Semiotics of the MicroNations

Template:InterLanguagelink:en Semiotics of the MicroNations is a selection of micronations (Table 1).

The article is the result of a precise work of research and web compilation.

The pictures of flags and coat of arms of the micronations are available in the Wikimedia Commons database or in the Wiki Cultura database.

The purpose of the article is to offer "raw data" for a future semiotic study of the texts about each micronation.

(By Renato Ongania)

Definitions and methodological notes

Misleading definition

A review of the bibliography available in the context of micronations has determined the centrality of the work of Graziano Graziani (Atlante delle micronazioni, Quodlibet Compagnia Extra, 2015), in the December 2020 version for Kindle.

Although the atlas directs the reader to a good selection of micronations, it is based on concepts defined with a certain approximation.

In the introduction Graziani writes:

"This Atlas collects the stories and maps of tiny countries that no one has ever recognized: the micronations. What kind of political entity are we talking about? According to Wikipedia, a micronation is "an entity created by a person, or by a small number of people, which claims to be considered as an independent nation or state, but which is nevertheless not recognized by governments and major international organizations". What makes it different, then, from an unrecognized secession like Somaliland or Transnistria, or from the principle of self-determination of peoples? The fact that there are no peoples to be self-determined, first of all, because micronations involve a limited number of people; their generally very limited territorial extension; sometimes, their eccentric nature."

The definition of micronation offered by Wikipedia and taken up by Graziani presents an element that characterizes the entity called "micronation" which is completely misleading. In particular, the Wikipedia's authors attribute to the creators / founders of a micronation the claim to be considered as an independent nation or state; in this perspective the creator of a micronation, or more properly the authors / founders, are pre-judged as disconnected from reality or "not in harmony" with the institutions, or even "anti-" subjects. A quick analysis of the texts and metatexts contained in the micronation websites and more in the narrative storytelling of the micronation, disproves much of this connotation. This makes Wikipedia's definition of micronation a gross, incomplete and partly false simplification. As it will be possible to analyze through a semiotic gaze, the true goal of this article, not all micronations claim to be considered as "independent nations or states" - there is certainly a need to appear such, a simulation, but even here it would be reductive to dismiss the phenomenon as a mere microscopic simulation of a state. There is so much more.

So what is a micronation?

Perhaps the most useful approach to approximating the concept of micronation is to first introduce another concept, the Legal Fiction. Here is the starting point:

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"To limit the repercussions created by the discrepancy between legal reality and historical reality, jurisprudence has created the general remedy of legal fiction aimed at protecting the trust in good faith (Article 1358 of the Italian Civil Code) of the party deceived by appearance. Specifically through this tool:

what in reality does not exist is pretended to exist or, conversely, what in reality exists is pretended to exist, so that a specific historical fact can produce legal effects which, otherwise, would not arise."

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Another note that contradicts Graziani's definition is that micronations are not necessarily small, there is a huge one, which even exceed a million citizens!

Usefull Definitions

While a microstate is a real state in all respects, a micronation is a more recent phenomenon that outwardly imitates some formal aspects. The inconsistency and unrealistic character (often openly playful) clearly distinguishes these initiatives from much more concrete attempts at secession or self-determination.

Beyond the Atlas of MicroNations

The survey carried out on the Internet was superimposed first on the Atlas (Graziani, 2020), then on a less detailed List of micronations (Wikipedia.it) - both texts that were important for the drafting of the article.

The categorizations made by Graziani in the atlas (2020) and by Wikipedia (in the article List of micronations) were completely unsuitable for the study of the phenomenon of micronations. In this survey, the key parameter adopted to classify the micronations was the "Population", the number of so-called "Citizens".

From the selection, all the micronations that no longer exist and the non-encyclopedic ones have been ignored, while some non-encyclopedic ones are included (an arbitrary selection of them, with a limited geopolitical perspective).

First Observations

The projects that lead to the conception, birth, growth and evolution of micronations almost always have a key element that distinguishes them, the act of emancipation with which they simulate or more or less apodictically claim a territory. An exception are those aterritorial micronations, that is, those that do not include the element of the claim.

