Principality of Permaria

Principality of Permaria
*Principatum Permariae* (Latin)
Principality of Permaria Principatum Permariae (Latin)
	Flag Coat of arms
	Motto: "Pro Honore et Patria" "For Honour and Fatherland"
	Anthem: Our Country by the Sea;
	Location of claimed territory (green) on world map
Status	Active
Location	British Columbia, Canada
Capital	Glacia
Official languages	English
Ethnic groups (2022)	90% White; 10% Asian;
Religion (2022)	75% Christianity; 25% Other;
Demonym(s)	Permarian
Government	Unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy
• Monarch	Dustin I
• Prime Minister	Dionne Anderson
Legislature	Parliament
Independence from Canada
• Independence	15 July 2022
• Constitution ratified	17 December 2022
Area
• Total	0.107 km2 (0.041 sq mi)
Population
• 2022 estimate	8
HDI	0.936; very high
Currency	Permarian Pound (£sd)
Time zone	UTC−8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)
Date format	mm/dd/yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+1
Internet TLD	.ca

Permaria, officially the Principality of Permaria, is a micronation located in the Pacific Northwest. It is a small enclave located entirely within the territorial boundaries of Canada. Permaria functions as a semi-constitutional monarchy headed by the Prince of Permaria.

Founded by Dustin Ó Gairbhith in 2022, Permaria has declared itself an independent state despite lacking formal recognition by the United Nations or the government of any sovereign country. Its administration routinely engages in acts of diplomacy with other micronations around the world, as well as issuing its own currency, passports and postcards. Permaria boasts a current population of 8 permanent residents living within its borders.

Etymology

The name "Permaria" is derived from the Latin words "per maria" which means "by the seas". Geographically, the country is located near the Pacific Ocean to its west and the Salish Sea to its east.

History

The Permarian nation was founded on 15 July 2022. Canadian citizen Dustin Ó Gairbhith was initially inspired to enter the world of micronationalism during the summer of 2019, after researching the history of the Republic of Molossia. Over the next two years, Ó Gairbhith became involved with the Dominion of Vancouver Island as well as the Holy Canadian Empire. After both of these adventures failed to produce any real success, Ó Gairbhith decided to embark on an independent venture. The purchase of his own home and property in late 2020 brought this goal within reach, and the foundation of Permaria began to take shape. An empire was considered at first before being dismissed as unrealistic due to the small size of the fledgling nation. Instead, Ó Gairbhith used Liechtenstein as a model for inspiration and declared his personal domain to be a sovereign principality and began his reign as Prince Dustin I. A national flag and coat of arms were commissioned, and a basic government structure was built from the ground up. As of January 2023, the population of Permaria has grown from 3 to 8, and a functioning parliament effectively administers the day-to-day governance of the nation.

Politics and government

Permaria has a monarch as its head of state and an elected parliament which enacts laws through direct democracy. Parliament is constitutionally required to be non-partisan, and no political parties currently exist in the country.

Prince

The Prince Regnant of Permaria is the country's head of state, and possesses broad powers. While nominally a constitutional monarch, the prince has the authority to appoint and dismiss government ministers as well as judges. The prince also has veto power and the ability to call or dismiss referendums. Eligibility to inherit the princely throne is hereditary and limited to members of the ruling House of Ó Gairbhith. The monarchy of Permaria practices absolute primogeniture, with the prince's first born child becoming heir apparent regardless of sex.

Prime Minister

The Prime Minister of Permaria acts of head of government and a close advisor to the prince. The prime minister effectively leads parliament and formally signs all proposed bills into law upon the advice of his/her ministers. Prime ministers are elected by direct majority vote and formally appointed to the post by the prince for a renewable 4 year term.

Parliament

The Parliament of Permaria is a unicameral legislature consisting of 5 sitting MP's. All subjects over the age of 18, have permanent residency in the country, or have possessed Permarian citizenship for at least one month before an election can vote, and all eligible voters can run for public office. Candidates for office are chosen directly by their constituents, elected by simple popular vote, and sit as independents

Law and order

The judicial branch of government consists of the Supreme Court, the Summary Court and the Court of Appeal. The court system is completely independent from the legislative branch of government, and handles all internal legal matters within the country. Permaria maintains a policy that requires its subjects to obey all Canadian federal, provincial and local laws at all times. The same rule applies to its subjects living abroad with regards to the laws of their home countries.

Military

Permaria lacks an active standing army, and instead seeks to preserve its sovereignty through membership in diplomatic organizations. The country relies on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for protection from any local threat to its citizens or national property, while the Canadian Armed Forces defends its surrounding Canadian territory from an attack from a hostile foreign power. Permaria does possess a small police force, the Permarian National Police (PNP), which is on hand to respond to any internal problems within the principality. The PNP is comprised of a sheriff and two deputies.

Ministries

Permaria has nine active ministries within its government:

Ministry of the Princely Household
Ministry of State
Ministry of Foreign Relations
Ministry of the Interior
Ministry of the Treasury
Ministry of Justice
Ministry of Public Health
Ministry of the Environment
Ministry of Development

Foreign relations

Permaria informally recognizes the sovereignty of all micronations, and acknowledges their individual land claims and territorial integrity. As a committed neutral country, Permaria does not enter into military alliances and maintains a strict non-combatant posture with regards to micronational conflict. The government of Permaria also formally recognizes the sovereignty of all 193 member states of the United Nations as well as observer states; the Holy See and the State of Palestine.

