Republic of Matthewopia

Republic of Matthewopia
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: Never give up
Anthem: Pingarni Fauna
Capital and largest city	Queentown
Official languages	English Hungarian
Demonym(s)	Matthewopian
Government	Constitutional Monarchy
• King	Matthew Hubbard
Establishment	21 April 2015
Population
• (5 non-resident citizens) census	4
GDP (nominal)	estimate
• Total	$760.76 2019 GDP Per Capita = $190.19
Currency	Australian Dollar
Time zone	(ACST)
Website Official website of Matthewopia
Preceded by Australia
This nation was a member of the Adelaide Co Prosperity Sphere

Matthewopia (/mæθjuoʊpiə/ (listen)), officially known as the Republic of Matthewopia and often misattributed as Matthewtopia, was a self-declared sovereign state, more commonly referred to as a micronation by external observers. Completely landlocked within Australia, it was situated 20 km north-east of Adelaide, South Australia and was about 75 square metres in area. The capital city is Queentown. The Republic of Matthewopia seceded from Australia on 21 April 2015.

The micronation consisted of undulating farmland which was well covered in places with a wealth of shrubs and glorious wildflowers in season. H.R.H. King Matthew Hubbard, a keen supporter of both the Arts and Conservation, governed Matthewopia for 4 years. The royal city, Queentown, was developed with many buildings to provide facilities for the tourists who visit each year. Matthewopia was declared dissolved on 10 June 2021 by King Matthew Hubbard due to the inactivity of citizens and government officials and Matthew's loss of interest.

At the time of dissolution, Matthewopia scored ordinarily on most micronation scales. It scored a 3.6 on Daniel's Scale of Micronational Seriousness, a 3 on Categoric-Gradial System of Classification, and a 3.4 on David's Micronational Potential Index.

Etymology

The nation was named after the current king of Matthewopia, King Matthew Hubbard. The English form of Ματθαῖος (Matthaios), which was a Greek form of the Hebrew name מַתִּתְיָהוּ (Mattityahu) meaning "gift of YAHWEH", from the roots מַתָּן (mattan) meaning "gift" and יָה (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. Matthew, also called Levi, was one of the twelve apostles. He was a tax collector, and supposedly the author of the first gospel in the New Testament. He is considered a saint in many Christian traditions. The variant Matthias also occurs in the New Testament belonging to a separate apostle. The name appears in the Old Testament as Mattithiah. As an English name, Matthew has been in use since the Middle Ages. A notable bearer was the American naval officer Matthew C. Perry (1794-1858), who led a delegation to Japan. A famous modern bearer is an American actor Matthew McConaughey (1969-).

"opia" is likely to be inspired by the suffix of Ethiopia. The name was autogenerated by NationStates. The Republic of Matthewopia was for a brief period of time, during its presence on the website NationStates named the Kingdom of Matthewopia. However, in 2018 it was changed to a republic. However, the title of a monarch as the head of state is still present today as it would be in a monarchy.

History

Pre-Matthewopia

Before Matthewopia was founded, the pre-foundation history of Matthewopia is defined by the history of Australia. Being on the continent of Australia, it was previously inhabited by the indigenous population, the Kaurna people up until the late 1800s. The origin of the first humans to populate the southern continent and its nearby islands remains a matter of conjecture and debate.

The property that Matthewopia claims is a 1,794 square meter residential property developed in 1966. It was bought by the royal family in 2009 and was considered to be on Australian soil until 2015. The previous owners of the Matthewopian land left handprints imprinted in concrete, which are conserved by the Royal Family. One of the artifacts was partially destroyed during extensive renovations to the gutter system, however, to this date, 2 artifacts remain on view for the public.

Colonisation

The Hubbard family moved onto Matthewopian soil in 2010, with Matthew being enrolled into a local kindergarten at the time. With limited exposure to digital media, receiving his first computer, an old Linux laptop was a real turning point for his imagination. He began creating the ideals for a new nation, writing plans for infrastructure and government. He shared his views with his best friend Devlin Hall and so, appointed him to the post of king. His coronation was held on the 21st of April 2015, a joint venture with the official national independence day. The day bears that title to this day. The nation was first established as the Kingdom of Matthewopia, with land claims in the capital, a nearby park, and an area of mangrove swamp in St Kilda. The Matthewopian radio was established by the government to supply information and entertainment to citizens. The king's young age at the time was probably the result of the confusion of a republic with a king.

