Republic of Molossia
Republic of Molossia | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Coat of arms
| |
| Motto: "Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained" | |
| Anthem: "Fair Molossia is our Home" | |
 Location of Molossian claims in the United States | |
| Capital | Baughston |
| Other languages | English Esperanto[1] Spanish[2] |
| Demonym(s) | Molossian |
| Government | Unitary presidential republic under a military dictatorship |
• President | Kevin Baugh |
• First Lady | Adrianne Baugh |
• Chief Constable | Alexis Baugh |
| Legislature | National Assembly |
| Establishment | 26 May 1977 (as Vuldstein) 3 September 1999 (as Molossia) |
| Currency | Valora, cookie dough |
| Time zone | UTC-7:41 (Molossian Standard Time) |
| IMSO 1 code | MOL |
Website molossia | |
Molossia, officially the Republic of Molossia, is a North American micronation landlocked within the city of Dayton, Nevada, and with an enclave in San Bernardino County, Southern California. As one of the oldest fundamental micronations, it succeeded the Grand Republic of Vuldstein, founded by James Spielman and Kevin Baugh, now serving as its current leader since the transition from a monarchy to a republic in September 1999.
The Grand Republic of Vuldstein, founded in May 1977 and located in Portland, Oregon, was active for a short period which lasted until the end of the year, when King James moved to another city without renouncing his throne, leading the Grand Republic to a state of inactivity.[4] Baugh took control of the nation for the following 21 years, undergoing different transitions to several nomadic kingdoms, then a People's Democratic Republic in 1998 until its present state.
Molossia refers to itself as a "sovereign state" since 1977 and has declared itself to be in a state of war with East Germany since 1983. Appearing in the "Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations", Molossia is known outside micronationalism for its appearance in the 2010 Channel Awesome movie Kickassia, produced by That Guy with the Glasses, and receives more than 100 visitors each year.
Etymology
In 1998, the name Molossia was chosen at random to replace the micronation's previous name, Vuldstein. The name "Molossia" was chosen without knowledge of an ancient Greek nation named Molossia that was destroyed by the Romans in 168 BC. When the government learned of the original Molossian nation, efforts were made to link modern Molossia to that nation. For many years, Molossia promoted a Greek and Greco-Italian aspect to the culture, as well as raising awareness of ancient Molossia through the website.
Molossia was contacted by some Greek journalists in 2002 and was accused of stealing their culture by using the name Molossia. Molossia disavowed any resemblance to the Molossia of ancient Greece and has since explained the origin of the nation's name in other ways. It's been described as an adaptation of the Spanish word "morro," which means "rock," as well as an adaptation of the Chinese words for "desert-place-rock," M L Sh. Because neither of these explanations was satisfactory, it was decided to create a new meaning for the name Molossia.
After much thought, it was decided that the name Molossia would now be known as an adaptation of the Hawaiian word Maluhia, which means peace and serenity. While there is no direct link between Hawaii and Molossia, it admires Hawaii and Hawaiian culture.[5]
History
The Molossian nation was founded on 26 May 1977. Known at that time as the Grand Republic of Vuldstein, James Spielman was declared King James I, and Kevin Baugh was declared Prime Minister. After a short period of sporadic activity, the nation entered into a period of dormancy. King James I, though still monarch, ceased to be active in the kingdom at that time. The Kingdom continued, without the direct participation of the King, and continued to be developed by the Prime Minister. In 1980 it was renamed the Kingdom of Edelstein, and in 1988 it was renamed again, this time as the Kingdom of Zaria. The Kingdom existed as a nomadic government, without a home. Carried on by the Prime Minister, the Government traveled to Europe, and after its return in 1992, the Kingdom prospered and grew culturally.
In 1995, the Kingdom was transplanted to the State of Nevada, in the USA. In 1998, the land was purchased that the nation could call home, and upon which the government was formally and officially established. In June 1998, the Kingdom was renounced in favor of a provisional Communist government. In September 1998, Molossia sacrificed its sovereignty and joined the United Provinces of Utopia as a province of that nation.
In January 1999 the UPOU ceased to exist as a nation and bereft of a national government, the People's Democratic Republic of Molossia was declared, on 21 February 1999, with Kevin Baugh serving as Premier.
In 1999, Molossia embarked on a serious path of developing itself as an emerging small nation, rather than a mere micronational project. The possession of physical territory made this course a tangible one, rather than a fantasy.
On 3 September 1999, the communist government was renounced, the People's Democratic Republic ceased to exist, and the Republic of Molossia was declared. The former Premier, Kevin Baugh, became the President of the new government.
