Sovereign Principality of Seraya
Sovereign Principality of Seraya | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Government | Constitutional aristocracy |
• Prince | Fabian Schneider (last) |
• Chancellor | Unknown |
| Establishment | 2004 |
| Population | |
• (peak population) census | ±70 |
The Sovereign Principality of Seraya was a micronation which was based in St Mary's County, Maryland, the United States, between 2004 and 2005. It is most well-known for inspiring the creation of MicroWiki.
History
In 2004, German student Fabian Schneider began an exchange year at a high school in Maryland, USA. He founded the Sovereign Principality of Seraya together with friends Richard Conklin and Matthew McQuade.
The success of Seraya sparked the creation of two other micronations in the nearby area, Tritoniakamia and Umoria. It was an attempt by Schneider to record the three micronations and their interactions which resulted in him founding MicroWiki on 27 May 2005. Soon afterwards, Seraya entered a period of political instability (exacerbated by Schneider's return to Germany), becoming known as a Democratic Principality and then an Empire before dissolving in late 2005.
Government
Seraya did not claim any territory, but was rather based around the social interaction of its citizens, of which it had roughly seventy (all students) at its prime. The micronation was governed as a constitutional aristocracy and administered by a prince - Schneider himself, who reigned as Maximilian I - and a chancellor. It had both a council of nobles (the granting of noble titles being used as somewhat of a recruitment tool) and a parliament.