Survey on the web about the micronations - year 2022

The parameters analyzed in the research sample were:

• flag
• the emblem (Coat of Arms)
• the name given to micronation
• the population declared by the micronation (or secondly the one documented by third parties)
• the territory with reference to the act of emancipation
• the year of foundation
• the presence of a micronation website (official website)

Clarification on historical anomalies and aspiring states

A small number of micronations have the only apparent purpose of establishing themselves as sovereign states. Many of them are based on historical anomalies or on eccentric interpretations of laws. They are micronations located in often limited (and sometimes disputed) territories and are tolerated or ignored by the nations from which they would claim a secession.

Table 1: Summary data of the survey on the Internet of micronations - 2022 by Renato Ongania

Flag	Coat of Arms	Name	Population	Territory with reference to the act of emancipation	Year	Official Website
File:Asgardia flag.jpg		Asgardia	1 014 904	No Territory. No act of emancipation of territory appears on planet Earth, Space is claimed. Created by the chairman of the UNESCO Space Scientific Committee, Igor Ashurbeyli.	2016	https://asgardia.space/it/pages/mission
		Parva Domus	843.297	Self-proclaimed independent republic, it is a micronation for social and entertainment purposes. Located in Montevideo, Uruguay. It began as a protest by Florida Keys island residents and businesses against the United States Border Patrol roadblock. It remains as a tourist attraction.	1878	https://www.defactoborders.org/places/parva-domus
		Repubblica Conch	68.071	It began as a protest by Florida Keys island residents and businesses against the United States Border Patrol roadblock. It remains as a tourist attraction.	1982	https://conchrepublic.com
		Ladonia	27.000	Created by Swedish artist Lars Vilks as a home for his sculptures in a nature reserve northwest of Scania	1980	https://www.ladonia.org
		Wirtland	8.817	Wirtland is an experiment in the legitimacy and self-sustainability of a country without its own soil, which transcends national borders without violating or diminishing the sovereignty of the people involved.	2008	http://www.wirtland.com
		Užupis	7.000	Užupis is a neighborhood located largely in the Old Town of Vilnius, Lithuania. In 1997, the residents of the area declared a Republic of Užupis, with its own flag, currency, president and constitution.	1997	http://uzhupisembassy.eu
	Not present	Nova Roma	5.596	It is a reconstruction of a political structure that has now disappeared to recreate the past. He has minted coins, and uses Latin as an official language. The ultimate goal is the reconstitution of a nation on the model of the Roman Republic.	1998	http://www.novaroma.org/nr/Main_Page
		Antarcticland	3100	Including the lands and islands of Antarctica extending from the South Pole to latitude 60 ° S and between longitudes 90 ° W and 135 ° W, with a total area of​​1,554,424 km², a little less than the territory occupied by Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Switzerland combined. The territory was claimed to the United Nations with legal notification based on the jus gentium right and the right of self-determination of peoples recognized by the UN Charter by a descendant of the discoverer of the ice continent: Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen	1821	https://www.antarticland-gov.org
Not present		Republic of Whangamomona	3.000	Regional borders were redrawn, with the excuse of connection to the national water network. These new borders saw Whangamomona being part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region. The residents disagreed, because they wanted to continue to be part of the Taranaki region mainly for reasons related to the rivalry between their respective regional rugby teams, and on November 1, 1989, they responded by declaring themselves independent. The city continues to celebrate Republic Day annually and at the same time democratically elects the president.	1989	https://whangamomonahotel.co.nz
		Atlantium	3.000	Based in Australia, it advocates for global governance: specifically, no borders and freedom of movement.	1981	https://www.atlantium.org
