Free State of Ogygia
Free State of Ogygia Vrijstaat Ogygië | |
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 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| Motto: Vis in Lapis Strength in the Stone | |
| Anthem: Isle of Calypso, Rock of Virtue | |
| Government Seal Lord Advocate Seal   | |
 Location of Ogygia | |
| Capital |  Calypso Bay62°46′34″S 61°14′15″W / 62.77611°S 61.23750°W |
| Largest | Calypso Bay |
| Official languages | English, Dutch |
| Ethnic groups (2024)TBA | 100% Arab |
| Religion | Secular |
| Demonym(s) | Ogygian Ogygne Freestater (informal) |
| Government | One man nation under an interim Constitutional dictatorship |
• Lord-Advocate | Shady Morsi |
| Legislature | None (rule by degree)[a] |
| Establishment | |
• Independence | 14 June 2024 |
• Start-up phase | 20 June 2024 |
| Area | |
• | 0.0201 km2 (0.0078 sq mi) (196th) |
| Population | |
• 2024 estimate | 1 |
• 2024 census | 2024 |
• Density | 0/km2 (0.0/sq mi) (0) |
| Currency | Ogyg (֏) (OGY) |
| Time zone | GMT+12 |
| none | |
| Antipodes | 62.779,-241.233 |
| Date format | dd-mm-yyyy CE, |
| Driving side | left and right but also up and down |
| Calling code | +672. (de facto) +052 (proposed) |
| Internet TLD | .oy |
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Ogygia, officially known as the Free State of Ogygia, is a small, self-proclaimed independent state that is commonly referred to as a micronation. The nation consists of one island, Ogygia Island, and 4 small islets surrounding Ogygia. Located on the east side of Snow Island in the South Shetland Islands, with an area of approximately 2 hectares and a population of 1, it is the smallest state in the Western Antarctica Sector by both area and population. The nation is a one man nation governed directly by the the Lord-Advocate, who is the combined head of state and head of government. The holder is given the formal style of Their Highness. There is a de jure National Council that is established by the Ogygian Constitution, but is kept in inactivity due to the Lord-Advocate being the only citizen of Ogygia. Ogygia has also been described as Lord-Advocate Shady Morsi's last attempt to form a micronation. The nation is classified as mainly simulationist but is seen by the Ogygian government as a literal interpretation of the concept of a micronation. The Ogygian government believes that claiming a small, unnoticed island would increase the chances of international recognition. They posit that nations are more likely to oppose large territorial claims, whereas a minimal claim might be overlooked. Furthermore, the government emphasizes that a nation's essence is defined by its people rather than its geographical size.
The country is mainly based on states like San Marino, Andorra, and the Vatican City. A nation in rapid development, Ogygia ranks average in international comparisons of national performance, such as quality of life, education, protection of civil liberties, government transparency, and economic freedom. Ogygia as a nation-state underwent major changes during the 2020s, which transformed it from various incarnations to an active member of the MicroWiki community, as well as a nation with its own identity.
Ogygia is not a member of the United Nations, however many other states maintain unofficial ties through representative offices and institutions that function as de facto embassies and consulates.
Etymology
The feature is named after the mythical island Ogygia, home of the nymph Calypso. Aeschylus calls the Nile Ogygian, and Eustathius the Byzantine grammarian said that Ogygia was the earliest name for Egypt, while other suggested locations for Ogygia include the Ionian Sea. The full name of the republic is the Free State of Ogygia. Ogygia can be pronounced as oh-JIH-jee-uh or oh-GIG-GI-uh.
History
Pre-micronational
The islands were discovered by British mariner William Smith, in William, in 1819. Although Dutch mariner Dirck Gerritsz in 1599 or Spanish Admiral Gabriel de Castilla in 1603 might have sighted the South Shetlands, or North or South American sealers might have visited the archipelago before Smith, historical evidence is insufficient to sustain such assertions. Smith's discovery, by contrast, was well documented and had wider historical implications beyond its geographic significance.
From December 1819 to January 1820, the islands were surveyed and mapped by Lieutenant Edward Bransfield on board the Williams, which had been chartered by the Royal Navy.
On 15 November 1819, the United States agent in Valparaíso, Jeremy Robinson, informed the United States Secretary of State John Quincy Adams of Smith's discovery and Bransfield's forthcoming mission, and suggested dispatching a United States Navy ship to explore the islands, where "new sources of wealth, power, and happiness would be disclosed and science itself be benefited thereby".
