Fictitious Countries

Elliot has posted five new articles in the hoaxipedia. His theme was fictitious countries. Or rather, countries of an ambiguous legal status.

The Principality of New Utopia
An island "country" in the Caribbean established in 1999 by Oklahoma businessman Howard Turney, who prefers to be known as HSH Prince Lazarus.

The Dominion of Melchizedek
A South Pacific island country, that happens to be entirely underwater. It was founded in 1987 by California father and son Evan and Mark Pedley.

The Kingdom of Redonda
A tiny uninhabited island near the Caribbean island of Montserrat that the British science-fiction author M.P. Shiel claimed as his kingdom.

Principality of Outer Baldonia
A tiny island off the coast of Nova Scotia that Washington lawyer Russell Arundel claimed, in 1950, to be his principality.

Principality of Sealand
Billed as the world's smallest country, it's actually an anti-aircraft installation in the North Sea that was abandoned by the British in 1956 and subsequently occupied by pirate radio stations.

Places

Posted on Thu Jan 10, 2008


Comments

An acquaintance of mine went to a small "country" in Australia somewhere. He met the founder of the country (who referred to himself as the "prince", apparently). They stamped his passport and everything. Don't remember what it was called, but thought you might want to look into it.
Posted by Angela  on  Thu Jan 10, 2008  at  10:36 AM
I think this is it:

http://www.principality-hutt-river.com
Posted by Angela  on  Thu Jan 10, 2008  at  10:39 AM
I can remember reading about one or more of these many years ago. It was in one of the news magazines and reported on "countries" that had an ambasador to the USA that the State Department didn't recognize. The embassy of one of the "countries" was a mail drop in a small store in Washington DC. No one will pay attention to these "countries" until oil or something else important is discovered and then the land will be claimed by someone else. The only chance these places have is for some people to move there and start acting like a country. Until that happens these are more expensive versions of vanity plates on a car.
Posted by Christopher Cole  on  Thu Jan 10, 2008  at  10:44 AM
I don't believe that Sealand is fictitious.

It really does exist, and really is its own country.
Posted by coit  on  Thu Jan 10, 2008  at  11:19 AM
Sealand is why I used the phrase "ambiguous legal status." Sealand really does exist, in the sense that it can be visited. But no other governments recognize it as a country, which is one of the usual tests for nation-hood.
Posted by The Curator  in  San Diego  on  Thu Jan 10, 2008  at  01:44 PM
One of my unfulfilled fantasies is to have my own country. Alternatively, I would love for one of the "cargo cults" in the South Pacific to worship me as their God. I actually have a cargo cult picked out. If I ever hit the lottery, I would try to make my fantasy come true. Yes, that means that I'm incredibly goofy.
Posted by Cranky Media Guy  on  Fri Jan 11, 2008  at  01:45 AM
A few years back, I saw an ad in a magazine (Parade?) for coins issued by the Hutt River Province. The ad made it sound as if the Province is recognized as a real country (of course) but it's basically just the fantasy of the "Prince."

Alex is right about Sealand, by the way. It's an abandoned British Navy tower out in the Atlantic. Recently I read that the family which has possessed it for decades wanted to sell it. I haven't heard anything about anyone purchasing it from them. As I recall, the asking price was pretty high.
Posted by Cranky Media Guy  on  Fri Jan 11, 2008  at  01:49 AM
If this subject interests you, check out the Wikipedia entry for "micronations." There's even a lovely photo of Sealand.
Posted by Cranky Media Guy  on  Fri Jan 11, 2008  at  01:54 AM
There's an nice Straight Dope article on nationhood (http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_300.html). And Wired had an excellent article on Sealand in particular (http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.07/haven.html).

Sealand is an interesting case. In some sense, the strongest case for Sealand's nationhood is that they fired upon a British warship and Britain backed down -- which certainly seems like a small war with Sealand being the victor.
Posted by Taed  on  Sat Jan 12, 2008  at  07:59 AM
Many people have been asking me: "Raoul- where is this country Ramonia that you have spoken of oftenly?" So, I, Raoul, The Tickler of a Thousand Frenches, will clear this up for you so much now. I have said that my people are Ramonian, but I have never told the name of the Land of My Birth. This is for reasons that cannot be told, for great and dark occurences would be the harmful result, okay? And one more thing for you hoax peoples, stop sending me the pictures of the women. I have many, but no simple photograph can would suffice. Send Raoul women, okay? Hah ha ha. I am sorry, I should not tweak your unmentions, right? Rrrraoul
Posted by Raoul  on  Sat Jan 12, 2008  at  02:00 PM
Raoul- wuts up, dog?
Posted by Hairy Houdini  on  Sat Jan 12, 2008  at  02:00 PM
go away you Hairy, and don't put nothing up my dog, okay? Raoul is serious this time, so don't go there, you smelly dog stuffer. Rrrraoul
Posted by Raoul  on  Sat Jan 12, 2008  at  02:03 PM
o-kay...
Posted by Hairy Houdini  on  Sat Jan 12, 2008  at  02:04 PM
I hate to tell you, Sealand is a real country, just a few miles off of the coast of England... Sadly, you can become royalty by purchasing a kit (Go to sealand.com).

The rumor behind the story is somewhat true from what I have researched, however, they say fact can be stranger than fiction, but yes, it is an old abandoned rig from WWII.
Posted by Micheal  on  Mon Jan 14, 2008  at  02:58 PM
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