	Not present	Maritim Republic of Eastport	2.500	An area of​​the city of Annapolis in Maryland that has "separated" from the rest of the city. It still exists as an advertising vehicle, and holds a particular event in the form of a tug-of-war for charitable purposes.	1993	http://themre.org
		Westarctica	2.150	Micronation founded by Travis McHenry who claims 1/8 of the continent of Antarctica.	2001	https://www.westarctica.info
Not present		Hay-on-Wye	2,000	City of Wales which was declared independent by bibliophile Richard Booth, with an advertising intent in order to promote the city as a "city of books"	1977	https://www.hay-on-wye.co.uk
	Not present	Christiania	1.000	It covers almost 8 hectares in the Christianshavn district of Copenhagen (Denmark).	1971	https://www.christiania.org
		Libera Repubblica di Liberland	1.000	Founded by Vít Jedlička on 13 April 2015 in a territory between Croatia and Serbia and not belonging to the two states.	2015	https://liberland.org/en/
		Reunion	900	A micronation founded by Brazilian law students as a political simulation. Reunion has a very active political system. It has issued passports, minted coins and is considered one of the most important Lusophone micronations.	1997	http://www.reuniao.org
		Grand Duchy of Flandrensis	832	Five small islands off the coast of West Antarctica. Claiming Nicholas de Mersch d'Oyenberghe claimed the islands in his name by sending letters to the United Nations and the nations that signed the Treaty on Antarctica (1959).	2008	https://flandrensis.com
Not present		Republic of Frigolandia	600	Frigolandia is the dream-reality project of a republic of fantasy, art and creativity, a laboratory for research and inventions on new possible worlds, a multipolar city of Maivist Art. It is located in Giano dell'Umbria, PG. It is a republic conceived by Vincenzo Sparagna and Andrea Pazienza in 1988, and established in 2005 by Sparagna in the Municipality of Giano dell'Umbria as a "Republic of fantasy".	2005	https://www.frigolandia.eu
		Principality of Aigues-Mortes	469	The Principality of Aigues-mortes (French: Principauté d'Aigues-Mortes) is a Micronation originally created to promote and support local initiatives in the city of the same name, located in the south of France, 23 km east of Montpellier. ​	2011	https://www.principaute-aigues-mortes.com/english
		Republic of Saugeais (République du Saugeais)	466	A Republic in the Department of Doubs in France, bordering Switzerland. The Republic was created with the 11 municipalities of Les Alliés, Arcon, Bugny, La Chaux, Gilley, Hauterive-la-Fresse, La Longeville, Montflovin, Maisons-du-Bois-Lièvremont, Ville-du-Pont and the capital Montbenoît . It had as its "president" Georgette Bertin-Pourchet, elected in 2006, a "prime minister" and numerous "citizens". It was born as a joke between a local hotelier and a passing prefect.	1947	https://www.tourisme-loue-saugeais.com/la-republique-du-saugeais/lhistoire.html
		West Who	360	A micronation described as "a fun and happy nation".	1969	https://www.westwho.com
		Principality of Sealand	350	It is a self-styled principality located off the coast of Great Britain, in non-territorial waters, on an abandoned WWII anti-aircraft platform. Occupied by a pirate radio group in 1967 as a base for its operations, the platform is also the operational base of HavenCo, a "computer paradise" for secure web-hosting; it also hosted Napster in one of the most talked about periods.	1967	https://sealandgov.org
		Principality of Seborga	297	Based on the alleged non-annexation with official documents, the Municipality of Seborga, in Italy, is considered by some of its inhabitants to be an independent principality, based on information dating back to the Middle Ages and the Modern Age. In any case, they respect all Italian laws, including taxes and voting.	1963	https://www.principatodiseborga.com
		Kingdom of Talossa	212	Founded in Milwaukee by fourteen-year-old Robert Ben Madison in 1979, who proclaimed himself King Robert I: due to a dispute over his control over Talossa's internal politics and immigration, some members left the Kingdom in 1998, founding the Free Commonwealth of Penguinea; in 2004 this group joined another series of discontented citizens, who formed the Republic of Talossa. Kingdom and Republic reunited later (2012).	1979	https://talossa.com
