". Therefore, anarchists join a classical conception of the individual as sovereign of himself,

Sovereignty which forms the basis of political consciousness. The unified consciousness is sovereignty over one's own body, as Nietzsche demonstrated (see also Pierre Klossowski's book on Nietzsche and the Vicious Circle). See also self-ownership. Imperialists hold a view of sovereignty where power rightfully exists with those states that hold the greatest ability to impose the will of said state, by force or threat of force, over the populace or other states with weaker military or political will. They effectively deny the sovereignty of the individual in deference to either the 'good' of the whole, or to divine right.

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Relation to rule of lawAnother topic is whether the law is held to be sovereign, that is, whether it is above political or other interference. Sovereign law constitutes a true state of law, meaning the letter of the law (if constitutionally correct) is applicable and enforceable, even when against the political will of the nation, as long as not formally changed following the constitutional procedure. Strictly speaking, any deviation from this principle constitutes a revolution or a coup d'tat, regardless of the intentions.

Sovereign as a titleIn some cases, the title sovereign is not just a generic term, but an actual (part of the) formal style of a Head of state. Thus from 22 June 1934, to 29 May 1953, (the title "Emperor of India" was dropped as of 15 August 1947, by retroactive proclamation dated 22 June 1948), the King of South Africa was styled in the Dominion of South Africa: "By the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India and Sovereign in and over the Union of South Africa." Upon the accession of Elizabeth II to the Throne of South Africa in 1952, the title was changed to Queen of South Africa and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, parallel to the style used in almost all the other Commonwealth realms. The pope holds ex officio the title "Sovereign of the Vatican City State" in respect to Vatican City. The adjective form can also be used in a Monarch's full style, as in pre-imperial Russia, 16 January 1547 22 November 1721: Bozhiyeyu Milostiyu Velikiy/Velikaya Gosudar'/Gosudarynya Tsar'/Tsaritsa i Velikiy/Velikaya Knyaz'/Knyaginya N.N. vseya Rossiy Samodyerzhets "By the Grace of God Great Sovereign Tsar/Tsarina and Grand Prince/Princess, N.N., of All Russia, Autocrat"

ReferencesThis article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain:Herbermann, Charles, ed (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.[1] "sovereignty (politics)" (http:/ / www. britannica. com/ EBchecked/ topic/ 557065/ sovereignty). Britannica Online Encyclopedia. . Retrieved 5 August 2010. [2] Article 4 of United Nations Charter, Benedetto Conforti, The Law and Practice of the United Nations, 3rd ed. (Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2005), 25. [3] Bateman, C.G. (February 15, 2011). Nicaea and Sovereignty: Constantine's Council of as an Important Crossroad in the Development of European State Sovereignty. University of British Columbia. pp. 5491. SSRN1759006. [4] "Chaucer's tale of the Wife of Bath." (http:/ / www. dhushara. com/ book/ renewal/ bath. htm). . Retrieved 2009-01-10. [5] "The Wedding of Sir Gawain and Dame Ragnell" (http:/ / www. lone-star. net/ mall/ literature/ gawain. htm). . Retrieved 2009-01-10. [6] Of the Social Contract, Book II, Chapter III. [7] A society of states: or, Sovereignty, independence, and equality in a league of nations (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=Gl9JAAAAIAAJ& pg=PA80& dq="there+ is+ no+ law+ without+ a+ sovereign"+ Seydel& hl=en& ei=6T8DTv6bBeXr0gHL8b37DQ& sa=X& oi=book_result& ct=result& resnum=1& ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage& q="there is no law without a sovereign" Seydel& f=false), Secondary source [8] Lassa Oppenheim, International Law 66 (Sir Arnold D. McNair ed., 4th ed. 1928)

