Talk:Micronation

	Micronation is a former featured article candidate. Please view the links under Article milestones below to see why the nomination was archived. For older candidates, please check the archive.
	Micronation has been listed as one of the Social sciences and society good articles under the good article criteria. If you can improve it further, please do so. If it no longer meets these criteria, you can reassess it.
Article milestones Date Process Result July 3, 2006 Featured article candidate Not promoted February 16, 2023 Good article nominee Listed
	A fact from this article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the "Did you know?" column on March 14, 2023. The text of the entry was: Did you know ... that micronations have claimed territory in Antarctica, in international waters, and in space?
Current status: Former featured article candidate, current good article

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Archives

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Notable micronations

What are the requirements to add or remove a micronation from the section "Notable micronations", because almost all of them are connected or associated with fraud or financial scam projects? Meanwhile there are micronations like Ladonia (art), Molossia and Atlantium (hobby), Flandrensis (ecologic) and many other projects? The section "Micronations based on historical claims" is more based on facts. I propose to remove the section and just keep the reference to the page List of micronations. Delle89 (talk) 20:23, 16 October 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Personally I think listing micronations as examples of what a micronation can be as to cover the subject. Given their lowscale nature finding reliable sources on any of them besides self publishing, columns, local news, online articles, and the handful of books that might just be also self-publishing there isn't a lot to go on here. ScholarGray13 (talk) 02:53, 17 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

GA Review

The following discussion is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

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This review is transcluded from Talk:Micronation/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.

Reviewer: Fehufanga (talk · contribs) 05:54, 12 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, I'll be reviewing the article. This is my first GA review.

Thank you! I hope you learn a thing or two :) ツLunaEatsTuna (💬)— 21:28, 12 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

@LunaEatsTuna I have left some more comments. —*Fehufangą (✉ Talk · ✎ Contribs) 04:43, 15 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

@LunaEatsTuna Looks good! I will pass this. —*Fehufangą (✉ Talk · ✎ Contribs) 09:01, 16 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Though I am a bit confused on where to categorize this under. I'd appreciate some help with that. —*Fehufangą (✉ Talk · ✎ Contribs) 09:10, 16 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, I really appreciate the review! I think Political parties and movements might suit it? ツLunaEatsTuna (💬)— 16:29, 16 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Alright, looks good. —*Fehufangą (✉ Talk · ✎ Contribs) 22:29, 16 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

GA review (see here for what the criteria are, and here for what they are not)
It is reasonably well written. a (prose, spelling, and grammar): b (MoS for lead, layout, word choice, fiction, and lists): It is factually accurate and verifiable. a (references): b (citations to reliable sources): c (OR): d (copyvio and plagiarism): It is broad in its coverage. a (major aspects): b (focused): It follows the neutral point of view policy. Fair representation without bias: It is stable. No edit wars, etc.: It is illustrated by images, where possible and appropriate. a (images are tagged and non-free images have fair use rationales): b (appropriate use with suitable captions):
Overall: Pass/Fail:
· · ·

Prose

• Micronation as a word has no basis in international law - "International law" is a duplicate link.

• Removed.

• and George Cruickshank of the Empire of Atlantium - In both instances, "Empire of Atlantium" is a duplicate link.

• Removed both.

• an independent constitutional republic called New Atlantis - "New Atlantis" is a duplicate link.

• Removed.

• In 1964, writer Leicester Hemingway - "Leicester Hemingway" is a duplicate link.

• Removed.

• based his sovereignty on the Guano Islands Act of 1856 - "Guano Islands Act of 1856" is a duplicate link

• Removed.

• engage in intermicronational diplomacy - Diplomacy is a replink

• Removed.

• The study of micronationalism is known as micropatriology or micropatrology. - This doesn't seem like it fits in the section "Legality".

• You're right—removed.

• Several intermicronational organisations also exist - No need to link "organisations".

• Removed.

• delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic - "COVID-19 pandemic" is a duplicate link

• Removed.

• held at Dangar Island, Sydney - "Dangar Island" and "Sydney" are duplicate links.

• Removed.

• "with many country pages [on MicroWiki] longer than those of real nations [on Wikipedia]," - Consider adding a ref for this quotation separately.

• Good idea; done.

• They claimed to be the princesses of the historical Sunda Empire - Change the Sunda Empire link (which is actually a link to the micronation), to Sunda Kingdom? I remember when this went viral here a few years ago.

• Changed. I have heard about this from some Indonesian micronationalists who locally call it the 2020 Indonesian micronations shock.

• and hosted by the Principality of Aigues-Mortes - "Principality of Aigues-Mortes" is a duplicate link.

• Removed.

• The documentary explored various micronations around the world, and included - The comma before "and" should be removed.

• Removed.

• off the coast of Scotland, and declared - The comma before "and" should be removed.

• Removed.

• various micronations around the world, and included - The comma before "and" should be removed.

• Removed.

• do not involve terra nullius, and are not subject - The comma before "and" should be removed.

• Removed.

• was founded in 2014, and is run - The comma before "and" should be removed.

• Removed.

• I noticed that the information about Hemingway's micronation in the section "Libertarian micronations and seasteading projects: 1964–1972" is repeated in the "Seasteading" section. The former section also has a hatnote that points to the latter.

• I have revamped the whole section; hopefully it looks better now?

References

• The reference L'État c'est moi: Histoire de... is not used anywhere.

• Nice catch! Moved to further reading.