The discovery of the islands attracted British and American sealers. The first sealing ship to operate in the area was the brig Espirito Santo, chartered by British merchants in Buenos Aires. The ship arrived at Rugged Island off Livingston Island, where its British crew landed on Christmas Day 1819, and claimed the islands for King George III. A narrative of the events was published by the brig's master, Joseph Herring, in the July 1820 edition of the Imperial Magazine. The Espirito Santo was followed from the Falkland Islands by the American brig Hersilia, commanded by Captain James Sheffield (with second mate Nathaniel Palmer), the first US sealer in the South Shetlands.
The first wintering over in Antarctica took place on the South Shetlands, when at the end of the 1820–1821 summer season, 11 British men from the ship Lord Melville failed to leave King George Island, and survived the winter to be rescued at the beginning of the next season.
Having circumnavigated the Antarctic continent, the Russian Antarctic Expedition of Fabian von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev arrived at the South Shetlands in January 1821. The Russians surveyed the islands and named them, landing on both King George Island and Elephant Island. While sailing between Deception and Livingston Islands, Bellingshausen was visited by Nathaniel Palmer, master of the American brig Hero, who informed him of the activities of dozens of American and British sealing ships in the area.
The name "New South Britain" was used briefly, but was soon changed to South Shetland Islands (in reference to the Shetland Islands in the north of Scotland). The name South Shetland Islands is now established in international usage. The two island groups lie at similar distances from the Equator; the Scottish Shetland Islands are 60°N, and warmed by the Gulf Stream, but the South Shetlands at 62°S are much colder.
Seal hunting and whaling were conducted on the islands during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The sealing era lasted from 1820 to 1908 during which time 197 vessels are recorded as having visiting the islands. Twelve of those vessels were wrecked. Relics of the sealing era include iron try pots, hut ruins, and inscriptions.
Beginning in 1908, the islands were governed as part of the Falkland Islands Dependency, but they have only been permanently occupied by humans since the establishment of a scientific research station in 1944. The archipelago, together with the nearby Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia Island, is an increasingly popular tourist destination during the southern summer.
Morsi propospals
Since Morsi's abdication as king of Wallenia, and subsequent dissolution of the nation, Morsi struggled to come up with a micronation. This resulted in various attempts and semi-successful projects such as Medopolania, Leppa. and the re-establishment of earlier Oegstgeestian Micronations such as Viadalvia. The reason is due to territorial claims, disputes over its form of government, and lack of active citizenry, while the main reasons why the nations never took off beyond the starting phase. Morsi wanted to return to micronationalism but with a cultural outlook as opposed to a political one. The modest territorial claim of Ogygia is rooted Morsi's literal interpretation of the concept of a micronation. Morsi wanted to have a nation that fully commits to the 1933 Montevideo convention. Ogygia had a defined territory, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states; however, it lacked a permanent population on the island. With the goal of establishing "a new national cultural-idealist project", Ogygia was less secessionist oriented than its predecessors and is focused more on culture and roleplay. Observers have criticised Ogygia as "Morsi's attempt at a personal fiefdom".
| Era | Description | Flag | Leaders | |||
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| Medopolania | 2021 | The sucessor state of Wallenia. Due to Medopolania's unique government .Most members of the National Council where inactive since October 2021. It started with more and more isolation, government inactivity and little recovery. However an unexpected event happened when Morsi along with Buitenhuis would at least restore some basic government functions.. Medopolania's unexpected 6th-place finish at the 2nd TVB Microvision Song Contest resparked interest in the Medopolanic nation but to no avail. | 
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| Leppa | 2022 | Morsi wanted to have a nation that fully commits to the 1933 Montevideo convention. And Leppa partialy did , Claims proposed was the internationaly divided Koiluoto, and nearby Kuusiluoto before settling for Leppäluoto, Leppa as a state of international law possessd the following qualifications: a defined territory; government; and capacity to enter into relations with the other states. Leppa however lacked a permanent population on Leppäluoto. Leppä was more secessionist oriented with the plan of actually sending an independence decleration of Leppä towards the King of the Netherlands and the President of Finland, However the latter has been delayed due to Finnish-Russian tensions. However intrest in the micronation dwindeld as Leppan citizens quit en masse. This was the last micronation of Shady Morsi that had active citizenry | 
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| No Micronation (2022-2023) | ||||||
| Psi Islands | 2023 | a conceptual state commonly known as a micronation located in Antartica that claimed the Psi Islands, a group of small islands which lie close to the west side of Lambda Island in the Melchior Islands, The name, derived from the 23rd letter of the Greek alphabet, appears to have been first used on a 1946 Argentine government chart following surveys of these islands by Argentine expeditions in 1942 and 1943.the nation is de facto sucessor of the now defunct Leppa retaining its active citizenry, The flag and the coat of arms of the Psi Islands are now used as Ogygian symbols altough modified | 
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| Unnamed Mountain Nation | 2023 | Morsi, after thoroughly evaluating the prospects of establishing an independent nation primarily on islands, sought an unconventional approach. Inspired by the unique political and cultural configurations of Nepal, Mount Athos, and Andorra, he initially envisioned claiming a mountain as an independent nation. This idea intrigued him due to the historic and spiritual significance that mountains often hold. However, practical challenges led to the abandonment of this plan early in its conceptual phase. However Morsi formed the White Company a titular nation and a monastic order | 
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| Yezd | 2023 | |||||
| Glozhenia | 2024 | |||||
Recent History
Ogygia declared independence on 14 June 2024 after the collapse of Glozhenia. This was due to Morsi's friends not being interested in a secessionist oriented micronation. Morsi generated the constitution of Ogygia with ChatGPT, making Ogygia one of the first AI-controlled micronations, though Morsi has stated that he will re-write the constitution once Ogygia gets more citizens.