Sovereignty[9] Heywood, Andrew. "Political Theory" (http:/ / www. scribd. com/ doc/ 51146058/ 41/ Internal-sovereignty#page=108). pg. 92. Palgrave MacMillian. . Retrieved 25 June 2011. [10] Wolford, Rider, Scott, Toby. "War, Peace, and Internal Sovereignty" (http:/ / spot. colorado. edu/ ~wolfordm/ implementation2. pdf). pg.1. . Retrieved 19 June 2011. [11] Wolford, Rider, Scott, Toby. "War, Peace, and Internal Sovereignty" (http:/ / spot. colorado. edu/ ~wolfordm/ implementation2. pdf). pg.3. . Retrieved 19 June 2011. [12] Heywood, Andrew. "Political Theory" (http:/ / www. scribd. com/ doc/ 51146058/ 41/ Internal-sovereignty#page=108). pg. 93. Palgrave Macmillian. . Retrieved 21 June 2011. [13] Heywood, Andrew. "Political Theory" (http:/ / www. scribd. com/ doc/ 51146058/ 41/ Internal-sovereignty#page=108). pgs. 94-95. Palgrave MaCmillian. . Retrieved 21 June 2011. [14] Bilateral diplomatic relations of SMOM (http:/ / www. orderofmalta. org/ site/ / attdiplomatica. asp?idlingua=5) [15] United Nations General Assembly 48 Observer status for the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in the General Assembly (http:/ / www. undemocracy. com/ A-RES-48-265''Resolution''& #32;265& #32;session) [16] About the International Committee of the Red Cross (http:/ / www. icrc. org/ eng/ who-we-are/ overview-who-we-are. htm) [17] http:/ / www. udiregelverk. no/ ~/ media/ Images/ Rettskilder/ Visa%20Code/ Visa%20Code%20vedlegg%2010%20a. ashx [18] Montesquieu, The Spirit of the Laws (1748), Bk. II, ch. 1. [19] "Republic". Encyclopedia Britannica. [20] "republic" (http:/ / dictionary. reference. com/ browse/ republic), WordNet 3.0 (Dictionary.com), , retrieved 20 March 2009 [21] "Republic" (http:/ / www. merriam-webster. com/ dictionary/ republic). Merriam-Webster. . Retrieved August 14, 2010.

21

Further reading Philpott, Dan. "Sovereignty" (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/sovereignty/). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Thomson, Janice E. (1996). Mercenaries, pirates, and sovereigns: state-building and extraterritorial violence in early modern Europe (http://books.google.com/books?id=EvylnkgJ9ycC). Princeton University Press. ISBN9780691025711.

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Alphabetical List of MicronationsAerican EmpireAerican Empire Micronation

Coat of Arms Flag Status Current

Area claimed Membership Date of foundation Language Purported currency Capital

9x10 km

6

2

253 citizens (as of June, 2010) May 8, 1987 English Mu and Solari[1]

Montreal, Canada

The Aerican Empire (conventionally referred to in short form as Aerica) is a micronation founded in May 1987,[2] which has no sovereign territory of its own and has never been recognized by any other sovereign state as existing. The name is a pun on the term American Empire.[3] In 2000 The New York Times described its website as "one of the more imaginative" micronation sites.[4] Its members claim sovereignty over a vast disconnected territory, including a square kilometer of land in Australia, a house-sized area in Montreal, Canada (containing the "Embassy to Everything Else"), several other areas of the Earth, a colony on Mars, the northern hemisphere of Pluto, and an imaginary planet.[5] As with most micronations, the number of members ("citizens") has fluctuated wildly with time. In May 2009, it was claimed to exceed 400 people.[6]

Aerican Empire

23

HistoryThe Aerican Empire was founded on 8 May 1987 by Montreal resident Eric Lis and a core group of friends. Lis, who founded the Aerican Empire as a child, obtained his M.D., C.M. from McGill University and has been published in the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience[7] and Weird Tales magazine[8] [9] . For the first ten years the Empire was almost wholly fictional, claiming sovereignty over a vast galaxy of planets and engaging in "wars" against other micronations.[10] After the advent of the Internet, through which the founders discovered other micronations similar to their own, the Empire slowly abandoned most fictional elements and worked towards becoming a political entity rather than a hobby. In 1997, the Empire created a Web site.[11] In 2000, the first growth spurt in the Empire's population was triggered by an article in the New York Times.[4] In the months following this, the Empire's membership rose to over five hundred people. This number slowly fell over the following years as members left, eventually stabilizing and rising again with time.