NationStates

In late 2016, Devlin Hall resigned from his post as a king due to a loss of interest. This left Matthewopia inactive with no leader for approximately a month. Matthew Hubbard decided then to coronate his sister, Katalin Hubbard, as queen. However, this was not a suitable decision because she soon lost interest and resigned from the post. As a final resort, Matthew crowned himself as the king. This proved to be the most logical solution, as Matthew actually lived on Matthewopian soil and was invested in the future of Matthewopia.

The first remaining portrait of King Matthew and Queen Katalin. Taken at an unknown date.

A classmate introduced Matthew to the online game NationStates. NationStates is a multiplayer nation simulation browser game. Matthew, with little political knowledge at the time, found that a computer game acting as a government proved to be suitable. The game would dispense hypothetical issues every 24 hours for Matthew to resolve. The nation would form depending on the outcomes of the decision. By the end of 2017, Matthewopia hypothetically had a population of 4.047 billion, frequent executions, strict health and safety legislation, and fiercely patriotic citizens. The problem with NationStates was that it didn't show the outcome of the decision before it was selected. Often the outcomes were outrageous and violent. It turned out that it wasn't the result Matthew was expecting.

Micronational

It was around the height of the NationStates Matthewopia, that Matthew stumbled across micronations. He watched a documentary about Sealand and was intrigued. He decided that it would be a suitable move to transform Matthewopia into a micronation, bringing Matthewopia one step closer to reality. Matthew started by making a website and created a Facebook page. It was then that Matthewopia formed its first diplomatic relations with other micronations. Diplomats from Gymnasium State contacted Matthewopia seeking recognition and soon a treaty for diplomatic relations was formed. Shortly after, Matthewopia joined the MicroWiki Sector, and King Matthew became an active contributor to the site.

Matthewopia's constitution was written by the king and signed by all 4 ministers of the time, on August 13, 2018, on the government Discord server. The ministers we presented with 4 drafts and the current constitution was selected by a vote.

In March 2020, Matthewopia declared a state of emergency due to the looming danger from the COVID-19 pandemic. The borders of Queentown were closed for 2 months to people who had travelled to China, Korea and Italy within the last 28 days. The Australian embassy in Queentown was closed until further notice. Safety leaflets were sent to citizens to warn them about the dangers that the virus can bring. Plans were put in place to send money to citizens in affected macronations, however, this was never followed through due to lack of funding. Matthewopian health officials continue to report no new cases in the micronation.

Dissolution

On the 30th of May, Matthew expressed to Varuna Sriraya that he has plans to dissolve the nation due to inactively from citizens and government officials. Matthewopia was officially dissolved on the 10th of June 2021 by King Matthew Hubbard. After the dissolution, the territory was immediately succeeded back to Australia.

Geography

Matthewopia is situated at the base of the Mount Lofty Ranges, 14 km inland from the centre of the eastern shore of the Gulf St. Vincent. Matthewopia only borders one nation, Australia. Its nearest neighbouring micronation is the Empire of Lehmark. The geography of Matthewopia is similar to the geography of Australia. Queentown is filled with green pasture, and the rest of the nation is populated with large eucalyptus trees. Much of the original vegetation in the south has been cleared for agricultural purposes, mainly chicken farming. However, the remaining vegetation is luscious. A single creek flows through the centre, the Matt River. It is the only body of water that exists in Matthewopia. It is mainly filled by runoff from the neighbouring Australian hills. The soil, throughout the nation, is high in clay, so the planting of fruit and vegetables is done in raised beds. The clay is mined and filtered in Queentown, the result is sold as pottery in front of the royal palace.

The view from the highest accessible point in Matthewopia.

All of Matthewopia's cities lie at a similar elevation and therefore have similar climates to each other. Matthewopia is connected with a large network of footpaths and a single road.

Climate

According to the Köppen system, Matthewopia has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa), with January being the hottest month, and the coldest is July. Summer (Dec–Feb) is hot and dry and Winter (Jun–Aug) is mild and rainy. In summer, the average minimum is around 15 to 17 and the average maximum is around 28 to 31 C, but there is considerable variation and Matthewopia can expect some days a year where the temperatures reach the mid/high 30s and low 40s. Annual sunshine hours are high, at over 2,500 hours.

