Grand Duchy of Westarctica
Micronation
Flag of Westarctica
Flag
of Westarctica
Coat of arms
Motto: Fortune favors the bold
Anthem: God Save Westarctica[1]
Location of Westarctica
CapitalPeter I Island
Official languagesEnglish, German
Demonym(s)Westarctican
Organizational structureConstitutional monarchy
Travis McHenry
Jordan Farmer
• Chief Justice
Christine Wood
Establishment
• Formation
2 November 2001
Area claimed
• Total
1,320,000 km2 (510,000 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate
0 (No residents, but claimed over 2,000 citizens)
Purported currencyIce Mark
Website
www.westarctica.info Edit this at Wikidata
Ice Mark

Westarctica, officially the Grand Duchy of Westarctica and formerly the Protectorate of Westarctica,[2] is a micronation in Antarctica, founded in 2001 by Travis McHenry, who styles himself as Grand Duke Travis.[3][4] It claims a region of West Antarctica which has not been claimed by any nation state, comprising most of Marie Byrd Land. This wedge is located between the Ross Dependency claimed by New Zealand, and the Chilean Antarctic Territory, between 90 degrees and 150 degrees west longitude and south of the 60th parallel. The region includes 1,600,000 square kilometres (620,000 sq mi) of land, making it the largest territory not claimed by any recognized nation. Westarctica claims over 2,000 citizens, but none of them reside within the claimed territory,[5][6] which has no permanent settlements or research stations.[7]

In 2018, the government of Westarctica established an honorary consul in Nerja, Spain,[8] and continues to establish other honorary consulates around the world.[9]

Grand Duke Travis I of Westarctica receives an award from Emir Charles of Raphania at MicroCon 2022.

The Westarctican government has established a US-based charity to raise awareness about the impact of climate change on the wildlife of Antarctica[9] and has also been active in speaking about the need for an effective global response to COVID-19.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ Westarctica, Land of the Brave (Lyric Video), retrieved 15 July 2021
  2. ^ Bahareth, Mohammad (December 2011). Micronations: For Those Who Are Tired of Existing Incompetent Governments and Are Longing for Something New and Refreshing. iUniverse. ISBN 9781462069262.
  3. ^ Milan Aleck (2 February 2018). "Molossia, Westarctica und Co.: Kennen Sie diese Mikronationen?". Web.de (in German).
  4. ^ a b Andrew Whalen On 4/10/20 at 9:59 AM EDT (10 April 2020). "Micronations in the United States prepare for coronavirus, send messages of goodwill to the American people". Newsweek. Retrieved 15 July 2021.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ Justin Streight (11 April 2015). "Micronations Summit In California: Biggest Names From Tiniest Nations". Inquisitr.
  6. ^ "After running a country for 15 years, he hopes to see it someday". Condé Nast Traveller India. 27 October 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  7. ^ Wilch, T. I.; McIntosh, W. C.; Panter, K. S. (1 January 2021). "Chapter 5.4a Marie Byrd Land and Ellsworth Land: volcanology". Geological Society, London, Memoirs. 55 (1): 515–576. doi:10.1144/M55-2019-39. ISSN 0435-4052. S2CID 233632723.
  8. ^ Eugenio Cabezas (1 November 2018). "Westarctica abre una embajada en Nerja". Sur (in Spanish).
  9. ^ a b Hookway, James (21 June 2020). "Fake Countries Have a Hard Time Dealing with the Pandemic, Too". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 15 July 2021.

External links

Micronations
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