12 Bizarre Micronations

James T. Mangan, a Chicago resident, established the Nation of Celestial Space in 1949, claiming all outer space for himself. Mangan conceived the idea during a talk with his partner, Ernest Eckland. Eckland looked out the window and saw "plenty of stuff out there." Mangan smiled and asked, "Who owns it?" He presented the "Charter of Celestia" to the Cook County Recorder of Deeds. Mangan struggled but secured Illinois state acceptance.

Mangan fought for international recognition of his claim his entire life. Recognition never came.The United Nations rejected his application. Seventy-four secretaries of state ignored his letters.Mangan promoted himself well. He kept the Nation of Celestial Space in public view for decades. He issued outer space stamps and sold space "land" plots for one dollar each. Mangan minted gold currency called "Celestons," featuring his daughter, whom he called "the pleasantest person in the universe." Mangan passed the nation to his family. Later, the UN stated no nation can claim outer space sovereignty. This ended the Nation of Celestial Space.

In 1980, Swedish artist Lars Vilks started an art project that would become his micronation.Vilks secretly built complex structures using stones and driftwood in a remote area of the Kullaberg nature reserve in southern Sweden.Local authorities found the secret sculptures two years later. They ordered Vilks to tear down what they saw as illegal homes. Vilks fought this for fourteen years. He kept expanding his sculptures secretly. The courts settled the fight in 1996. The courts ruled Swedish authorities lacked jurisdiction over the site. Vilks used this ruling to protect his art and stop future legal issues. On June 2, 1996, he declared the Royal Republic of Ladonia an independent nation.

Ladonia's founder was its only citizen initially. Now, over 17,000 citizens from more than 50 countries join the nation. Ladonian citizenship is mostly symbolic. People do not live in the country. But intrepid visitors can still visit Ladonia. Sweden does not recognize Ladonia as a nation. Therefore, it appears on no signs or maps. Visitors must find a winding path. Follow it to the rocky coastline where huge wooden sculptures stand.

Sealand became a sovereign Principality in 1967. This makes it a successful and recognizable micronation globally. The 120-by-50-foot country sits on a repurposed anti-aircraft gun platform. This platform rests seven miles from Britain's eastern shores. Paddy Roy Bates, the founder, knew the platform from his time as a British Army major. He moved onto the artificial island in 1966. Bates started broadcasting pirate radio from international waters.A year later, Bates declared the platform his nation. His family has kept control of it since then.

Sealand maintains a tense relationship with Great Britain, which refuses to acknowledge it. Still, the floating micronation has succeeded. Prince Michael, the founder's son, now leads Sealand. Sealand achieved commercial success by issuing its own commemorative coins, stamps, and titles of nobility.

Sealand has its share of scandals. In August 1978, the self-proclaimed Prime Minister launched a political coup while the rulers were in England. He hired German and Dutch mercenaries. These forces stormed Sealand using helicopters and jet skis. They took Bates’s son as a hostage. Luckily, the Bates boy used weapons on the platform. He fought off the attackers and returned Sealand to its rulers.

In 1993, artist Paul Delprat sought permission to build a concrete driveway on public land near the Wyargine Reserve in Sydney's Mosman suburb. After eleven years and many rejections, Delprat chose to secede from Mosman and start his own principality.Delprat said, "I was a citizen of the year here. All I wanted was a drive."

On November 15, 2004, Delprat held a ceremony at Mosman Town Hall announcing the secession of the Principality of Wy, named for the nature reserve behind his house. The Principality's population now includes Prince Paul, Princess Susan, their three children, and their pets. The principality gained fame for supporting the arts, including sponsoring The Archy Wyld Art Award. Prince Paul judges the official award, but Archy Wyld, a ringtail possum on the property, assists him by ringing a bell on his tail when he likes a piece of art.

The Kingdom of Talossa was founded by a Milwaukee, WI, high school student.Talossa is one of the earliest conceptual micronations.Talossa became one of the first to have a web presence.Talossa's birth date traces to December 26, 1979, from a Finnish word meaning "inside the house."On that day, 14-year-old Robert Ben Madison declared his second-floor bedroom an independent nation.

Madison, then King Robert I, developed his kingdom during his adolescence. He designed a flag and coat of arms, started a national newspaper, claimed land east of the Milwaukee River, and named friends and family as the first Talossa citizens. Madison went further than most by inventing a new language for his citizens to speak. This language is known as Talossan.Talossan is one of the most extensive fictional languages ever devised, featuring a dictionary with over 28,000 entries.This language is one of the most extensive fictional languages ever made. It has a dictionary with over 28,000 entries.

Robert Ben Madison faced accusations of being a tyrannical and controlling leader. A rival group split off, forming the Republic of Talossa. In 2005, Madison stepped down. Eventually, the two kingdoms reunited under the new king, John Wooley. Madison told Vice,infighting increased.Robert Ben Madison faced accusations of being a tyrannical and controlling leader. A rival faction split off as the Republic of Talossa. Madison abdicated the throne in 2005. The two kingdoms later reunited under King John Wooley.Madison told Vice,Vice,

I have no doubt that the 2004 and 2005 events were a coup against Talossa and its people. I concluded, however, that the group that seized control was not truly Talossa. That conclusion seems wrong. The Talossa existing now is the one I founded in 1979, and I want to rejoin the kingdom.