Current statusThe Empire's mission statement is "The Empire exists to facilitate the evolution of a society wherein the Empire itself is no longer necessary."[6] [10] [12] [13] It claims to be organized as a parliamentary democracy, with various elected bodies and offices, under the oversight of an Emperor (currently the founder, Eric Lis).[14] The Aerican Empire first issued coinage in November 2009.[15] It does not have printed passports, but has a downloadable "novelty passport" and ID card. The first issued passport was exhibited in the Palais de Tokyo 2007 Micronational art exhibition.[16] The group's activities are permeated by a great deal of humour and a love of science fiction and fantasy, with recurrent references to Star Wars, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and similar works. Annually, the Empire holds story-writing contests, role-playing and wargaming days, and such events as the Dog-Biscuit Appreciation Day Scavenger Hunt.[10] It also developed a "religion" called Silinism, the worship of the Great Penguin; originally intended as a joke, but which the group claims to have thirty practitioners worldwide.[4] It has holidays and "niftydays" (such as 2 January Procrastinator's Day, 27 February *Oops* Day, 19 March What the Heck is That Day, and 26 October Topin Wagglegammon, The Niftiest Day of the Year).[17] Possibly the single most widespread cultural activity within the Empire is gaming, particularly role-playing games and wargaming. The Aerican Empire's official gaming club (AEGIS) is associated with seven universities worldwide and has sponsored/funded/supported an annual gaming day on December 29 since 2003. AEGIS has funded the creation of several Aerican Empire-themed Warhammer 40K armies which have competed nationally in tournaments.

Offline activitiesWhile Internet-based activities in the Empire are more well-documented and facilitate interaction between members in different countries, a major focus has always been local physical events. Members gather for weekly meetings in Montreal, Springvale, New York and other centers, and a twentieth anniversary convention was held in July 2007.[6]

References[1] Extraradi: Extraradi (http:/ / comradioblocs. com/ extraradi/ ), 22 September 2009. Barcelona: COMRadio [2] Ryan, J: Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Self-Proclaimed Nations, ISBN 1-74104-730-7 [3] Aerican Empire: FAQ (http:/ / www. aericanempire. com/ faq. html#11) at the group's website, section "What kind of name is Aerica?". Retrieved July 2009. [4] The New York Times: "Utopian Rulers, and Spoofs, Stake Out Territory Online" (http:/ / query. nytimes. com/ gst/ fullpage. html?res=9F00E2DE143DF936A15756C0A9669C8B63& sec=& spon=& pagewanted=all), 25 May 2000. [5] Aerican Empire: Lands controlled by the Empire (http:/ / www. aericanempire. com/ land. html) [6] The Aerican Empire (http:/ / www. aericanempire. com/ pep2. html) (the group's website).

