Protectorate of Dridu
Protectorate of Dridu Protectoratul Dridu Протєкторатул Дриду | |
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 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| Anthem: Unde-i patria? Where is my homeland? | |
 Map of the Protectorate of Dridu | |
| Status | Active |
| Capital | Dridu (village-state) |
| Official languages | Romanian (Latin and Cyrillic alphabets) |
| Ethnic groups (2022) |
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| Religion (2023) | |
| Demonym(s) | Dridan Snagovian Dridan |
| Government | Unitary presidential republic |
• President | Vlad Rusescu |
• Vice President | Ionuț Nicolae |
| Legislature | Council of the People of Dridu |
| De jure independence from Snagov | |
• Granted | 18 October 2022 |
| Area | |
• Total | 7.80 km2 (3.01 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2022 census | 439 |
| Currency | Snagovian ruble |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
 | This Dridu-related article is a stub. Please expand it if possible; if not, consider merging it into a related article. |
Dridu, officially the Protectorate of Dridu (Romanian: Protectoratul Dridu) is a self-proclaimed unrecognized state and a protectorate of Snagov, located 15 kilometers away in the eastern limits of the Snagovian plain, a subdivision of the larger Wallachian plain. It is centered around the village of Dridu, which is a traditional Snagovian village. Nowadays it is inhabited by both ethnic Snagovians and Romanians. Dridu used to be claimed by the Snagovian People's Republic as part of its core territory, until it was given independence on 18 October 2022. Its existence heavily relies on Snagovian support and protection.
Etymology
Both the origin and the meaning of the name "Dridu" are unknown. The name is believed to be of either Slavic or Turkic origin. Variants of the name such as "Dridih" and "Dridova" have appeared in numerous sources. The "-ova" suffix in "Dridova" supports the theory of the Slavic origin of the name.
History
As part of the Snagovian People's Republic
After the establishment of the Snagovian People's Republic on 18 June 2020, Dridu was claimed by the state as a part of its core territory, functioning as an exclave. The claimed borders of the Dridu exclave were based on natural and man-made boundaries, the Prahova and Ialomița rivers in the north and east, Lake Dridu to the south, and farm roads in the west.