Hoagland
Hoagland | |
|---|---|
Territory of Austenasia | |
 Flag | |
| Mottoes: Deo confidimus ("In God We Trust") | |
 | |
| Established | 17 January 2014 (as New Normandy) 10 July 2017 (as Hoagland) |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Lord John Smith, Count of Greater Hoagland |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.00136 km2 (0.00053 sq mi) |
Hoagland was a Territory of the Empire of Austenasia from 2017 to 2021 located south of the American city of Cleveland, Ohio, comprised of an area of uninhabited grassland. Although it had no inhabitants, Austenasian law was enforced by its Governor, Lord John Smith
Etymology
The name Hoagland is an alternate version of the land's former name, Hoogland, which in turn is from the Afrikaans word meaning "highland".
History
Pre-Austenasia
This region was most likely inhabited by the Erie people before the mid-seventeenth century, and became part of Ohio in 1803. As much of what is now Hoagland is under wires from an electrical grid, land was cleared in 1998 by the electrical company to access the wires on the grids. Many people took advantage of this opportunity and cleared land for fields. In 2006 a housing development was proposed, but was quickly rejected for a number of reasons. Historical satellite images reveal that a road gave direct access to the field in 1952, but had been overgrown by 1967. The field was used for practicing sports until 2014, when it became New Normandy.
New Normandy was founded as a colony of West Germania by John Smith on 17 January 2014, declaring independence from the United States of America. However, in September later that year, Smith declared independence from West Germania due to a lack of communication from its leader, renaming New Normandy the Empire of Nova Atlantis. On 11 January 2015, the now independent land joined Adammia as the colony of Adammic Columbia.
After a year and a half in Adammia, Smith renamed the land Hoogland and declared allegiance to the Holy Roman Empire. However, on 14 November 2016 this decision was reversed, and the territory returned to Adammia as Adammic Columbia until 10 June 2017.
Annexation
After some time as a terra nullius which had de facto returned to the United States of America, the territory - now renamed Hoagland - was annexed by the Empire of Austenasia by the request of Smith on 10 July 2017, who as then Pontifex Maximus was known as Pope Euclid I in the Empire. Smith was appointed Governor and Baron of the land, which was received as an Austenasian Territory due to having no permanent population.
In 2021, Smith and his family moved away from the local area, making it impossible for him to continue governing Hoagland. A search for a replacement governor was unsuccessful, and so the Territory was dissolved on 10 July 2021, four years to the day of its annexation.
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