love is a micronation

I have always been totally crazy for micronations. They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and wrapped up in people's wacky hopes and dreams and ideologies. Some of them only exist in the imagination. I like that they exist almost in opposition to conventional notions of nationalism - they are communities defined by ideas (however bananas the ideas sometimes seem), the citizens come together because of a common ideal. While macronationalism so often seems to be about instilling a false sense of 'commonality' that is really about affirming the differentness of other people. But maybe really I just like them because they are cute and small and stand testament to a crazy beautiful optimism in people. 

This is Sealand, which was established in an abandoned WW2 gun platform in the North Sea in 1967.

A stamp from the Kingdom of Elleore, just north of the Danish island of Zealand. Elleore standard time is 12 mnutes behind Danish time.

An aerial shot of and a representation of the flag of the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands.

The Republic of Rose Island, that was established - and shortly thereafter destroyed by the italian government - just off the coast of Rimini in 1968.

A map of the Hutt River Province, not so far from my hometown in Western Australia.