As a republic, Molossia strives to unite small nations and to extend the world of small nations into the world of large nations. In 2000, Molossia hosted the first Intermicronational Olympic Games, in concert with the 2000 Sydney Games. That same year, Molossia sponsored the successful adoption of Norton Day (8 January) as the first international holiday exclusively for small nations, and further created the Norton Awards for Intermicronational Excellence. In 2001, the nation hosted the first Intermicronational World Exposition, showcasing small nations from the world over.
In August 2003, Molossia expanded its frontiers for the first time and purchased land in Northern California, creating the first colony, Farfalla. This colony was surrendered in late 2005, only to be supplanted almost simultaneously by a new territory, Desert Homestead Province, located in Southern California.
On 22 May 2006, Molossia was attacked by the nearby small nation of Mustachistan, resulting in a brief war with that nation. That war ended on 8 June 2006, with a resounding Molossian victory. However, problems continued with that country, most notably with a crisis over the Mustachistan missile program in November and December 2006.
In March 2007, Molossia led the way in the environmental arena by banning incandescent light bulbs. In January 2009, Molossia also banned plastic shopping bags and began a comprehensive recycling program.
In September 2008, a long-forgotten Declaration of War was discovered, opening hostilities with East Germany. War was apparently declared on 2 November 1983, when Molossia was still known as the Grand Republic of Vuldstein. Despite East Germany being defunct since 1990, it still de jure exists in part in the form of the uninhabited Ernst Thälmann Island off the coast of Cuba, which was "donated" to East Germany as a gift by the Cuban government in the 1970s. Thus the war, at least in theory, continues, with no end in sight.
In 2010, the country was briefly subject to an "invasion" by Doug "the Nostalgia Critic" Walker and renamed to "Kickassia", as part of the creation of the feature-length comedy special of the same name for his website, Channel Awesome. The invasion soon fell apart and Molossia was restored.
In 2015, the Republic of Molossia organized and hosted the first ever edition of MicroCon, a convention for micronational leaders and delegates.
In April 2016, Baugh hosted a tour of Molossia as part of a special feature for the website Atlas Obscura.
Geography
The main territory of Molossia—the province of Harmony and capital city of Baughston—is the only populated part of the micronation. Located in the Great Basin Desert, near Dayton, Nevada, it is a 1.31 acre[a] rectangle. Molossia also has three provinces and one territory—Harmony Province (Molossia's main territory), Farfalla Province, Desert Homestead Province (which are both recognised as dependencies) and the territory of Neptune Deep. The 4.9-acre Farfalla Province is located in central Modoc County, California, north-west of Baughston. It was granted province status in February 2022, having previously been a colony. The 5-acre Desert Homestead Province is in western San Bernardino County, California, south of Baughston. It is also a National Monument. Neptune Deep claims the Crozet Basin (South 39° 19' 22.0679", East 60° 27' 37.2189"), a submarine depression in the Indian Ocean.
The terrain of Harmony Province consists of dry, rocky and sandy soil. Streams and rivers do not exist in Molossia. The vegetation of Harmony Province is mainly sagebrush, although various other flora are grown in Norton Park and Republic Square. Fauna includes jackrabbits, wild horses, coyotes and hawks. The Molossian National Park Service maintains three designated national parks in and outside of Molossia—Back Forty National Park in Harmony Province (opened in 2003), Heliotrope Falls National Park (opened in 2000) and Mustachistan War National Battlefields Park (2006) in Nevada. The geographical centre of Molossia is located at the Tower of the Winds. Its tower moved to the location in early 2006, and a new tower complex with decorations opened in May. Molhenge is a rock formation in Back Forty National Park.
Climate
Harmony Province experiences a borderline cool desert climate according to the Köppen climate classification. During the summer, temperatures are generally hot to very hot in the afternoon, but the high altitude and low humidity means temperature drop to a comfortable level at night.