		Bardo	200	Municipality of Bardo, Piedmont, Italy	2020	http://www.bardomicronation.eu
		Kingdom of Ruritania	200	The country began as a pseudo-simulation of a fictional nation in 1967, but has evolved (after the Internet) into a micronation with real-world activity.	1967	https://www.ruritania.net
	Not present	Free Republic of Alcatraz	193	Territory near Gubbio.	2009	https://www.jacopofo.com/libera-repubblica-alcatraz-costituzione
		Republic of Poets	161	Italian Municipalities of: Salento (SA), Baiano (AV), Saludecio (RN), Castrocaro Terme e Terra del Sole (FC), Argenta (FE), Verucchio (RN), Magliano Vetere (SA), Giugliano in Campania (NA). No act of territorial emancipation appears.	2022	https://www.repubblicadeipoeti.org
		Lostisland	137	Unlike many other micronations, Lostisland does not claim to be a sovereign state, but rather defines itself as a cultural and social project.	2008	https://lostisland.org
		Republic of Rino Island (República de Rino Island)	130	South American micronation that claims the island of Podestà, Minnehaha, Emily and Rivadeneyra, off the coast of Chile, in the Pacific Ocean.	2009	https://www.rinoisland.com
		Autonomous Zone Of Urside	117	Duchy of Bardo micronation enclave.	2020	https://www.instagram.com/urside_micronation/
		Empire of Agber	108	First established as the Principality of Kolios, the project was reinvented in early 1998 as the Empire of Agber, with Kolios becoming a nation within the Empire.	1995	https://micronations.wiki/wiki/Empire_of_Agber
	File:Transparent Arms of Austenasia.png	Empire of Austenasia	106	A self-declared sovereign state based in the UK.	2008	https://austenasia.com
		Aericano Empire	104	Micronation founded in 1987 and known for strange customs and habits, the smiley flag and the series of national holidays which includes the "Topin Wagglegammon".	1987	http://www.aericanempire.com
		Commonwealth of Dracul	98	A North American micronation located in and surrounded by Houston, Texas.	2017	https://www.draculgov.com
		Slabovia	45	Slabovia exists in the hearts, minds and bodies of its noble and righteous citizens.	1984	http://www.slabovia.com
		Kingdom of Scone	40	Miniature kingdom ruled by a monarchy and parliament modeled after the British crown and the Westminster parliament.	2014	https://www.kingdomofscone.com
		Empire d'Angyalistan	36	It does not have a Territory. No act of territorial emancipation appears.	1999	http://www.angyalistan.com
		Republic of Molossia	30	A 2.5-hectare micronation based in the desert near Reno (Nevada), created by its president Kevin Baugh. Here is set the web miniseries "Kickassia", starring the American reviewer Nostalgia Critic (Doug Walker) and other famous youtubers in America.	1977	http://molossia.org
		Autonomous State of Kirael Kiraelin Autonominen Valtio	30	The Republic of Kirael started out as a capitalist nation, then turned socialist on October 19, 2020. Eventually, Kirael updated its economic status back to its original form.	2020	https://micronations.wiki/wiki/Autonomous_State_of_Kirael
		Kingdom of Pibocip	20	The kingdom of Pibocip is a very small micronation located in the northeastern region of the US state of Ohio.	2020	https://micronations.wiki/wiki/Kingdom_of_Pibocip
		Kingdom of Tavolara	15	Tavolara is an island on the north-east coast of Sardinia, which in 1836 would have been recognized as a kingdom by King Carlo Alberto of Savoy; "in fact" it returned to the territory of the Kingdom of Italy, at the time of the latter's proclamation, on March 17, 1861.	1836	https://it.frwiki.wiki/wiki/Royaume_de_Tavolara
		Zaqistan	3	A small tract of land in Box Elder County, a remote part of Utah, on which its owner has built monuments. He also issued passports.	2005	http://www.zaqart.com/zaqistan/zaqistan.shtml
		Principality of Wy	2	Established by Paul Delprat during a dispute with the local council of the Mosman borough in Sydney, New South Wales, Sydney over the construction of a driveway to his property.	2004	https://principalityofwy.com
	Not present	Akhzivland מדינת אכזיב	1	It is a self-proclaimed "independent republic" established by Israeli hippy sailor Eli Avivi on a Mediterranean beach in Akhziv in Israel. The founder has passed away and only his wife remains.	1971	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akhzivland

