Republic of Molossia | |
---|---|
Micronation (unrecognized entity) | |
Area claimed | 11.3 acres of land near Dayton, Nevada |
Claimed by | Kevin Baugh |
Dates claimed | May 26, 1977 | –present
Website www |
Molossia (/moʊˈlɒsiə/), officially the Republic of Molossia, is a micronation claiming de facto sovereignty over 11.3 acres (4.6 ha; 46,000 m2) of land near Dayton, Nevada.[1] The micronation has not received recognition from any of the 193 member states of the United Nations.[2][3][4][5] It was founded by Kevin Baugh in 1977. He continues to pay property taxes on the land to Storey County, the recognized local government, although he calls it "foreign aid". He has stated, "We all want to think we have our own country, but you know the United States is a lot bigger".[3]
So, Is the Republic of Molossia a Real Country? The Republic of Molossia has quietly been an official, independent, sovereign country inside Nevada for more than forty years.
The occasion is MicroCon 2015, what organizers say is the first North American gathering of micronations, those itty bitty countries that pretty much nobody but the people who rule them believe really exist... – The Republic of Molossia. Founded by Baugh and a buddy as teenagers in 1977, it existed mainly in Baugh's bedroom until he bought 1.3 acres of property in Northern Nevada in 1998 and built a railroad and private phone company.
It was his time in Europe that shaped Baugh's ideas on micronations. He liked the idea of tiny nations like Monaco and Liechtenstein. 'It kind of really stuck with me this is something I would like to do and continue to do and then when I got property in Northern Nevada that became the home for the Republic of Molossia,' he said.
Is Molossia a Real Country? Yes. Molossia is as a sovereign, independent nation within the territory of the United States. It exists as a state within a state, much like the Navajo Nation. We exercise sovereignty over our own territory, and have our own laws, customs and land.