Aerican Empire[7] Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience: (http:/ / www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/ pmc/ articles/ PMC1863557/ ), 2007, "Neuroimaging and genetics of borderline personality disorder: a review". [8] Weird Tales Magazine: Weird Tales, 2008, "My True Lovecraft Gave To Me". [9] Weird Tales Magazine: Weird Tales, 2011, "A Contract Without Loopholes". [10] The Montreal Mirror: The Montreal Mirror (http:/ / www. montrealmirror. com/ 2006/ 081706/ news3. html), 17 August 2006, "The little empire that could" [11] O'Driscoll, F: Ils ne sigent pas l'ONU, ISBN 2-87867-251-8 [12] The Boston Phoenix: The Boston Phoenix (http:/ / www. bostonphoenix. com/ archive/ features/ 00/ 10/ 12/ MICRONATIONS2. html), October 2000, "States of Mind". [13] CBC Daybreak: Daybreak (http:/ / www. cbc. ca/ daybreakmontreal/ ), 13 July 2006, "The Aerican Empire: Interview With Eric Lis". Montreal: CBC Radio [14] Le Soleil, Quebec City: Le Soleil, 18 January 2001, "Vive Eric 1er, empereur virtuel!" [15] http:/ / www. aericanempire. com/ econ. html [16] Aerican Mailing List Archive, (http:/ / groups. yahoo. com/ group/ aerican/ message/ 10814), December 2, 2006 [17] Context Magazine: Context Magazine (http:/ / www. contextmag. com/ setFrameRedirect. asp?src=/ archives/ 200104/ ManAndMachine. asp), AprilMay 2001, "Altered States".

24

External links The Aerican Empire (http://www.aericanempire.com)

Empire of Atlantium

25

Empire of AtlantiumImperium AtlantiumEmpire of Atlantium Micronation

Flag Imperial State Signum Motto: E Tenebris Lux (English: Out of Darkness, Light) Anthem: Auroran Hymn by Camille Saint Saens Status Current

Area claimed Membership Date of foundation Leadership

0.76 square kilometres (0.29sqmi) 903 (2006) November 27, 1981 Emperor George II (George Francis Cruickshank ) 1981-

Organisational structure Elective constitutional monarchy Language Purported currency Currency code Capital Demonym English and Latin Imperial Solidus (value pegged to the US$) IS Concordia Atlantian

The Empire of Atlantium is a micronation and secular, pluralist progressive lobby group[1] based in New South Wales, Australia. Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations describes Atlantium as "a refreshing antidote to the reactionary self-aggrandisement of so many micronations", and "an extremely sophisticated nation-state experiment, as well as an entirely serious claimant to legitimate statehood". The book's entry on Atlantium notes its espousal of "progressive, liberal policies" and characterizes it as a "secular humanist utopia".[2] Among the causes Atlantium supports are the right to unrestricted international freedom of movement, the right to abortion, the right to assisted suicide[3] and decimal calendar reform.[4]

Empire of Atlantium

26

HistoryAtlantium was established in 1981 by three Sydney teenagers George Francis Cruickshank, Geoffrey John Duggan and Claire Marie Coulter (ne Duggan). The three claimed a 10 square metres (110sqft) Provisional Territory in the southern suburb of Narwee as Atlantium's first capital, and declared Cruickshank to be Sovereign Head of State, with the title "Emperor George II".[5] Geoffrey Duggan (19821986) was elected as prime minister. Damian Scott (19861988), and Kevin Fanucchi (19881990) also served as prime ministers, but by 1990, when the original group members had graduated from university and moved to different locations, the group ceased to be active. In 1999 Cruickshank purchased an apartment in the inner Sydney suburb of Potts Point, and soon after revived Atlantium, launching a website, which was instrumental in attracting new members. The 61 square metres (660sqft) apartment, known as the Imperium Proper, became the second capital of Atlantium.[5] Concordia became the third capital of Atlantium on 12 January 2008, when the rural 0.76 square kilometres (0.29sqmi) Province of Aurora, approximately 350 kilometres (220mi) southwest of Sydney, was created. The Atlantium website describes Aurora as Atlantium's "global administrative capital, ceremonial focal point and spiritual homeland".[6]

AuroraThe Province of Aurora covers 0.76 square kilometres (0.29sqmi) and has a fenced 4.5 kilometres (2.8mi) long perimeter. It is divided into four "administrative divisions", known as the District of Hickey (which occupies approximately half of Aurora's total area), the District of Duggan (which occupies the southern third of the province), Concordia Capital District (the only administrative division in which permanent human occupancy and development is permitted) and the Prefecture of Idalia (the re-named former Imperium Proper). The latter is the current permanent residence of Emperor George II. Concordia is the intended location of facilities to house Atlantium's legislature, government offices, museum, throne hall and commemorative monuments. Currently it is the location of a single-storey residential and administrative building, several service structures, and two small man-made lakes. Aurora is also the site of an historic gold processing facility built and operated in the 1860s by Chinese immigrant miners.[7]