Climate data for Queentown
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	31 (88)	30 (86)	27 (81)	23 (73)	19 (66)	16 (61)	15 (59)	17 (63)	20 (68)	24 (75)	27 (81)	28 (82)	31 (88)
Daily mean °C (°F)	24 (75)	23 (73)	21 (70)	17 (63)	14 (57)	12 (54)	11 (52)	12 (54)	15 (59)	17 (63)	20 (68)	22 (72)	17 (63)
Average low °C (°F)	17 (63)	17 (63)	15 (59)	12 (54)	10 (50)	12 (54)	11 (52)	7 (45)	9 (48)	11 (52)	13 (55)	15 (59)	7 (45)
Average Precipitation mm (inches)	18.3 (0.72)	14.5 (0.571)	27.2 (1.071)	46.6 (1.835)	61.4 (2.417)	51.8 (2.039)	75.9 (2.988)	57.2 (2.252)	39.6 (1.559)	17.8 (0.701)	20.2 (0.795)	22.8 (0.898)	37.8 (1.488)
Source: [1] (data from 2005–2015)

Demographics

The use of citizenship applications is used to collect demographic information about citizens. As of September 2020, Matthewopia has a total population of 9 people. 4 of which reside in Matthewopian territory, and 5 are non-residential citizens who are allowed to vote and visit the nation, perform government duties and undertake military service. Citizenship is granted through an online application form found on the nation's website. Once the form is filled in, applicants must undertake a criminal records screening. Only then will they become citizens with full rights and obligations. Citizenship does not grant residency, that is granted by permission from the king himself. Most Matthewopian citizens receive education up to the age of 18.

Languages

English is the most commonly spoken language in Matthewopia, known and used daily but the entire population. English is also the main language used in government business. The next most common language spoken by Matthewopians at home is Hungarian, with 30% of the population speaking the language fluently. A considerable population of Matthewopians are bilingual. Most Matthewopians have been educated in Australia.

Many literacy styles are appreciated by Matthewopians, from which fantasy, romance, children's, thriller, textbooks and travel are the most common.

Shadow, the only book published in Matthewopia

Literature is a minor industry, with only one Book published in Matthewopia. Currently, it is only available in digital copies, however, it is expected to be released as a hard copy edition in the near future. Shadow is currently published on the writing sharing website Wattpad. Matthewopia's only public library is located in Queentown and is home to a collection of approximately 1200 books, 200 CDs and 50 records as well as numerous private libraries, serving individual households.

Religion

Christianity has been recognised as the official religion of Matthewopia, however, the government does not have the power to impeach a citizen's belief or religion, as long as the beliefs and practices do not violate Matthewopian law. The large majority of citizens are believed to identify as being of Cristian faith, however, no official survey of religion has ever been conducted in Matthewopia. However, most of the nation's residents are non-practising, as the average weekly church attendance among Matthewopians is estimated to be very low. Matthewopia holds national holidays on significant Christian holidays such as Christmas. HM, the king is known to be a Protestant Christian. A small majority of Matthewopians are atheists and Muslims. Currently, there is no church or other set place of worship in Matthewopia.

Economy

Throughout its history, Matthewopia experienced very little industrialisation. For the first year or so, developing foreign affairs and internal administration was seen as more important than developing the economy. Matthewopia was supported economically by the sale of original national anthems composed for other micronations by the company Music by Matthew H.

Matthewopia's current currency is the Australian dollar, as it has been found that it is not necessary for a completely new currency for the nation, as it would have very little value and would not be able to be used for purchases outside of Matthewopia.

The Australian dollar (sign: $, code: AUD) was the official currency for Matthewopia as it is the fifth most traded currency in the world. It also has comparatively high-interest rates.

In late 2016, efforts were made to create a new currency, the mattdollar. However, the currency never got past the development stage. The Australian dollar-dominated financial transactions. The currency was more a cultural expression rather than an attempt at creating a functioning and valuable currency.

Politics and Government

The government of Matthewopia has a unique structure. It functions as both a republic and an elective monarchy, with a monarch elected by the citizens of the nation each time an old monarch dies. The monarch has absolute executive power, with the ministers giving advice on the areas their ministries cover. Currently, the only elections held are to elect a new monarch when an old monarch dies or resigns, however, there have been historical cases where elections have been used to elect bans on certain items of food. The monarch is the head of state. The current monarch is King Matthew Hubbard, who is also credited with being the founder.

