Autonomous Digital State of Saphoria
Autonomous Digital State of Saphoria Savzi Samkeigu'e me'e la Safor | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| Motto: "Loi Prami Je Xandi Je Menli Cu Selgau Mi'a" "Heart, Body, Mind; Our Functions" | |
| Anthem: "A Digital Age" | |
| Capital | Linihub |
| Official languages | Lojban English |
| Religion | Secular state |
| Demonym(s) | Saphorian |
| Government | Technocratic unitary state |
• Supreme Operator | Connor Anderson |
| Legislature | Central Saphorian Committee |
| Establishment | |
• Formation | 13 January 2023 |
| Population | |
• 2023 estimate | 6 |
| Currency | Canadian dollar (de facto) |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
| Date format | yyyy-mm-dd |
| Internet TLD | .sph, .onion |
Saphoria (/sæˈfɒr.iə/, officially the Autonomous Digital State of Saphoria, was a self-proclaimed technocratic, unitary state, though is more commonly regarded as an international micronation residing within Canadian borders. Established on 13 January 2023 by Connor Anderson following the purchase of a local T530 Thinkpad laptop, the newly-formed Central Saphorian Committee declared the laptop as the sovereign, territorial land of Saphoria. The inclusion of a 12-metre frontier around all sides of the laptop was later introduced to allow for some modicum of physical activity within the country.
Given Saphoria's small size and variable territory, its ability to achieve legitimacy per the criteria set-forth in the 1933 Montevideo Convention is questionable. Arguments against Saphorian statehood center specifically around what it means to have "a defined territory" in the treaty. Critics argue that, as Saphoria's territorial claim is centred around a physical object rather than a static land claim, it cannot possess statehood. Supporters of Saphoria argue that due to the wording of the criteria, the 12-metre radius is just as defined as other territories. Others argue that there is no real way in which something is truly fixed in spacetime — it is all relative; so whether a place is fixed relative to the Earth or fixed relative to some other object (like a laptop) is of little difference.
Etymology
The name Saphoria is a homage to Anderson's dog, Saphira. The choice to make Saphira the namesake of the Autonomous Digital Zone, outside of personal affect, was due to her remarkable lifespan and perseverance through many health problems, such as complications with liver disease. In a vote held by the Central Saphorian Committee on 11 January 2023, it was approved by majority vote to officially adopt the Saphoria name for both the physical laptop and the overall country.
History
Pre-establishment
Before the establishment of the Autonomous Digital State, several different ideas were thrown around regarding a local artistic project by Anderson; the current status of these prior ideas are largely still unknown. Starting in late 2022, Anderson acquired a Thinkpad T530 laptop, and by January 2023 had used it as the locus of an idea for a new micronation.
Establishment of the Autonomous Digital State
Having been inspired by the concept of abstract micronations in the past such as the Ambulatory Free States of Obsidia, the Central Saphorian Committee was formed on 6 January 2023 to begin the development process of the Autonomous Digital State. During this week-long development period, the server of Linihub was declared as the capital of Saphoria, this info later being released publicly on Discord.
Politics and government
The Autonomous Digital State of Saphoria is a technocratic one-party unitary state governed by the Central Saphorian Committee, where Operator Ministers are elected according to their capabilities and what project they represent by means of evaluation, logical analysis and compatible results in accordance to the Committees' established vision. The Central Saphorian Committee is responsible for the public distribution, discussion, and articles relating to the Constitution of the Autonomous Digital State.
Projects
A Project is an organized, collaborative effort inside the Autonomous Digital Zone created with the primary purpose of serving the interests of Saphoria, being directly managed by the Central Saphorian Committee with representatives. Projects must first be introduced to the Central Committee with a presentation, if approved, the project proposal is put under a week-long review period for further analysis of the efficiency of members, productivity, etc. If a project successfully meets the criteria set by the Central Committee during its week-long review, it will be officially granted recognition as an official Saphorian Project.
Culture
Saphorian culture is commonly described as an online absurdist geek culture with elements of niche online hobbies present. One of the main examples of this niche culture present inside Saphoria is the inclusion of the Lojban language as one of the official languages in Saphoria, being used in all forms of online communication and documentation.
Social media
Most of Saphoria's public activities are found on various social media platforms, notably including Twitter, Youtube, and Reddit. Since its creation in early 2023, Saphoria has utilized social media platforms to publicly present cultural activities, sponsorships, and their capital region of Linihub with Discord.
Foreign relations
Alliances
Republic_of_Malus (since 17 January 2023)
Recognized micronations
Aerican Empire (since 13 January 2023)
Sealand (since 13 January 2023)
Ambulatory Free States of Obsidia (since 13 January 2023)
Technocratic Republic of Aethodia (since 13 January 2023)
Mutual recognition
- Republic_of_Malus (since 17 January 2023)
Recognized regions
United Nations (since 13 January 2023)
Taiwan (since 13 January 2023)
Kosovo (since 13 January 2023)
Palestine (since 13 January 2023)
Somaliland (since 13 January 2023)
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (since 13 January 2023)
Artsakh (since 13 January 2023)