For anyone who's ever dreamed of ruling over their own empire, here's your chance! Micronations are imaginary countries that have a lot of the same things as real ones: laws, customs, history, and their own flags, coins, and postage stamps. Micronations: Invent Your Own Country and Culture takes readers step-by-step to create their own unique realm, using examples from real nations, micronations, and fictional lands. What makes a country a country? What symbols and systems define a country and help it function? Learn about geography and government, technology and the environment, art and culture, and the literary device of "world-building" used in works like The Hobbit and Harry Potter. Kids get to invent their own language, music, games, clothing, food, and holidays to fit their micronation's tradition. Whether they create a land of time travel where every city exists in a different epoch or an underwater monarchy whose chief export is fish, Micronations: Invent Your Own Country and Culture will engage kids' imagination and teach make-believe rulers how the real world works. This title meets Common Core State Standards for literacy in language arts, history and social studies; Guided Reading Levels and Lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity.

Political disagreement is a fact of life. It can prompt people to stand for public office and agitate for political change. Others take a different route; they start their own nation. Micronations and the Search for Sovereignty is the first comprehensive examination of the phenomenon of people purporting to secede and create their own country. It analyses why micronations are not states for the purposes of international law, considers the factors that motivate individuals to separate and found their own nation, examines the legal justifications that they offer and explores the responses of recognised sovereign states. In doing so, this book develops a rich body of material through which to reflect on conventional understandings of statehood, sovereignty and legitimate authority. Authored in a lively and accessible style, Micronations and the Search for Sovereignty will be valuable reading for scholars and general audiences.

A “thoroughly researched, stranger-than-fiction” history of the world’s tiniest rebel nation, filled with intrigue, armed battles, and radio pirates (Robert Jobson, author of Prince Philip’s Century). In 1967, a retired army major and self-made millionaire named Paddy Roy Bates cemented his family’s place in history when he inaugurated himself ruler of the Principality of Sealand, a tiny dominion of the high seas. And so began the peculiar story of the world’s most stubborn micronation on a World War II anti-aircraft gun platform off the British coast. Sealand is the raucous tale of how a rogue adventurer seized the disused Maunsell Sea Fort from pirate radio broadcasters, settled his eccentric family on it, and defended their tiny kingdom from UK government officials and armed mercenaries for half a century. Incorporating original interviews with surviving Sealand royals, Dylan Taylor-Lehman recounts the battles and schemes as Roy and his crew engaged with diplomats, entertained purveyors of pirate radio and TV, and even thwarted an attempted coup that saw the Prince Regent taken hostage. Incredibly, more than fifty years later, the self-proclaimed independent nation still stands—replete with its own constitution, national flag and anthem, currency, and passports. Featuring rare vintage photographs of the Bates clan and their unusual enterprises, this account of a dissident family and their outrageous attempt to build a sovereign kingdom on an isolated platform in shark-infested waters is the stuff of legend. “Memorable . . . This idiosyncratic history entertains.” ―Publishers Weekly “Endlessly captivating, like a thriller, and filled with crisp, evocative writing. Now, you’ll have to excuse me, I’m visiting the principality to become an official ‘Lord of Sealand.’” ―Bob Batchelor, author of The Bourbon King

What is a Micro Nation? A micro nation can actually be referred to as new country project or a model country. The definition of a micro nation is thus rendered: "An entity that resembles a nation or a state, but which for the most part exists only on paper, on the Internet, or in the mind of its creator." Also referred to as: "Model countries and new country projects -- are entities that claim to be independent nations or states but which are unrecognized by world governments or major international organizations." Different reasons exist why micro nations are created some being extremely serious whereas others are as a result of a hobby. There are however very genuine micro nations which are made of an entire community or tribe. These small entities almost always exist as replicas of real nations as opposed to existing states. We can therefore say that these are small nations with a small geographical area as well as populations. The term micro nation can also be used synonymously with the term Fifth nation which also refers to social identity groups. Compared to micronations are macronations which are significantly larger and enjoy some territorial recognition and these are referred to as Fourth world nations. You will find many secessionist or self determination groups counted among macronations. It is also very easy to confuse micronations with those tiny nations that are recognized legitimately. These geographically small counties include countries such as Monaco, Fiji and San Marino. Micronations should not be confused with legitimately recognized, but geographically tiny nations such as Fiji, Monaco, and San Marino, for which the term microstate is more accurate and descriptive. In this book you will read about: * Overview and introduction * Categories of Micronations * List of Small Microstates * List of Physical Micronations * Top Ten Out of the Ordinary Micronations * The Most Famous Micronations * The Newest Kids on the Block * How You Can Start Your Own Micronation

This book teaches readers the basics of building a nation and highlights events that have shaped countries throughout history.

