Federated States of Martian Olympus

Federated States of Martian Olympus
Flag Flag Great Seal Coat of arms
Motto: Magna Est Filter Post Nos (Latin) "The Great Filter Is Behind Us"
Anthem: The Red Planet Beckons
Territoral land claim on Mars. Embassy located in the Earth city of Vancouver.
Capital	Olympus Mons (de jure) Vancouver (de facto)
Official languages	English,French
Demonym(s)	Martian
Government	Federal presidential non-partisan republic
• President	Ross Shaw
Legislature	Martian Congress
Establishment	1 November 2020 AD
Population
• Census	Mars - 0 Earth - 5
Currency	Martian Credit Standard
Time zone	Coordinated Mars Time (MTC)

Martian Olympus, officially the Federated States of Martian Olympus, is an extraterrestrial micronation which claims the Olympus Mons volcano and it's surrounding area on the surface of the planet Mars. It's government was established on Earth in the year 2020 AD, with an embassy and diplomatic officials based in the Canadian city of Vancouver, British Columbia.

Martian Olympus was founded by aspiring micronationalist Ross Shaw, who sent a "Proclamation of Martian Sovereignty" to several of the world's leading space-faring countries as well as the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs asserting his claim to Olympus Mons and the surrounding Tharsis and Amazonis quadrangles. According to Ross, he is not bound by the 1967 Outer Space Treaty which explicitly forbids nations from claiming sovereignty in outer space, since he is acting as an individual and not a representative of any existing Earthly government. Martian Olympus maintains that it seeks to establish the first sovereign extraterrestrial nation and that it's aims are purely for the benefit of humanity and future colonization of Mars.

Claim to Sovereignty

The Federated States of Martian Olympus has asserted it's sovereignty over Olympus Mons and it's surrounding territory for the stated purpose of founding a future Martian nation. The text of Mr Shaw's Proclamation of Martian Sovereignty reads:

For the sake of humanity, and in the interest of the advancement of the human race, I am writing to inform you of my intention to officially stake an extraterrestrial land claim to territory on the planet Mars. I am hereby claiming the area of 90° to 180° west longitude and 0° to 30° north latitude, which is comprised of the Tharsis and Amazonis quadrangles. This area specifically includes the Olympus Mons volcano.

I believe my claim is exempt from the 1967 Outer Space Treaty which explicitly forbids any nation from claiming sovereignty of outer space or any celestial body since I am acting as an individual and not a representative of any current sovereign nation which exists on Earth. Article II of the treaty states that “outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means”. Since I am not acting in the national interest of any one country, I feel my claim is entirely valid, legal and justifiable.

Henceforth, this territory will be known as the FEDERATED STATES OF MARTIAN OLYMPUS, created for the purpose of founding a future sovereign nation on Mars. I claim ownership over all minerals and natural resources that may be found beneath the surface of Martian Olympus, as well as the in-atmosphere airspace above the territory. I will welcome all probes, exploration rovers, and future scientists and colonists to Martian Olympus in the interest of science and the wider colonization effort of the planet. My intentions are purely for the benefit of all mankind.

History

The Beginning

In mid 2020, Ross Shaw was forced to self-quarantine at home for an indefinite period due to work-related precautions regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. During his furlough, Ross came across a short YouTube documentary about the Republic of Molossia and quickly became very inspired by the notion of one man declaring a sovereign nation. Thus began a lengthy period of research on the subject of micronations, and Ross became increasingly interested in nations such as the Grand Duchy of Westarctica who are famous for staking their sovereign claim on the continent of Antarctica. Seeing as how Antarctica was "off the table" in terms of available unclaimed territory, Ross began to look further afield for a location he could claim as his own. He briefly considered establishing his own country within the boundaries of his property, but due to it's small size, this plan was ultimately abandoned.

Meeting Fellow Micronationalists

Later that summer, Ross came into contact with the two leading members of the Vancouver Island Soviet Socialist Republic, a small but reasonably well-established micronation located a short distance away from Vancouver proper. Due to several months of decreasing activity and a lack of general interest in the Vancouver Island SSR, these two micronationalists expressed an interest in getting involved with a new project. From them, Ross gained a lot of insight into social media promotion and wiki page development and would later go on to enlist their help with establishing the MicroWiki article for Martian Olympus.

