Grand Duchy of Iceia

Grand Duchy of Iceia
Flag
Capital and largest city	Northland
Official languages	English
Demonym(s)	Iceian
Government	Monarchy
• Grand Duke	Rahim I
Establishment	26 Jan 2010
Population
• de facto uninhabited census	1
Subject to the Kingdom of Sterling

The Grand Duchy of Iceia was a micronational Grand Duchy that was subject to the Kingdom of Sterling. Rahim reigned as Grand Duke until he was removed from office on 4 March 2010 amid controversial statements made by the Grand Duke about Secundomian leader Spencer I.

Etymology

The Grand Duchy of Iceia was named quite literally after the ice flows that it calls home. Derived from the English word "ice" and the latin suffix "-ia" meaning "land of," the name literally means "land of ice." Ironically, the territory of Iceia contained no land at all, only sea ice flows. Though not a true Grand Duchy (as it was always a vassal of Sterling), it was named such to emphasize its importance as the original territory of the Kingdom.

History

Humans have traveled pack ice across the Arctic Ocean throughout history. The initial human to have reached the north pole via expedition is unknown, disputed between several claimants.

Foundation of the Kingdom and Grand Duchy

On January 26, 2010, Parker I, founder of Kingdom of Secundomia and co-president of the Republic of Secundomia found himself in a potentially losing position in the Republic's electoral process. Not wanting to lose his status in the MicroWiki community, he decided to found a second micronation as a "vassal" of Secundomia. He claimed the Arctic sea ice and crowned himself King of Sterling and Grand Duke of Iceia. After making further claims for the Kingdom, the Grand Duchy was reorganized to contain all of the sea ice excepting a small area around the north pole known as "Northland" which became part of the King's State.

Reign of Rahim

In February 2010, seeking to avoid Sterling becoming solely a one man nation, he invited Secundomians to join the project. He received a response from Rahim I and decided to grant the title of Grand Duke to him. Rahim was 3rd in the line of succession for the Kingdom of Sterling, making him the most powerful vassal within the realm. Rahim's reign was short and controversial. After making disparaging comments to Prince Spencer I in a separate email thread, King Parker deposed Rahim. Rahim remained a member of Sterling, but at the time had already left Secundomia. He would later rejoin Secundomia and return to controversy during the Cabinet Crisis.

Vacancy and dissolution

After the deposition of Rahim, the Grand Duchy was de jure vacant. During the interregnum, Sterling found itself much more concerned with external issues and its territory in the Antarctic. The legitimacy of its Antarctic claims was important to Sterling's position within the prestigious Antarctic Micronational Union. After dissolving extraterrestrial claims, the Grand Duchy was also redundant. Eventually, Sterling joined the Republic of Secundomia as a colony. At this point, the Grand Duchy was officially dissolved.

Geography

The unique geography of Iceia was set in the charter of the Kingdom of Sterling which claimed "all of the ice in the arctic ocean." Although this would be largely unsuitable for human life for a variety of reasons, King Parker I claimed that it provided relatively stable "ground" with which to form a country. Politically, the Grand Duchy of Iceia was based around the North Pole.

Climate

The climate in the Grand Duchy is extremely inhospitable to human life. An arctic climate makes it extremely difficult for the regular functions of government which were handled far away from within the boundaries of Secundomia.

Climate data for Northland, Grand Duchy of Iceia, Kingdom of Sterling
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	-13 (9)	-14 (7)	-11 (12)	-6 (21)	3 (37)	10 (50)	13 (55)	12 (54)	7 (45)	9 (48)	0.6 (33.1)	0.7 (33.3)	13 (55)
Average high °C (°F)	-29 (-20)	-31 (-24)	-30 (-22)	-22 (-8)	-9 (16)	0 (32)	2 (36)	1 (34)	0 (32)	-8 (18)	-25 (-13)	-26 (-15)	−14.8 (5.5)
Daily mean °C (°F)	-31 (-24)	-32 (-26)	-31 (-24)	-23 (-9)	-11 (12)	-1 (30)	1 (34)	0 (32)	-1 (30)	-10 (14)	-27 (-17)	-28 (-18)	−16.2 (2.9)
Average low °C (°F)	-33 (-27)	-35 (-31)	-34 (-29)	-26 (-15)	-12 (10)	-2 (28)	0 (32)	-1 (30)	-2 (28)	-11 (12)	-30 (-22)	-31 (-24)	−18.1 (−0.5)
Record low °C (°F)	-47 (-53)	-50 (-58)	-50 (-58)	-41 (-42)	-24 (-11)	-12 (10)	-2 (28)	-12 (10)	-31 (-24)	-21 (-6)	-41 (-42)	-47 (-53)	−50 (−58)
Average relative humidity (%)	83.5	83.0	83.0	85.0	87.5	90.0	90.0	89.5	88.0	84.5	83.0	83.0	85.83
Source: Weatherbase<ref name = weather>"CLOSEST DATA FOR NORTH POLE - 440 MI/709 KM, GREENLAND". Weatherbase. Retrieved 19 September 2015.