British Arctic Islands
 | This article refers to a micronation or element of micronationalism which is defunct and no longer exists. You can help make the article reflect that or ask on the talk page for further information. |
British Arctic Islands | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of Arms
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| Motto: "Esto Vigilans" "Be Watchful" | |
| Anthem: God Save the Queen | |
 Claimed territory (red) within Canada (yellow) | |
| Status | Self-declared British protectorate |
| Location | Northern Canada |
| Capital | None official Administered from Nanaimo, British Columbia |
| Official languages | English French |
| Recognised regional languages | Inuit languages |
| Religion | Anglicanism Inuit religion |
| Demonym(s) | British (official) Arcticlander (popular) |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary dependency under a constitutional monarchy |
• Monarch | Elizabeth II |
• Governor | Marcus Salsbury |
• Premier | Vacant |
| Legislature | Legislative Assembly |
| Foundation | |
| 16th century | |
| 31 July 1880 | |
• Independence declared | 31 July 2016 |
• Dissolution | 7 September 2022 |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,076,570 km2 (415,670 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2022 census | 12 |
| Currency | British Arctic Pound (£) Canadian dollar ($) |
| Date format | mm/dd/yyyy |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +1 |
| Internet TLD | .ca |
The British Arctic Islands, or BAI, was a micronation located in Northern Canada that claimed the majority of the Arctic Archipelago as its territory. Declaring itself to be a formal revival of the colonial British Arctic Territories that were part of British North America, its existence was never acknowledged by the United Nations or the government of any sovereign country.
The history of the British Arctic Islands as a modern-day micronation dates back to the summer of 2016, when Canadian university student Marcus Salsbury jokingly revived the former colonial possession as a class research project to commemorate the 136th anniversary of it joining Canada. Several years later, it became a more serious venture with wider micronational aspirations. The BAI functioned as a self-proclaimed protectorate and sought to become the fifteenth British Overseas Territory before its eventual dissolution in 2022.
History
Foundation
In July 2016, aspiring historians and longtime friends Dustin Carlson and Marcus Salsbury became interested in the often-overlooked history of the British Arctic Territories. Realizing that the date of its incorporation into Canada was 31 July 1880, the pair decided to announce the return of the former territory to the United Kingdom on the same day 136 years later, for the purposes of a university lecture. A national flag was designed by Carlson, and the skeleton of a basic government structure was created. The revival of the PBAT was intentionally tongue-in-cheek, but nevertheless stirred up interest in its history amongst fellow students. Having little to no knowledge of micronationalism at the time, both Carlson and Salsbury approached their administration of the British Arctic Territories as more of a fun hobby rather than a dedicated effort towards statehood.
Inactivity: 2016 - 2022
The fledgling project gradually fell into inactivity as both men eventually moved on to other pursuits. Carlson began to study micronations with a committed interest in late 2018, eventually establishing the Dominion of Vancouver Island the following year. Over the next two years, Salsbury, with encouragement from Carlson, also developed an appreciation for micronations and became involved in numerous governments. By the summer of 2022, the Dominion of Vancouver Island was stagnating after several months of steady decline and Carlson officially put the project on hold by early July. Towards the end of the month, Carlson and Salsbury had a casual conversation about the British Arctic Territories project and reminisced about its short but colorful existence. The conversation quickly turned into serious discussions about relaunching the PBAT, with both men taking note of the coincidence that July 31 was once again right around the corner. It was decided that the project would make a return to full activity, this time as a dedicated micronational effort.
Revival: 2022 - 2022
On 31 July 2022, the British Arctic Islands formally announced its establishment. Salsbury assumed the post of Governor, and appointed Carslon as both Premier and Defense Minister. Joined by several other friends and family members, the pair dedicated the efforts of the BAI towards environmental initiatives such wildlife conservation and protection of the Arctic Ocean. The official mission statement of the British Arctic Islands called on Canada to play a much more active role in defending the Arctic from the effects of climate change as well as the continual threat of encroachment by hostile foreign powers. The BAI sought closer ties with the United Kingdom to help establish its goals.
Politics and government
The British Arctic Territories is governed as a unitary parliamentary dependency under a constitutional monarchy.
Foreign relations
The BAI Government was committed to an isolationist foreign policy when it came to "macronational" foreign affairs, with exceptions only made for Arctic-related developments. In the sphere of micronational politics, it interacted openly with other self-declared states around the world. The BAI recognized the sovereignty of all 193 full member states of the United Nations as well as observer states; the Holy See and State of Palestine. It also recognized the existence of all micronations by default, and signed treaties of mutual recognition with many.
Military
The British Arctic Air Force (BAAF) was the combined air and space force of the British Arctic Islands, and the sole military service responsible for its defense. The BAAF had a fleet of two recreational drones, which were regularily stationed at Government House in Nanaimo, British Columbia.
Geography and climate
The BAI was established along the same boundaries as its colonial predecessor. Its total claimed territory was roughly 1,076,570 km2 (415,670 sq mi) in size and was comprised of the majority of the Arctic Archipelago, excluding land that was once part of the North-Western Territory or Rupert's Land (Hudson Bay drainage basin). The BAI shared a 1,500 km (950 mi) land border with Canada along roughly the middle of Baffin Island as well as maritime boundaries with Canada and Denmark (via Greenland).
The British Arctic Islands had a Arctic climate across the entirety of the land it claimed. Long, cold winters and short, cool summers are characteristics of the region, and vast distances are covered by sea ice, glacial ice or snow year-round.
National symbols
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Civil and state flag
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Lesser coat of arms
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Greater coat of arms
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