Micronations

I'm a big fan of places like the Hutt River Province and Sealand... self-proclaimed countries who thumb their noses at the authorities, dodge taxes and generally lark about being eccentric and amusingly pompous. I had absorbed as much info as I thought it was possible to absorb via the internet, and I've even sent letters off to the Hutt River Province, as well as various other places on their behalf in an effort to help get them some of the recognition they're so widely denied. Then along came this book, the Lonely Planet Guide to Micronations. A whole book on self-made countries! A whole book! I was in heaven.

Whilst this book is firmly tongue-in-cheek, in accordance with the cheeky manner and ridiculous claims of some of these places, it's all 100% true (as stated on the cover). The book is divided up into three easily identifiable sections... the serious Micronations (home-made nations who have taken their claims the furthest... the ones who also get away with the most), backyard Micronations (exactly as it sounds, people who have declared their own houses to be authorities only unto themselves) and 'Grand Dreams' (micronations that sound way too crazy to ever be successful).

A $2 banknote from the Hutt River Province in Western Australia, featuring Prince Leonard.

Lonely Planet have to be commended on their research here... each micronation is represented by their flag, vital statistics and colour photographics. In many cases interviews and visits to these places have been utilised (where possible - some of these would-be countries are literally impossible to visit), and each one is presented with an easy-to-understand and sometimes highly amusing history.

Many of the self-made leaders of these countries refer to themselves as President, King, Prince or Emperor (and in one case, Lord Dumpling), and there are plenty of little stories to cover even the smallest and most obscure of micronational claims. I smirked the whole way through this book, it makes me want to go and make my own country in the outback somewhere. Occasionally I was amazed at what these countries try to get away with too... one micronation in the U.S. was so affronted that the U.S. Army was going to be training on it's land that they informed the U.S. Government that they intended to repel the 'assault'. A list of demands were sent to the Army... well, one demand, that the Army ask permission before crossing the 'border'. The Army humoured the micronation and did as they asked.

Anyway, this is a great book about lunatics. Read it and be inspired!