The Red Planet Beckons

Ross had maintained a lifelong interest in outer space, and specifically the future colonization of Mars. Being a firm believer in the theory that colonizing the solar system is mankind's only hope for long-term survival, he began formulating the idea of establishing an extraterrestrial micronation. After studying the content of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which forbids national appropriation of territory beyond the planet Earth, Ross realized that the treaty does not specifically refer to individuals. Ross ultimately came to the conclusion that there is no concrete legal framework for individuals staking land claims to celestial bodies in outer space, and that the surface territory of Mars remains largely unclaimed. On November 1, 2020, Ross officially founded the Federated States of Martian Olympus which would lay claim to one of his lifelong fascinations - the tallest volcano in the entire solar system, Olympus Mons.

A Nation In The Shadow Of A Giant

Ross quickly got to work writing the "Proclamation of Martian Sovereignty" which would serve as the primary founding document of his new nation. Since the base of Olympus Mons is located within neighboring quadrangles on the Martian map, Ross would claim their combined territory and designate them as 2 federal states - Tharsis and Amazonis. The government headquarters of Martian Olympus, which would also serve as it's embassy, would be located on Earth and be based out of Ross's home in Vancouver, British Columbia. The proclamation was completed on November 5, 2020, and multiple copies of it were sent to the world's leading space-faring nations as well as the United Nations. The very first copy of the document signed by Ross Shaw remains in the country's National Archive and is considered a prized possession. With territorial land claims firmly in place, Ross set about the task of forming a government for the future state on Mars. He declared himself "President" and established the national framework of the country to be governed as a federal republic.

Overview

Territory

The sovereign territory of the Federated States of Martian Olympus is located in Mars' western hemisphere, approximately 9,000,000 square kilometers in size. In terms of landmass, this is larger than the continental United States while being smaller than Canada. The official capital of the nation, Olympus Mons, is located at 18°39′N 226°12′E, just off the northwestern edge of the Tharsis bulge. The western portion of the volcano lies in the Amazonis quadrangle and the central and eastern portions in the adjoining Tharsis quadrangle. Therefore, Martian Olympus claims the entirety of both quadrangles which have been designated as it's two federal states. It's embassy and de facto seat of government is of course, located on Earth.

Politics and Government

Officially, Martian Olympus is governed as a federal presidential republic. It's executive branch is led by President Ross Shaw, while the Martian Congress encompasses both houses of the legislative branch. The Supreme Court of Martian Olympus serves as it's judicial system. The nation is non-partisan in nature, meaning there are no political parties. There are also no elections and no executive term limit, which makes effectively makes the country a dictatorship. Politically, Martian Olympus does not specifically espouse any particular ideology. Ross has stated publicly that his intention is to remain "above the fray of traditional partisan politics", and that the nation is dedicated to science above all else.

Economy

The Martian Credit Standard is the common currency of the nation. The Canadian Dollar is also used, and the de facto currency for government operations on Earth.

National Symbols

• 

  National Flag

• 

  Great Seal

The national flag of Martian Olympus is a simple black field featuring a red triangular shape the full width and half the height of the flags total area. Black symbolizes the vastness of outer space, while the red triangle represents Olympus Mons.

The Great Seal is the primary diplomatic and legal symbol for the nation which also serves as an official emblem (in place of a coat of arms). It is a standard seal design similar to those used by the United States on Earth. It features the same red triangular symbolism seen on the national flag, while the two white stars represent the two federal states - Tharsis and Amazonis. The blue circle represents the beginnings of the nation's existence on Earth, while 18°39′N 226°12′E are the Martian coordinates of Olympus Mons.

National Anthem

The national anthem of Martian Olympus is The Red Planet Beckons. The piece of music chosen for the anthem was composed by Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov in 1944 and previously used as the national anthem of the Azerbaijan SSR from 1945 to 1992. New lyrics were written by Ross Shaw, who has proclaimed a long-standing admiration for Uzeyir Hajibeyov and his music.