In Roman law, “terra nullius” (or “no man’s land”) is any land that is not claimed by any sovereign state. However, there are many cases of individuals claiming these lands as their own, thus becoming micronations. However, these micronations tend to go unrecognized by other countries. Here are a few examples of micronations.

Sealand

On Christmas Eve 1966, a former British Army major by the name of Paddy Roy Bates took over an abandoned WWII sea fortress in the North Sea six miles off the coast of Felixstone in Suffolk, England with the intent of establishing a pirate radio station. It was during a ceremony that was held on September 2, 1967 that the Principality of Sealand declared its independence, a custom flag was raised, and Bates’ wife Joan was given the title of Princess as a birthday gift to her. This was in response to the passage of the Marine Broadcasting Act of 1967, which made it illegal for pirate radio stations to employ British citizens. In addition to having its own flag, the micronation also has its own constitution, passports, stamps, coins, and national anthem. It even has its own motto-E Mare Libertas: “From the sea, freedom.” The micronation earns its income by selling aristocratic titles and hosting internet servers. Paddy Roy Bates passed away on October 9, 2012 at a nursing home in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, England after a battle with Alzheimer’s.

Liberland

On April 13, 2015, a Czech politician and former financial analyst by the name of Vit Jedlicka on a disputed 3 sq. mile patch of land on the Serbian-Croatian border. The area has no current residents and contains a single building that has been abandoned for 30 years. If recognized, it would be the third smallest country in the world after the Vatican and Monaco respectively. The purpose of Liberland’s creation is to establish a country where people can prosper without the burden of unnecessary restrictions and taxes. The country is modeled after the existing states of Monaco, Lichtenstein, and Hong Kong. Its constitution is modeled after the constitutions of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland amongst other countries. The micronation also has its own flag, coat arms, and motto-“to live and let live.”

Since the declaration of micronation, over 250,000 people from all over the world have applied for citizenship. Most of applications came from Serbia, Croatia, and the Czech Republic. However, there have been applications from various countries such as Egypt, Montenegro, and Hong Kong. The only condition when applying for citizenship is that they have no connection to any extremist groups. Otherwise, anybody is welcome to apply.

Kingdom of North Sudan

Bir Tawil is a 795 sq. mile uninhabited area of desert between Egypt and Sudan. According to an 1899 version of the Egypt-Sudan border that was drawn by British administrators, Bir Tawil belongs to Sudan. However, the country of Sudan rejects this claim, citing a map that was drawn in 1902.

It is in this area that Jeremiah Heaton of Abington, Va. placed a blue flag with four stars on a hill and declared the area to be the “Kingdom of North Sudan” in honor of his daughter’s seventh birthday on June 16, 2014. Heaton, who works in the mining industry, did this because his daughter asked if she could become a real princess. Heaton claims that the flag planting was an “act of love instead of war” intends to turn the area into an agricultural center so that children of the area would have enough food to eat.