Each monarch appoints a set of ministers, who choose vice ministers. Each minister is responsible for the administration of their own ministry. These ministries deal with health, security, telecommunications etc. There isn't a specific number of ministries, rather the ministries are adapted to the people's needs currently. The only fixed position is the monarch.

When the monarch falls ill or is on leave, the chancellor steps in. The chancellor does not have any executive powers when the monarch is in office. The chancellor is appointed by the monarch. When in office, the chancellor has the power to appoint or remove ministers and organise elections.

Foreign Relations

Matthewopia manages and maintains diplomatic relations with other micronations through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Matthewopia mainly has relations with micronations from the MicroWiki Sector, however, it also maintains informal friendly relations with other micronations such as the Empire of Atlantium, and previously the Principality of Hutt River. Because of space issues, Matthewopia is unable to host embassies. Foreign relations are conducted online through the government website. Historically, the micronation implemented an isolationist policy. This restricted the number of foreign relations that took place so the focus could be on internal affairs. This policy was abolished in late 2020. The first micronation to recognise Matthewopia's independence was Gymnasium State on May 8, 2019. The Treaty on Diplomatic Relations, between Gymnasium State and the Republic of Matthewopia was signed and ratified into law. The Treaty specifies the newly established cooperation between the two states. Matthewopia's relationship with Gymnasium State placed a significant role in entering into the Micronational Olympic Federation.

Empire of Lehmark

On July 7, 2019, a treaty of Mutual Recognition between the Empire of Lehmark and the Republic of Matthewopia was officially signed and ratified into law. Later in the year, King Matthew and Emperor Lehman met at a nearby Adelaide cafe for a pleasant lunch, discussing matters such as micronationalism.

King Matthew Hubbard and Emperor Lehman of Lehmark meet to discuss micronationalism.

A second event was due to take place, however, it was cancelled due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, and never took place.

After the dissolution of Matthewopia, William Lehman offered to annex Matthewopia as a state of Lehmark, however, this was never put into action.

Flag

The flag of Matthewopia was designed by Matthew Hubbard using the digital experiment Fake Flag in 2015. It was inspired by the flags of Alderney and Brazil. The lion in the middle represents courage and strength. The lion is holding an olive branch, the national flora. The red represents the earth, while the green represents the plants. Currently, only one physical cloth flag has been created. It was created by Anley Flags, a flag store in the United States. Currently, the flag is on permanent display at the Royal Palace of Matthewopia in Queentown.

Armed Forces

As a response to many small micronations declaring non-serious "war" on Matthewopia, Matthewopia strives to remain nonbelligerent in micronational conflict. The armed forces are mainly for ceremonial and display purposes only. Matthewopia has no army.

The Royal Matthewopian Navy was founded in 2015, not long after the nation was founded. The current navy consists of 4 vessels (2 are currently in service, 1 is a training vessel, and 1 is under repair). The navy was established solely to be ceremonial, however, the fleet is constantly taking part in competitive races.

HMS The Jumblies, the flagship of the Matthewopian Navy.

The Jumblies, the flagship of the Royal navy is a small homemade wooden-hulled Heron sailing boat. It takes part in regular races, mostly at the Largs Bay Sailing Club.

Air force

Main article: Matthewopia Royal Air Force

The MRAF is the main administrative body for manned and unmanned aircraft in Matthewopia. The headquarters are based in Savannah, Queentown. All aircraft flying 10 metres below Matthewopian airspace must have a license to fly from the MRAF. The MRAF also operates Air Matthewopia, Matthewopia's only airline which operates weekly flights from South to North Matthewopia. Air Matthewopia currently owns one DJI Ryze Tello drone for military and commercial purposes and a model aircraft for training purposes.

Culture

The core of Matthewopian culture is a Western culture, influenced by Hungarian and English culture due to immigration, with linguistic and cultural features adopted from Australian culture.