| Climate data for Silver Springs, Nevada | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 0.28 (32.5) |
3.5 (38.3) |
7.17 (44.9) |
11.06 (51.9) |
16.06 (60.9) |
20.78 (69.4) |
25.83 (78.5) |
24.67 (76.4) |
19.33 (66.8) |
13.06 (55.5) |
6.11 (43.0) |
1.17 (34.1) |
12.417 (54.35) |
| Source: Weatherbase | |||||||||||||
Infrastructure and tourist attractions
Molossia has one residential building—Government House—which is where the Baugh family resides. The offices to numerous positions and agencies in Molossia are located in Red Square, where they are represented by mannequins. This includes the bank of Molossia, the post office—run by the Molossian Postal, Telegraph and Telephone Service—the Molossia Trading Company, the president's office and the Tiki Hut Bar and Grill. Other tourist attractions in Red Square include Friendship Gateway, the customs office phone, Molossia's Peace Pole, a direction sign to other micronations, Pineapple Fountain and the Heroes Monument. The Tower of the Winds and the smaller Chinook and Kokopelli Towers are located just outside of the square. The model Molossia Railroad is housed in Norton Park. The Molossian Postal, Telegraph and Telephone Service runs the Molossia Telephone System, which connects via landline to the Government House, the office of the president, the Tiki Hut Bar and Grill and two public telephones next to the Customs Station and on Alphonse Simms Circle. It uses repurposed field telephones.[6] Molossia Cemetery, a pet cemetery, is located at Harmony Province's southernmost point.
Government and politics
Molossia is a de jure constitutional republic, with the constitution providing provisions for a national assembly to serve as the legislative branch of government. However, the micronation is permanently under martial law, essentially granting absolute authority to President Kevin Baugh; a dictatorship. In addition to being the official head of state and government, Baugh also serves as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of War and "Minister of Pretty Much Everything Else". His wife, the First Lady Adrianne Baugh is the deputy Head of Government and State, Minister of Internal Affairs, State Security and Finance and "Pretty Much Everything The President Isn't". Various other ministers are also listed on Molossia's official website with titles such as the "Minister of Ethnic Food", but they appear to be President Baugh wearing different costumes. Daughter Alexis Baugh is the Chief Constable.
Economy
Molossia's economy, though heavily dependent on tourism and online sales, is relatively well-diversified—war bonds against the jocular War with East Germany, salt, coins, stamps and flags of Molossia are sold to tourists and online. Molossia's currency is the valora, which is subdivided into 100 futtrus and pegged to the relative value of Pillsbury cookie dough. As of August 2022, 5 valora was equal value to one tube of Pillsbury's cookie dough, and the exchange rate to USD was 1 valora to $0.80, up from $0.75 two years prior. Cookie dough is stored in the Bank of Molossia, from which valora coins made from casino token and printed banknotes are sold. There are three coins and four banknotes, most of the same value: 1 valora, 5 valora and 10 valora, as well as an additional 20 valora banknote. Commemorative coins have also been sold. There is no taxation in Molossia.
Population
As of August 2022, the population consisted of 30 humans, 4 chickens, and 4 dogs. The number of males and females is equal. 30% of the population was aged 0 to 18, 58% were 19 to 64 and 12% were 65 and older. The literacy rate is 100%.[7] The official languages of Molossia are English, Esperanto and Spanish, although it is unknown how many speakers they have in the micronation. The life expectancy is purportedly 90.
Culture
The culture of Molossia is generally based on that of the surrounding United States, with particular influences from the Spanish-speaking population and New Orleans. Walking is a popular recreational activity.
Media and music
Khamsin Molossia News is Molossia's only and state-run news agency. It was founded on 2 May 2003.[8] A monthly newsletter, The Mustang, has been consistently published since March 2013.[9] Radio Molossia is the state-run national radio, presented by Kevin Baugh.[10] Short films and other video works produced for Molossia are uploaded to the micronation's official YouTube channel.[11] Over twenty silent films have been released in Molossia, generally comedies or war films; they are available for viewing via Molossia's online Bijou Theater.[12][13] The 2010 low-budget film Kickassia, which was released by Channel Awesome, was filmed in Molossia. It stars as Kevin Baugh as an ousted version of himself. The national instrument of Molossia is the Molossaphone (kazoo), a eunuch flute—itself a type of woodwind instrument—and membranophone. The instrument is played at ceremonial occasions and celebrations in the micronation. It was adopted as the national instrument in 2007.[14] In September 2012, Radio Molossia featured music from the band the $2 Bills.[15]
Sport