Status and operationsThe Atlantium website uses several different self-descriptions, including "self-declared state", "aspirant microstate" and "global sovereign state".[8] In line with its claim to be a "primarily non-territorial" state Atlantium does not maintain any formal territorial claims; however, it does promote the idea that Cruickshank's apartment, and the Province of Aurora, have extraterritorial status; in practice these properties remain under Australian jurisdiction. No established nation has recognised Atlantium's sovereignty claims, and it has no reciprocal diplomatic relations. Atlantium has appointed "unaccredited diplomatic representatives" called "Imperial Legates" in the United States, Pakistan, Poland, Brazil, India, Italy, Iran, Singapore, Serbia and Switzerland.[9] The group has awarded "Imperial Honours" to various recipients, generally in recognition of political activism or for service to local communities.[10]

Empire of Atlantium

27

Stamps, coins and banknotesStamps, coins and banknotes are sold by Atlantium, which utilises a decimal currency system of 100 Imperial Centi to the Imperial Solidus. Atlantium's website claims that the profits from those sales are used for "the Empire's ongoing operations" as well as charitable causes.[11]

StampsThe earliest documented media report referring to Atlantium is a 1984 philatelic magazine article[12] about its cinderella stamp releases. There are currently 12 issues of Atlantian stamps, and a monthly postal service between Concordia and Idalia will commence in the second half of 2008.[13]Issue 11 12 12 Year 2006 2006 2006 Denomination IS 0.50 Flag of Atlantium IS 0.50 Emperor George II IS 2.50 Emperor George II Stamp

CoinsAtlantium mints coins,[14] though the levels of Atlantian economic activity remain low.[15] Only the 20th anniversary 10 Solidi coin has been minted in the past, which has a likeness of George Cruickshank as the obverse and the Imperial Eagle as the reverse.20th anniversary 10 Solidi coin Diameter: 38mm Thickness: 4mm Weight: 30.5grams Year: 2001 Mint: The Aquila Mint, Sydney, Australia Mintage: 529

BanknotesBanknotes of Atlantium are denominated in Imperial Solidi and are currently divided into a 2006 series and a 2007 series.Series 2007 2006 2006 2007 Denomination 10 Imperial Solidi 25 Imperial Solidi 50 Imperial Solidi 100 Imperial Solidi

Empire of Atlantium

28

MembershipAs of 2006, the group reportedly had 903 "citizens"[2] in over 90 countries. The website names just over 20 individuals holding such functions as minister, director, magister and imperial legate. Atlantium says its citizenship does not supersede previously existing citizenships. Atlantians contend that they are all dual-citizens,[16] and that Atlantium actively encourages its members to participate in the political processes of their resident countries. While the group uses the words "citizenship" and "diplomatic" idiosyncratically, supporters note that Atlantium has made no secret of its attempts at redefining existing paradigms, and claim that doing so is a fundamental motivation for the group's existence.