Music

Main article: Music of Matthewopia

King Matthew Hubbard is the first and only major Matthewopian composer. He composed Pingari Fauna, the national anthem for Matthewopia, written for Chamber Music, a national anthem for Ovrestlia and various musical tracks in the style of chill. Most Matthewopian produced music is classical. Classical music has also greatly shaped the taste of music in Matthewopia. However, recently, a surge in popularity for Jazz and Rock music has been seen. The national instrument of Matthewopia, the ukulele, is played by a quarter of the population. On the 27th of July, 2020, Matthew Hubbard founded the company Music by Matthew H. It is a company run by the Matthewopia government, to provide a national anthem composing service for the micronational community. The company has currently written 6 pieces, including the Matthewopian national anthem Pingarni Fauna, the Burdette national anthem Burdette the strong, and The Renaissance of the Phoenix, the Ovrestlia national anthem.

Sports

Sports are a minor part of Matthewopian life. The Ministry of Sport is the national department responsible for overseeing sports and recreation in the nation. It runs programs to streamline sporting codes by means of effective support and teamwork. The department is headed by Minister Emanuel Mabasa since 2019. Dinghy sailing is the main sport that is played by Matthewopians. Most sporting events in Matthewopia are organised by the Ministry of Sports. Matthewopia is a member of the MOF and participated in the 2020 eSports Games hosted by Gymnasium State. The team consisted of 4 men, although none won medals. Matthewopia only came third place in the flag design competition at this event. Matthewopia will be participating in the upcoming 2021 MOF eSports games.

Cuisine

Photo of a Matthewopian tradition, a fried breakfast on Sunday.

Matthewopian cuisine is an interesting mix of culinary contributions and adaptations from various cultures around the world, including British, European and Indian. On weekdays, breakfast is a quick affair with cereal, toast and pancakes. On weekends, people enjoy a fried breakfast of bacon and eggs. Lunch is a variety of cold meats, bread, cheeses and pickles laid out on wooden platters. Dinner is the main meal, usually eaten in the evening. Meat is a core part of a Matthewopian diet, however, vegetarian eating habits are becoming more common in Matthewopia.

Infrastructure

Science and Technology

The main focus of technological advances in Matthewopia is in the engineering and radio communications sector. The small laboratory located in Queentown, the first of its kind in Matthewopia, focuses on radio communications and software engineering and has conducted experiments in the field. On a personal scale, as of 2021, 100% of Matthewopian households own at least one desktop computer, and 80% of Matthewopians own a mobile phone.

Katalin Hubbard sitting next to an experimental HF radio system in Matthewopia.

Matthewopia produces all of its daytime running energy from solar panels. During the night, it uses mains power from the Australian Grid.

The solar panels on top of the Royal Palace in Matthewopia.

Transport

Matthewopian roads are the primary carriers of freight and passenger traffic. 25% of roads in Matthewopia are paved with concrete, while the remaining 75% is tightly packed dirt. Matthewopia's roads connect its city with the neighbouring country of Australia. There is no annual registration fee or road tax; however, all Matthewopian roads are privatized. Driving is on the left side of the road, and there is no speed limit due to the short nature of roads. The nation has no railways.

Education

The Royal Constitution identifies that all Matthewopians have the right to education. Children must enrol in some form of education at the age of 6. According to the ministry of education, in 2020, the literacy rate of the population was 100%, eradicating illiteracy in the micronation. Matthewopian children cross the border during school days to study in Australia, then return to Matthewopia. Tertiary education is provided online by the Matthewopian Government and Australian education providers.

National Holidays

Matthewopians celebrated these significant days in a year. The holidays were very similar to Britan and Australian holidays. These significant days were officially classified as public holidays and were well celebrated by citizens.

Date	Holiday	Description
January 1	New Years Day	Celebration of the beginning of the new year.
Variable Date	Good Friday	Celebrates the day in the Christian faith when Jesus Christ died for people's sins.
Variable Date	Easter Sunday	Celebrates the day in the Christian faith when Jesus Christ was resurrected.
April 21	Matthewopia Day	Celebrates the day that Matthewopia was founded.
April 25	ANZAC Day	Day of commemoration for the ANZAC soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty.
November 11	Remembrance Day	Day of commemoration for the soldiers who died in the line of duty.
December 24	Christmas Eve	Celebration of the Nativity of Jesus in the Christian faith.
December 25	Christmas Day	Celebration of the Nativity of Jesus in the Christian faith.

See also

• Matthewopia 1
• King of Matthewopia
• English Website
• Old English Website
• Facebook Page