Government
Lord Advocate
The government of Ogygia has a unique structure. The Lord-Advocate is the sovereign of the state, but he is supported by different bodies though this bodies are declared "inactive" until Ogygia gains more citizens. While legislative authority is also managed, by the National Council. Nevertheless, the Lord-Advocate has absolute power in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches over Ogygia. The Ogygian government has a great emphasis in civic virtue. The Lord-Advocate of Ogygia (Dutch: Heer-Voorstander) is the head of state and government of Ogygia. The current Lord-Advocate is Shady Morsi. He is correctly styled and adressed as (His) Highness. With the execption in parliament where he is adressed as His Worship. Members of the National Council act as deputy heads of state, standing in for the head of state when they are unable to fulfil their duties, such as when the head of state is either absent or ill. Altough this is not a constitutional requirement and the Lord-Advocate can be elected any time. The title of Lord-Advocate is always hypened as it explicitly connects the two words, indicating that they function together as a single title rather than two separate terms.
Law
Ogygia has numerous courts in its judicial branch, as outlined in the interim constitution. The highest court, though subject in civil cases to the appellate jurisdiction is the Supreme Court, which consists of the Constitutional Court and a High Court. Both of these have a chief justice and two judges.
Administrative divisions
Ogygia is comprised of three municipalities (two until 23 June 2024 when the Isles was separated from Calypso Bay), the largest of which is Calypso Bay, which is also the nation's capital. The council elects the mayor and their deputies, referred to as councilors, from within its ranks. Politically, it is customary for the candidate for the mayoral position to be indirectly chosen by voters through the leader of the most popular list.
The primary responsibilities of the municipalities are to provide local services to their citizens. Additionally, the municipalities serve as constituencies for the National Council, due to Ogygia's size.
| Coat of arms | Map | Municipality | Capital | Code | Citizens | Area (km2) | Council |
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Calypso Bay | Calypso Bay | CB | TBA | TBA | Calypso Bay Municipal Council |
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Rongel | Rongel | RG | TBA | TBA | Rongel Municipal Council |
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The Isles | Islehaven | IS | TBA | TBA | The Isles Municipal Council |
Foreign affairs
Ogygia has as for now a very isolated foreign policy. this has to do with the rapid development and that Morsi announced that foreign relations will commence if the nation passed the start up phase. However the nations proposed foreign policy has long been created by its leaders with the intention of finding ways to resolve domestic issues, sharing national values with others, and fostering peace and cooperation. In accordance with this worldview, Ogygia 's foreign policy is aimed at maintaining friendly relations with all countries, Macronationally, Ogygia has consulates in Alexandria, Egypt and in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. One of the first micronations Ogygia formally recognized were Jay's Tree and Arbor Marci. Two bordering micronations founded by the two hosts of Map Men. Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones.
Officially, Ogygia's foreign policy is as follows:
- Mutual respect of others' territorial sovereignty, integrity and independence;
- The maintenance of friendly relations among nations;
- Non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries; and
- The maintenance and the promotion of peace, security and stability as well as promotion of customs and cultural diplomacy.
Recognised; no relations
All member states of the UN (execpt the DPRK) 
Palestine
Republic of China
Vatican City
Jay's Tree- Arbor Marci
Unrecognized
Geography
Ogygia is situated near Snow Island in the South Shetland Islands, specifically near Ivaylo Cove. Ogygia is 420 meters long in west-east direction and 70 meters wide (north-south). It is a rocky island separated by a 110-meter-wide passage from Hall Peninsula. It has a surface area of two hectares. Ogygia consists of four primary ice-free islets, encircled by numerous small rocks, many of which have surface areas measuring only a few square centimeters. The nature of the island is fundamentally rocky and none of the land is reserved for significant agriculture or other exploitation of natural resources.
