Maher Island

Maher Island
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "No humans, only nature."
Anthem: "Long live Flandrensis"
Location in Antarctica
Map of the Flandrensian islands
Government	Constitutional monarchy
• Grand Duke	Nicholas de Mersch d’Oyenberghe
• Chancellor	Joaquin Castillo-Lopez
Establishment
• Claimed	2009
Area
• Total	1 km2 (0.39 sq mi)
Population
• Estimate	0
Currency	Flandri

Maher Island is one of the five Antarctic islands claimed by the Grand Duchy of Flandrensis and is located on 72°58′S 126°22′W. The island is the home of 10.000 breeding pairs of Adélie penguins.

Flandrensis

Claim

Flandrensis is located on five small islands of the coasts of West Antarctica: Siple Island (73 ° 39’S, 125 ° 12’W), Carney Island (73 ° 57’S 121 ° 00’W), Maher Island (72 ° 58’S 126 ° 22 ‘W), Cherry Island (73 ° 45’S 123 ° 32’W) and Pranke Island (73 ° 14’S 124 ° 55’W) and based its claim on an interpretation of the Antarctic Treaty (1959). The treaty prohibits any nation from claiming Antarctic territory between 90-150° (West-Antarctica), but the treaty didn’t mention claims by individual persons. So Nicholas claimed the islands in his personal name and sent letters to the United Nations and to the nations who signed the Antarctic Treaty to inform them of his claim, thereafter he grant his islands to the Grand Duchy. All of these countries ignored the territorial claim of Flandrensis.

Originally the island was part of the Kingdom of Finismund and negotiations on the transfer of the territory were planned in November 2009. When Finismund collapsed on 01 December 2009, Flandrensis claimed the islands nearby Siple: Maher Island, Pranke Island, Cherry Island and Carney Island. After the Scramble for Finismund, all new micronational claims in the Marie Byrd Land were regulated under the Antarctic Micronational Union.

No humans policy

The mission of Flandrensis is that Antarctica should be untouched by human activity and they strongly believe that it should remain a nature preserve only available for scientific research well beyond the expiration of the Antarctic Treaty in 2048. With the motto "No humans, ony nature" Flandrensis identify themselves as the only country in the world that doesn’t want its land inhabited by people. Since 2016 the micronation send climate letters to governments or companies who violate environmental agreements in Antarctica or who threaten the fragile eco-system (whale hunting, mining, pollution, tourism, sport events, etc.).

See also

• Kingdom of Finismund
• Scramble for Finismund