Bilateral relations

Country	Formal relations began on	Notes
Governorate of Græcia	27 January 2023	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 27 January 2023
Principality of Inner Baldonia	2 February 2023	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 2 February 2023
Dominion of Vancouver Island	23 August 2022	Both countries established diplomatic relations on 23 August 2022

Geography and climate

Permaria is a landlocked country located entirely within Canadian sovereign territory. Approximately 0.107 km2 in size, it is situated on the eastern coast of central Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia, bordered by forests on two sides and residential housing on the remaining two. The geography of Permaria features a large flower garden and numerous vegetable gardens. Large western hemlock trees provide shade to the northern portion of the country, which houses a gazebo for hosting diplomatic summits. Glacia, the nation's capital, is located along the nation's southern boundary and includes street access via Permaria's main border crossing with Canada.

Permaria has a Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and cool rainy winters.

Climate data for Permaria
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	6.4 (43.5)	7.4 (45.3)	9.6 (49.3)	12.9 (55.2)	16.6 (61.9)	19.8 (67.6)	22.8 (73)	22.7 (72.9)	19.0 (66.2)	12.9 (55.2)	8.5 (47.3)	5.9 (42.6)	13.7 (56.7)
Average low °C (°F)	1.4 (34.5)	1.2 (34.2)	2.5 (36.5)	4.6 (40.3)	8.0 (46.4)	11.1 (52)	13.3 (55.9)	13 (55)	9.9 (49.8)	6.0 (42.8)	2.9 (37.2)	0.9 (33.6)	6.2 (43.2)
Source: www.climate.weatheroffice.gc.ca (archived data from 1981–2010)

Economy

The country possesses a tiny market economy, although it is entirely dependent on imports from its larger Canadian neighbor for its continued existence. Eggs and produce are harvested locally from Permaria's small local farm, making agricultural products its the top export. The government also generates hard currency from the sale of postcards, stamps and micronation-themed memorabilia.

The Permarian Pound (£sd) is the official national currency, printed and circulated by the Bank of Permaria. The pound is a pre-decimal currency and lacks monetary value since it isn't backed up by hard assets, but simply by a promise to pay the bearer upon the prospect of independence and recognition from the United Nations.

Culture and media

Permarian culture draws a lot of inspiration from the political structure of Liechtenstein and the history of Gaelic Ireland. The nation is rich in Irish traditions, with a vibrant culture of music, dance, art and literature. The four Gaelic seasonal festivals of Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane and Lughnasadh are celebrated annually with feasts, music and dancing. Significant state resources are dedicated to the promoting the works of Permarian painters, bards, scribes and poets. Celtic Christianity is the most widely practiced religion in the principality, with most of its adherents belonging to the Celtic Church of Permaria, a self-declared Independent Catholic Church and the unofficial state religion of the country. A significant number of Permarian subjects are also traditional Roman Catholics. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by Permaria's constitution, with the only exception being the Church of Scientology which was banned by a decree issued by Prince Dustin I. Traditional American, Canadian, and Irish cuisine are all widely consumed, with a diverse variety of dishes being popular. Chili con carne is the national dish of Permaria and a personal favorite of the prince. The princely family participates in an annual chili cook-off in the capital city of Glacia, as well as an Irish stew contest.

National symbols

National flag
Coat of arms

The national flag consists of three vertical bands, one gold, one red and one white. The flag was designed by Dustin Ó Gairbhith in 2021, before the foundation of Permaria, and was originally gifted to the Holy Canadian Empire upon the foundation of that micronation in April that year. Upon the dissolution of the Holy Canadian Empire, the flag returned to the private ownership of Ó Gairbhith according to the terms agreed upon between the two parties. In 2022, the flag was officially enshrined into the Permarian constitution as a national symbol upon the foundation of the principality. The colours of the flag carry cultural and regional meanings. The gold represents prosperity, while the red and white symbolize passion and peace respectively. The gold band has also been described as representing the sun setting in the west, while red and white pay respect to the national colours of Canada.

The coat of arms of Permaria is the personal coat of arms of the ruling Prince of Permaria, currently Dustin I. The coat of arms is legally protected as the sovereign emblem of the prince, and its use is restricted to the prince and members of the House of Ó Gairbhith. Its design consists of the family arms of the Ó Gairbhith clan surrounded by a red (gules) mantle with ermine lining featuring fringes and gold tassels. The mantle is topped with the princely crown.

Holidays

Date	Name	Type	Notes
1 January	New Year's Day	Secular	Celebration of the start of the new year.
6 January	Epiphany	Religious	Commemoration of the baptism of Jesus.
1 Feb	Imbolc	Secular	Gaelic traditional festival celebrating the beginning of spring. For Christians, it is also the feast day of Saint Brigid.
25 March	Feast of the Annunciation	Religious	Commemoration of the visit of the archangel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary, during which he informed her that she would be the mother of Jesus.
9 April (2023 date)	Easter	Religious	Commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.
1 May	Beltane	Secular	Gaelic traditional festival celebrating the beginning of summer.
18 May (2023 date)	Feast of the Ascension	Religious	Commemoration of the Ascension of Jesus into heaven.
28 May (2023 date)	Pentecost	Religious	Celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus.
12 July	Feast of Saints Peter and Paul	Religious	Commemoration of the martyrdom of the apostles Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
15 July	Foundation Day	Secular	Commemoration of the establishment of the Principality of Permaria.
1 August	Lughnasadh	Secular	Gaelic traditional festival celebrating the beginning of the harvest.
22 October	Prince's day	Secular	Birthday of Prince Dustin I.
1 November	Samhain	Secular	Gaelic traditional festival celebrating the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter. Begins at sunset on 31 October, continues into 1 November.
9 December	Feast of the Immaculate Conception	Religious	Commemoration of the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary.
25 December	Christmas Day	Religious	Commemoration of the birth of Jesus.

References

External links