Climate
The climate is cloudy and humid all year round and very strong westerly winds blow at all seasons. Some of the sunniest weather is associated with outbreaks of very cold weather from the south in late winter and spring. Mean summer temperatures are only about 1.5 °C (34.7 °F) and those in winter are about −5 °C (23 °F). The effect of the ocean tends to keep summer temperatures low and prevent winter temperatures from falling as low as they do inland to the south.
Sunshine, as with many South Atlantic Islands, is low, at a maximum of just 21.5%. This amounts to around 1,000 hours of sunshine annually. The local topography, however, also contributes significantly to the low insulation. A study published during the early 1960s indicated that sunshine recording instruments remained significantly obscured throughout the year and entirely obscured during June. It was estimated that the theoretical sunshine exposure minus obstructions would be around 14 percent.
Vegetation
Despite the harsh conditions, Ogygia Island does support vegetation and is part of the Scotia Sea Islands tundra ecoregion, along with South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, the South Orkney Islands, and Bouvet Island. All of these islands lie in the cold seas below the Antarctic Convergence. These areas support tundra vegetation consisting of mosses, lichens, and algae, while seabirds, penguins, and seals feed in the surrounding waters.
Economy
The Free State of Ogygia is a Small Island Developing State, a designation similar to a developing country with a few substantial differences due to Ogygia's island nature. The economy of Ogygia is reliant on tourism and banking. Leppa has successfully sought to diversify into services and small, high-value, nonpolluting industries. The state has no income tax. The state retains monopolies in a number of sectors, including tobacco, the telephone network, and the postal service. Leppa has a prosperous and open economy, which depends heavily on foreign trade. Economic activity in Ogygia itself is limited, as the government commits itself to the Antarctic Treaty.
Postage stamps
A reasonable issue policy (few sets of stamps are issued each year) along with attractive subject matter (especially penguins aswell other parts of the South Shetland Islands) makes them popular with micronational stamp collectors.
The first Ogygian stamps where stamped at the Ogygian embassy in the Netherlands; all those in circulation were stamped elsewhere and sent out to Shady's friends and former head of states. Such as former president Timo Vink of Viadalvia,
Currency
The Ogyg (prounounced as OY-gieg) has been the national currency of Ogygia since independence. The Ogyg is divided into 100 cents. The Ogyg is pegged to the Euro
Internet domain registration
The Internet country code (top-level domain) for the Free State of Ogygia is .oy.
Military
Ogygia currently has no military due to being it a one man nation. However, the Constitution established several corps such as the Army Corps, the Navy Corps and the Drone Corps united into the Ogygian Corps. Ogygia has also an independent Ogygian Cyberpolice that are responsible for several different roles: internal security, prevention of drug smuggling, the protection and support of fishing rights, prevention of marine pollution, search and rescue, ceremonial duties, assistance to government programs, provision of relief during natural disasters, assistance in the maintenance of essential services, and support of the Ogygian Corps in maintaining law and order.
Culture
Media
Television and radio are provided by the Netherlands since Ogygian programming is very irregular. Ogygia shares the Dutch three television and five radio networks together with a number of commercial channels. All newspapers are privately owned, with the biggest being the Tijd Magazine, which is a direct clone of Time Magazine that was founded during the era of the Republic of Leppa. It was published monthly, and consisted of articles about current events, both in Ogygia and abroad.
Sports
Football is the most popular sport in Ogygia, with futsal and volleyball as the second and third most popular team sports. Speed skating, cycling, tennis and golf are the four most widely played individual sports. Ogygia has a national football team which was established two days before the actual country. Aswell The Ogygian Football League,the only senior tier of association football in Ogygia
National symbols
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Flag
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Civil Flag
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Trade Flag
Demographics
Education
Most primary and secondary schools in Ogygia are operated by the government. Education is free and compulsory for children aged five to fifteen. This includes seven years of primary school and three to five years of secondary school. In the last two years of secondary school, students are allowed to choose the subjects that they would like to do. Tertiary educational facilities on the island are normally private institutions. However, there are still a few public institutions, such as the University of Rongel.
Gender
Ogygia has a significant gender imbalance. The sole citizen of Ogygia identifies as a male.
LGBT rights
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) rights in Ogygia have been some of the most progressive in the world. this has mainly an impact from the macronation Wallenia seceeded from, recent polls indicating that 100% of Ogygians support same-sex marriage. Organizations offering conversion therapy, the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity using psychological or spiritual interventions, are banned in Ogygia by the Ogygian Constitution.
External Links
Notes
- ↑ The National Council of Ogygia, established in accordance with the Ogygian Constitution, is currently inactive due to a lack of citizens.
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| Municipalities | |
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| Links | TBA |