From a New York Times bestselling author, “fascinating tales of intentional communities . . . and utopian visions . . . in a funny, enlightening graphic format” (School Library Journal). Tired of your country’s bad politics? Feeling powerless to change things? Start your own utopia instead! This nonfiction graphic novel collects the stories of 30 self-made places around the world built with a dream of utopia, whether a safe haven, an inspiring structure, or a better-run country. These are the empowering and eccentric visions of creators who struck out against the laws of their homelands, the approval of their peers, and even nature itself to reshape the world around them. Readers will travel around the globe, from the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands to the Indian rock garden of Nek Chand, the micronation of Sealand to the pirate-founded, anti-slavery community of Libertatia. Organized into five chapters: intentional communities, micronations, failed utopias, visionary environments, and strange dreams, This Land is My Land is infused with the hope that tomorrow will be better than today, a conviction universally depicted through the stories of people who were dissatisfied with the status quo and chose to build something better. This informative, fun history makes a great coffee table book and conversation starter. “Colorful fauvist drawings and maps...bring these would-be ‘better tomorrows’ to life with grace and verve.” —Martha Cornog, Library Journal Xpress “Rich, amusing. . . . [A] good example of what history comics can do.” —The Beat “Warner and Dam have infused these often-absurd stories with joy and a measure of dignity.” —NPR Named a 2020 Great Graphic Novels for Teens by The Young Adult Services Association (YALSA).

The seven microstates of Europe, i.e. Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Malta, San Marino, Sovereign Order of St. John, and Vatican City are remarkable not only for their size, but their persistence. Most have been around for centuries, while much larger empires have come and gone. Despite the great events of the last two millennia, these countries have come into existence and have managed to steer a course away from incorporation within their larger neighbors. Why is this? Rather than being an exercise in triviality, the study in The Microstates of Europe: Designer Nations in a Post-Modern World of the histories of these tiny states may provide insight into tenaciousness of national aspirations and ethnic solidarity that are everywhere evident. Modernist studies tend to view the microstates as illogical anomalies destined to disappear under the crush of social progress. However, these states are anything but marginal—in fact, they are among the richest states in the world. This book examines the phenomenon from structural history and anthropological perspectives. It is not a grand history of petite places—rather, it is an “ethnographic anthology” of a few places in Europe that should not logically exist. The Microstates of Europe is a post-modern critique of the trends of globalism, and it examines the counter-trend of increasing nationalism, particularism, and cultural relativism. Rather than being eclectic exceptions, the microstates may demonstrate the survival of extremely long enduring mechanisms of collective boundary maintenance that are most likely present in many communities throughout the world.

The memorial of Giorgio Rosa, a visionary mechanical engineer from Bologna, who designed and built Rose Island. His indipendent micronation was inaugurated in 1968 on a platform outside Italian national waters. This book proposes a reconstruction of its most significant stages, from the earliest enthusiasm for its accomplishment until its epilogue, namely the Italian Navy unlawful occupation and following destruction. An anarchical and utiopian but still contemporary story, rediscovered by Paolo Emilio Persiani in 2009 after having faded into oblivion. Later on it was transposed in books, films that are often far away from historical accuracy, main goal of this hand-written autobiography. "It was in the year 2008, that Dr Rosa thoroughly kept telling me his stories which seemed to have happened just the day before. Forty years had passed but his eyes were shining and still reflected his deep faith in what he had done. Unfortunately, David was defeated by Goliath, as we all know."Every free man's dream: to create an indipendent State. In this little unedited book Giorgio Rosa tells us how he actually built his micronation in international waters outside Rimini's coasts. An extraordinary, fascinating and "pirate-style" undertaking that took place in the revolutionary year 1968.

The fourth edition of the principal dictionary of English-language micronational slang. With 402 entries, it includes the definitions, etymologies, notes on usage, formations and a pronunciation guide for every entry, as well as a special page on the etymologies of micronation (revealed for the first time ever) and micropatriology.

The second edition of the Micronational Dictionary includes the definitions, etymologies, usages and pronunciation guides to various words within intermicronational jargon, from 1964 to 2023. Written by Zabëlle Skye and published by Sonder-Traverse Press, the publishing house of the Institute of Micropatriological Research (IMR), this second edition includes 50 new entries for a total of 211, as well as a preface and three-page history of the origin, evolution and popularisation of the word micropatriology—never before known until now.