References[1] [2] [3] [4] "Links" (http:/ / www. usns. info/ links. html). Unrecognised States Numismatic Society. . Retrieved 2008-01-15. John Ryan, George Dunford & Simon Sellars (2006). Micronations. Lonely Planet Publications. pp.74-. ISBN1-74104-730-7. "Constitution of Atlantium" (http:/ / www. atlantium. org/ constitution. html). Empire of Atlantium. . Retrieved 2008-01-26. "Decimal Time Calendars Annus Novus Decimal Calendar" (http:/ / web. archive. org/ web/ 20080602063606/ http:/ / decimaltime. hynes. net/ calendar. html#annusnovus). John D Hynes. Archived from the original (http:/ / www. decimaltime. hynes. net/ calendar. html#annusnovus) on 2008-06-02. . Retrieved 2008-01-30. [5] "History of Atlantium" (http:/ / www. atlantium. org/ history. html). Empire of Atlantium. . Retrieved 2008-01-26. [6] "Province of Aurora" (http:/ / www. atlantium. org/ territoryaurora. html). Empire of Atlantium. . Retrieved 2008-01-15. [7] "Province of Aurora" (http:/ / www. atlantium. org/ territoryaurora. html). Empire of Atlantium. . Retrieved 2008-01-26. [8] "Empire of Atlantium" (http:/ / www. atlantium. org). Empire of Atlantium. . Retrieved 2008-01-15. [9] Charles Green (2005). "The Empire of Atlantium" (http:/ / www. cabinetmagazine. org/ issues/ 18/ blackson4. php). Cabinet Magazine. . [10] "Imperial News Service" (http:/ / www. atlantium. org/ news. html). Empire of Atlantium. . [11] "Frequently Asked Questions" (http:/ / www. atlantium. org/ faq. html). Empire of Atlantium. . Retrieved 2008-01-15. [12] Bill Hornadge (September 1984). "Atlantium Empire". Stamp News: pp.196. [13] "Province of Aurora" (http:/ / www. atlantium. org/ territoryaurora. html). Empire of Atlantium. . Retrieved 2008-01-30. [14] John Mulhall (July 2002). "The Empire Strikes a Coin" (http:/ / www. usns. info/ pdf/ Australian_Coin_Banknote_072002. pdf) (PDF). The Australasian Coin & Banknote Magazine. . [15] "Ministry of Finance" (http:/ / www. atlantium. org/ finance. html). Empire of Atlantium. . Retrieved 2008-01-30. [16] "Ministry of State" (http:/ / www. atlantium. org/ state. html). Empire of Atlantium. . Retrieved 2008-01-26.

Bibliography John Ryan, George Dunford & Simon Sellars (2006). Micronations. Lonely Planet Publications. pp.7477. ISBN1-74104-730-7. Colin R Bruce (2005). Unusual World Coins. Krause Publications. p.10. ISBN0-87349-793-7.

Further reading Charles Green (2005). "The Empire of Atlantium" (http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/18/blackson4. php). Cabinet Magazine. Judy Lattas (March 2005) (PDF). DIY Sovereignty and the Popular Right in Australia (http://www.crsi.mq. edu.au/documents/mobile_boundaries_rigid_worlds/lattas.pdf). Macquarie University. Nick Squires (2005-02-24). "Mini-states Down Under are sure they can secede". The Daily Telegraph. Mark Dapin (2005-02-12). "If at first you don't secede...". The Sydney Morning Herald Good Weekend: pp.4750. Justin Norrie (2004-05-07). "His Majesty George II: The boy from Hurstville who now rules a big flat" (http:// www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/05/06/1083635283807.html?oneclick=true). The Sydney Morning Herald: pp.3. Justin Norrie (NovemberDecember 2003). "Micronations". HQ Magazine: pp.9093, 144145. John Mulhall (July 2002). "The Empire Strikes a Coin" (http://www.usns.info/pdf/ Australian_Coin_Banknote_072002.pdf) (PDF). The Australasian Coin & Banknote Magazine.

Empire of Atlantium David Fickling (2002-11-20). "Passport to Pimlico Aussie style" (http://www.guardian.co.uk/australia/ story/0,12070,843445,00.html). The Guardian. Billy Adams (2001-08-29). "The national madness of King George". The New Zealand Herald. Calin Stroila (2001-07-16). "Cea mai mica tara este intr-un apartment". Libertatea (Romania): pp.1. Bill Hornadge (September 1984). "Atlantium Empire". Stamp News: pp.196. "Worldwide Stamp Identifier: Bogus Issues" (http://www.iswsc.org/iswsc_iden