As of 2021, the Kingdom of Talossa has about 175 active citizens.active citizens.

Many micronations struggle for serious recognition; only one was founded on a joke.founded on a joke. In 1947, a government official visited Montbenoît for an official event. During lunch at the local hotel restaurant, George Pourchet, the owner, approached the official. Pourchet quickly built rapport and asked, “Do you have a passport to enter Saugeais?” The official felt confused and asked the owner to explain Saugeais. Pourchet kept the joke going, making up details about the place. The official understood the joke, telling Pourchet, “It looks like a Republic, but a Republic needs a President so I declare you the President of the Republic of Saugeais.”

Georges Pourchet served as President of the Republic of Saugeais until he died in 1968. His wife was elected his successor in 1972.Her election happened at a party for all Saugeais citizens. They used an applause meter to decide the results.. Today, the 11 towns in the Republic of Saugeais attract tourists. Visitors go there to taste local food and get official Saugeais stamps.

In 1789, some crewmen on the HMS Bounty...BountyCrewmen staged a mutiny. They took control from Captain William Bligh and steered the ship toward Tahiti instead of England. After the mutiny, Bligh returned to England. He convinced the government to send a ship to capture the mutineers. Some crewmen did not return to Tahiti as planned. Instead, they hid on a small island in the south Pacific called Pitcairn.

Today, descendants of these mutineers mostly live on the island.. Pitcairn Island is officially an unincorporated territory of the United Kingdom. It has its own constitution and operates legally as a democracy. The town mayor acts as the de facto ruler. The total population is about 50 people.about 50 peoplePitcairn Island is the world's smallest democracy.

One of the most known micronations is the Principality of Hutt River.the Principality of Hutt River, Leonard Casley, an Australian farmer, established the Principality of Hutt River in 1970. Casley founded the nation because of strict limits on wheat sales for farmers in Western Australia. Casley fought the wheat quotas in court. When his efforts failed, he used a law allowing British colonies to secede under extreme conditions. Casley then declared his 29-square-mile farmland his own independent nation: The Principality of Hutt River.

Today, Casley continues to rule what some call“the second largest country on the continent.” The Principality of Hutt River issues collectibles and grants citizenship for a small fee. The Australian government never acknowledged the Principality of Hutt River. The tiny nation recently gained legitimacy through Australia’s head of state, Queen Elizabeth II. In April 2016, Casley received a letter from Buckingham PalaceThe message conveys Her Majesty’s good wishes for a successful celebration on April 23rd and 24th, marking the forty-sixth anniversary of the Principality of Hutt River.

Progressive schoolteachers, called "The Immortals," bought the uninhabited island of Elleore off the east coast of Denmark in the 1940s. They first used the tiny island as a summer retreat for their students. During this time, they half-jokingly claimed independence in a loving parody of Denmark’s split government structure.

Elleore developed over the years.several unusual traditions.These include inexplicable bans on canned sardines and the novelRobinson Crusoe.Elleore uses “Elleore Standard Time,” which runs 12 minutes behind Danish time. Elleuge, or “Elle-week,” is the most popular Elleore tradition. This is the one week of the year when Elleore is actually inhabited. Citizens gather on the island to vote for a new ruler or keep the current one. They also enjoy picnics, camping, and a game called “cracket,” a sport they invented. The Elleorians call themselves Elleorians and see this ritual as returning home after a 51-week vacation abroad.

Dean Kamen is famous for inventing the Segway. He is also theself-proclaimed ruler of a two-acre island near the Connecticut coast.Kamen wanted to power his home on his private island with a wind turbine. The government denied his permits. Annoyed by the decision, Kamen jokingly declared his separation from the United States and the founding of the Kingdom of North Dumpling in 1988. The secession never gained legal recognition, but Kamen signed a “non-aggression” pact with President George H. W. Bush. The Kingdom of North Dumpling has its own constitution, currency, flag, and national anthem. North Dumpling has a “navy” consisting of a single boat, but the official vehicle is the Segway.

In the late 1960s, an Italian engineer and real estate investorGiorgio Rosa funded a 4,300 square-foot platform in the Adriatic Sea.Built on giant pylons seven miles from Rimini, Italy, the platform aimed to be a tourist spot. It included a restaurant, nightclub, souvenir shop, and a fishing pier. Soon after opening, Rosa decided independence would draw more visitors. He named the platform "The Republic of Rose Island" and started printing stamps for the new nation.

Rosa started talking about making his own currency. The Italian government suspected Rosa's republic was just a scheme to make money from tourism and dodge taxes. The Italian Navy took control of the platform. They evicted Rosa and his employees. The Navy blew up the facility with explosives on February 13, 1969. Rosa called it "the only war Italy has ever won"

Rosa kept acting as President of his "government in exile." He started selling a new postage stamp showing the destruction of Rose Island.

Travis McHenry, an American entrepreneur, used something.He used a loophole in the Antarctic Treaty.This treaty says no nation can make new claims to Antarctic land. This allows establishing a micronation on Antarctica. In 2001, McHenry decided to claim some Antarctic land as an individual andThen, he did that.he would establish a nation there. Governments of all the nations signing the Antarctic Treaty ignored his letters. McHenry took their silence as permission to move ahead with his country. He quickly issued collector coins and stamps for what he called the Grand Duchy of Westarctica. McHenry eventually left to start it.a 9.5-square-mile micronation inside California.