• From a selection of references:
  • 24 and 25: In either sources, I cannot find 1966 as the date of new Atlantis' destruction
    • Added a source which states it was destroyed "within a few years" by a cyclone. No idea where I got 1966 from.
  • 28: Y
  • 42: Y
  • 47: Y
  • 94: Y
  • 111: Y
  • 118: Y
  • 131: This may be a better link, since it doesn't immediately open the print window.
    • Yep—added!
  • 157: Correct me if I am wrong, but this appears to be a self-published source?
    • Removed. Could not seem to find any RS sources mentioning the acronym.

Copyvio

• Quotation to Collins is cited. There are some unavoidable similarities to book titles, but besides that, no concerns.

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

Did you know nomination

The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was: promoted by Cielquiparle (talk) 15:17, 8 March 2023 (UTC)[reply]

(

• Comment or view
• Article history

)

• ... that micronations lack the legal basis in international law for their existence? Source: source
  • ALT1: ... that in 1972 one micronation called itself the Republic of Minerva and built a small, artificial island on the Minerva Reefs by importing sand? Source: The Republic of Minerva was a libertarian project that succeeded in building a small, artificial island on the Minerva Reefs in 1972 by importing sand.
  • Reviewed: Template:Did you know nominations/Paper House

Improved to Good Article status by LunaEatsTuna (talk). Nominated by Bruxton (talk) at 16:42, 20 February 2023 (UTC). Post-promotion hook changes for this nom will be logged at Template talk:Did you know nominations/Micronation; consider watching this nomination, if it is successful, until the hook appears on the Main Page.[reply]

• Recent GA, article long enough, hooks are good, though I would propose one more:

• ALT2: ... that micronations have claimed territory in Antarctica, in international waters, and in space?

Otherwise, hooks all cited and no copyvio detected. QPQ done, so good to go. Juxlos (talk) 15:48, 21 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks Juxlos that is a very interesting hook too! Bruxton (talk) 19:34, 22 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Is that any micronation in Bangladesh?

there are many micronations in Bangladesh. Like Kingdom of Imruland, Nobobangla, Azerdyanistan, Royalia, Siddiquistan, Tamimanagar etc.... ROYALIAN Government (talk) 18:43, 22 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

What do reliable sources say about that? Masterhatch (talk) 19:17, 22 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Umm hi, former editor on MicroWiki here, Imruland does exist but the others i do not know about 2606:9400:98A0:92A0:11AC:7975:1582:D6F8 (talk) 13:44, 16 October 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Question relating to the origin of the term

If the International Micropatrological Society was founded in 1973, but the term micronation is not attested until 1976, what did the IMS initially call micronations? --Florian Blaschke (talk) 13:34, 12 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Also, what term(s) is/are used in How to Start Your Own Country instead? --Florian Blaschke (talk) 13:38, 12 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Moreover, Wiktionary has an attestation of micro-nation in this sense in an article published on March 11, 1973. --Florian Blaschke (talk) 13:45, 12 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The OED entry for micronation lists a usage in 1961, but I don't know which meaning that is for. Unfortunately, the OED doesn't seem to be available through the WikiLibrary, so I can't see the details. The current entry in the article seems to have a bit of OR, and the citation supports only that the term was used in the NYT in 1976, but the statement that it was the first attested use appears to be the opinion of the editor who added the statement. I'll to clear that up. Donald Albury 16:42, 12 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

OK, Wicktionary has an incomplete citation to "Where Is This Place?: Strange shores, Indeed" by Phillip J. Hilts in The Washington Post, 21 Jan 1973, PC 12. It is available on Proquest, but the WikiLibrary access to Proquest does not include it. Hopefully, someone who has full access to Proquest can look at it and cite it if appropriate. Donald Albury 17:04, 12 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

And I now have removed the statement about the 1976 NYT because Hilts' 1973 article was already cited earlier in the paragraph. - Donald Albury 17:17, 12 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@Donald Albury: Thank you! The thing Wiktionary says is (likely) correct: "The first sense was coined on 11 March 1973 by the editors of the Lansing State Journal (see quotations) in a republication of an article by Philip J. Hilts, originally writing for Potomac Magazine (Sunday supplement to The Washington Post)." The Washington Post article does not use micronation but the Lansing State Journal one does because they slightly altered some of the wording.

From the Micronational Dictionary:

(Page 115)

Nevertheless, the word micronation was never used by Hilts. Curiously, the word in its current meaning first appeared, and was likely coined, in an altered republication of the article by the Lansing State Journal on 11 March 1973. It introduced a new headline, "Micro-Nations Nebulous Fourth World", and added a newly-inserted image of a microscope over a world map with the caption: "even [the] microscope doesn't show up micro-nations, such as Outer Baldonia, but they're there". It also changed some of the wording in the body, such as replacing countries with micro-nations in the following sentence (alongside other edits):

For every dreamer there is somewhere a doer, and in the realm [of] the strange micro-nations, the Republic of Minerva has plunged a bit ahead of the nebulous status of most others.

@Florian Blaschke: Strauss used model country, new country project and new country instead of micronation.

❧ LunaEatsTuna (talk), proudly editing since 2018 (and just editing since 2017) – posted at 18:17, 12 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you for that information. Donald Albury 18:58, 12 July 2025 (UTC)[reply]

'Micro'nation

might put some notion of the size being relevant in the first sentence. Was ISIS considered a 'micro'nation? ~2025-36388-15 (talk) 23:48, 16 December 2025 (UTC)[reply]