View source for Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia

{{Infobox nation
|name = Kingdom of Araucanía and Patagonia<br />''Reino de Araucanía y Patagonia''<br />''Royaume d'Araucanie et de Patagonie''
|year_start = 1860
|year_end = 1862
|p1 = w:Argentina
|p2 = w:Chile
|s1 = w:Argentina
|s2 = w:Chile
|s3 = New Revived Republic of Araucanía and Patagonia
|flag_p1 = Flag of Argentina.png
|flag_p2 = Flag of Chile.png
|flag_s1 = Flag of Argentina.png
|flag_s2 = Flag of Chile.png
|flag_s3 = 300px-Flag of the Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia.png
|image1 = [[File:300px-Flag_of_the_Kingdom_of_Araucania_and_Patagonia.png|150px|border]]<br />Flag
|image2 = [[File:Escudoarauco.jpg|100px]]<br />Seal
|motto = ''Independencia y Libertad''<br />{{small|([[w:Spanish language|Spanish]]: "Independence and Freedom")}}
|anthem = 
|location = Southern Chile and Argentina
|capital = [[w:Perquenco|Perquenco]] (claimed)<br />[[w:Paris|Paris]] (in exile)
|largest_city = 
|languages = [[w:Mapudungun|Mapudugun]]{{*}}[[w:Spanish language|Spanish]]{{*}}[[w:French language|French]]
|religions= 
|demonym = 
|government = Monarchy
|head of state = King (1860–1878)
|head of government = 
|hos_name = [[Orelie-Antoine de Tounens|Orélie-Antoine I]]
|hog_name = 
|legislature = 
|established = 17 November 1860
|disestablished = 5 January 1862
|population = 
|population_notes = 
}}
The '''Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia''', also called ''New France'', was a [[micronation]] founded by a French lawyer and adventurer named [[Orelie-Antoine de Tounens]] in southern South America in the mid 19th century. At the time the local indigenous Mapuche population were engaged in a desperate armed struggle to retain their independence in the face of hostile military and economic encroachment by the governments of Chile and Argentina, who coveted the Mapuche lands for their agricultural potential.

While visiting the region in 1860, Orelie-Antoine came to sympathise with the Mapuche cause, and the Mapuche leaders in turn elected him to the position of King — possibly in the belief that their cause might be better served with a European acting on their behalf. Orelie-Antoine then set about establishing a government, created a blue, white and green flag, and had coins minted for the nation under the name of ''Nouvelle France''

His efforts at securing international recognition for the Mapuche were thwarted by the Chilean and Argentinian governments, who captured, imprisoned and then deported him on several occasions. King Orelie-Antoine I eventually died penniless in France in 1878 after years of fruitless struggle to regain his perceived legitimate authority over his conquered kingdom.

The first Araucanian king's present-day successor, Prince Felipe, lives in France and has renounced his predecessor's claims to the Kingdom, but he has kept alive the memory of Orelie-Antoine, and lent continued support to the ongoing struggle for Mapuche self-determination by authorising the minting of forty or so coins in cupronickel, silver, gold and palladium since 1988.

==Monarchs==
*King '''Orélie Antoine I''' (1860-1878)
All monarchs after Orélie-Antoine have been claimants of the Araucanian throne.
*King '''Aquiles I''' (1878-1902)
*King '''Antonio II''' (1902-1903)
*Queen '''Laura Teresa I''' (1903-1916)
*King '''Antonio III''' (1916-1952)
*Prince '''Felipe I''' (1952 - 2014)
*Prince '''Antonio IV''' (2014 - 2017)
*Prince '''Frederico I''' (2017 - present)

==See also==
*[[w:Araucania|Araucania]]
*[[w:Patagonia|Patagonia]]

==External links==
*[http://www.araucania.org/ Website of the Kingdom of Araucania and Patagonia]

*[http://www.geocities.com/tourtoirac/ North American Araucanian Royalist Society]
[[Category:Micronations]]
[[Category:Constitutional monarchies]]
[[Category:Monarchies]]
[[Category:South American micronations]]
[[Category:Monarchies]]
[[Category:Constitutional monarchies]]
[[Category:Founded before 2001]]
[[Category:French micronations]]
[[Category:Argentine micronations]]
[[Category:Spanish-speaking regions]]
[[Category:French-speaking regions]]
[[Category:Founded before 2001]]
[[Category:Kingdoms]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Araucania and Patagonia}}