Source: Own elaboration (Dr. Renato Ongania), July 2022.

Other micronations suggested from the community on Facebook called Micronations which were missing from the previous sample closed last 27 July 2022

Table 1: Summary data of the survey on the Internet of micronations - 2022 by Renato Ongania

Flag	Coat of Arms	Name	Population	Territory with reference to the act of emancipation	Year	Official Website
		Lorenzburg	1.650	The Principality of Lorenzburg, or simply Lorenzburg, is a micronation founded on 2014. The nation's borders coincide with the borders of the city district of Lorensberg in the Swedish city of Karlstad. The area is approximately 11 hectares (110 000 square meters) and is contiguous with the districts ‘Rud’, ‘Kroppkärr’ and ‘Stockfallet’.	2014	https://www.lorenzburg.org/en/
		Templar Kingdom	800+	The United Holy Kingdom of Beaulosagñe and the Knights Templar of the Holy Grail, or simply Templar Kingdom or Beaulosagñe, is an autonomus territorial nation which claims to be a sovereign state but is more commonly referred to as a micronation by external observers. The Templar Nation was founded in 1980 (although the military order has existed since 1118), first as a dream, which generally became a desire to become a real independent state for all templars. Beaulosagñe is a Christian only nation that has Jesvs Christ as head of state. The nation is ruled as an absolute theocratic monarchy.	1980	https://templar-kingdom.jimdofree.com

The Waywood Territories

The Stomarian Empire

The Principality of Moorland

The Kingodm of Solacia

The Isle of Lithua

Reino do Manso

The Kingdom of Unixploria

Karnia-Ruthenia,

Kingdom of Manso,

State of Xingu,

United Provinces of Mauritia,

Kingdom of Quita Velha and Porto Claro

https://kingdomofsamoulo.wordpress.com

Democratic Republic of Satoshi

Republic of Todia

Bibliography

• AA.VV. (), "Come Fondare la propria Nazione", in WikiHow.it available at the Internet address: https://www.wikihow.it/Fondare-la-propria-Nazione
• AA.VV. (2021), "Elenco delle micronazioni - Liste de micronationsù", in hugewikiit.com, available at the Internet address: https://hugewikiit.com/wiki/Liste_de_micronations
• AA.VV, "List of micronations", in WestArctica.wiki, available at the Internet address: https://www.westarctica.wiki/index.php?title=List_of_micronations
• Graziano Graziani, (2015), Atlante delle micronazioni, Quodlibet Compagnia Extra, Kindle edition 2020
• Keating Joshua, (2008), "How to Start Your Own Country in Four Easy Steps", in ForeignPolicy.it, 26 febbraio 2008, available at the Internet address: https://foreignpolicy.com/2008/02/26/how-to-start-your-own-country-in-four-easy-steps/
• "Emerging Micronations", in MicroFreedom.com, available at the Internet address: https://travisdmchenry.wixsite.com/microfreedom/emerging-micronations
• "Distinguished Micronations", in MicroFreedom.com, available at the Internet address: https://travisdmchenry.wixsite.com/microfreedom/distinguished-micronations

Thanks

Libere Comunità

Free Communities is the official Facebook page of the libertarian discussion group on the topic of intentional communities in their various forms (ecovillages, micronations, transition towns, temporarily autonomous areas, federations, city-states, etc.). Site: http://liberecomunita.org/

Wikimedia Commons

Wikimedia Commons (or simply "Commons") is a repository of multimedia files that allows anyone to access educational content in the public domain and with a free license (images, sounds, video clips), in their own language. It serves as a common repository for the various projects of the Wikimedia Foundation, but it is not necessary to belong to one of these projects to use the multimedia files hosted here. The repository is created and maintained by volunteers, not paid artists. The scope of Commons is defined in the project's purpose pages. Wikimedia Commons uses the same wiki-technology as Wikipedia and anyone can edit the pages. Unlike media files uploaded to other projects, files uploaded to Wikimedia Commons can be used directly on the page of all Wikimedia projects, without the need to upload them separately.