Sport is very casual in Molossia, with no competitive tournaments taking place. The national sport, Molossian broomball, is the most popular sport. It is a variant of broomball played with an actual broom—players hit a ball around the dirt field (usually on the Alphonse Simms Memorial Cosmodrome and Broomball Field) with brooms and attempt to get it into the opponent's goal. There are few rules, and games are played sporadically.[16] A biannual race, the Misfit Regatta, takes place every other October. Started on 16 October 2011, participants dress up with cardboard boxes and race against each other in one of several categories—The Guy's Race, The Ladies Race Backwards, The Ladies Race, The Kid's Race and the Demolition Derby. It is jocularly described as a "dry land boat race."[17][18]
Cuisine
Molossian cuisine sees heavy influence from Hawaii, as evident in Molossia's Tiki culture-inspired bar and grill in Red Square.[19] Dishes are also borrowed from New Orleans, Canada and England. Commonly consumed dishes include burgers, spaghetti and meatballs, pizza, lasagne, muffulettas, loco moco, poutine and shepherd's pie.[20] The Tiki Hut's signature drink—the Molossolini—is made with Sprite, pineapple juice, grenadine, slices of fresh banana, oranges, pineapple and cherries.[21] Cookie dough is consumed during Cookie Dough Feasts, a traditional form of Molossian celebration.[20]
Public holidays
Molossia observes 30 fixed public holidays annually. The national day, Founder's Day, takes place on 26 May—the day of Molossia's foundation as the Grand Republic of Vuldstein in 1977. Two feast days are observed, a day for Expeditus on 19 April and Swithun on 15 July. Other Molossian holidays are Emperor Norton I Day on 8 January, Molossaphone Day on 28 January, Kickassia Invasion Victory Day on 11 April, Heroes Day on 30 April, Boulder Day on 1 May, Navy Day on 4 June, Victory Mustachistan (VM) Day on 8 June, President's Day on 30 July, the Running of the Dogs on 26 August, Flag Day on 9 September, Day of Merriment on 15 October, East Germany Day on 2 November and Utopia Memorial Day on 17 November.[22]
National symbols
Molossia's most well-known national symbol is its flag, which indicates three horizontal stripes of blue, white and green, which is also an upside down version of Sierra Leone's flag. The blue stripe represents the blue sky of Molossia, the white stripe represents the surrounding mountains of Molossia and the green stripe represents the Molossian land and prosperity of the nation.
The national tree and flower are the juniper and the sagebrush respectively. The national animal and the national bird are the mustang and the Californian quail respectively.
In 2014, the Republic adopted the new national anthem Fair Molossia is Our Home, a rewritten version of La Zaïroise, the former anthem of Zaire. Previously, it had used Molossia, Nation In The Desert as its national anthem, based on the Romanian patriotic song Pe-al nostru steag e scris Unire.[23]
Orders, decorations and medals
Molossia has four orders of merit, two military medals, and two diplomatic medals.[24] The Order of the Mustang is the highest honour bestowed by Molossia, having been given four times. The diplomatic medals—the Desert Palm and Friendship Medal—are the two most commonly awarded, often to leaders of other micronations.
See also
Notes
- ↑ Some sources say 1.28 acre.
References
- ↑ "What is Esperanto?". Republic of Molossia. Dayton, Nevada. Archived from the original on 2017-07-06. Retrieved 2017-08-04.
Esperanto is the second language of the Republic of Molossia.
- ↑ @Molossia. "The Government of the Republic of Molossia" (Tweet). Retrieved 2019-05-08 – via Twitter. Missing or empty |date= (help)
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedDatabase - ↑ Molossian Official Website, retrieved 27 Jun 2011
- ↑ "The meaning of the name "Molossia"". Khamsin Molossia News. Molossia. 11 August 2015. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
- ↑ "The Molossia Telephone System". molossia.org. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ↑ "Databse". molossia.org. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ↑ "News Archive". molossia.org. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ↑ "The Mustang". molossia.org. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ↑ "Radio Molossia". molossia.org. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ↑ Republic Of Molossia at YouTube. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ↑ "Bijou Theater Opens". Khamsin Molossia News. 3 April 2005. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ↑ "Molossia's Bijou Theater". molossia.org. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ↑ "Molossaphone". molossia.org. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ↑ "Kiva, Tourists and Radio Molossia". Khamsin Molossia News. 2 September 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ↑ "Molossian broomball". molossia.org. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ↑ "The First Annual Misfit Regatta". Khamsin Molossia News. 16 October 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ↑ "Misfit Regatta". molossia.org. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ↑ "Molossia's Tiki Hut Bar and Grill". Khamsin Molossia News. 1 December 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 "The Molossian Kitchen". molossia.org. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ↑ "Tiki Hut Bar & Grill". molossia.org. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ↑ "Holidays and Celebrations". molossia.org. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ↑ Our New National Anthem
- ↑ "Awards". molossia.org. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
Further reading
- "Visit the Republic of Molossia.. Travel Nevada. Retrieved 11 August 2022.