Austenasia
51°22′53.2″N 0°10′18.5″W / 51.381444°N 0.171806°W
Empire of Austenasia Micronation | |
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 Flag
 Coat of arms
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| Motto: IMPERATOR ET POPVLVM AVSTENASIÆ The Emperor and People of Austenasia | |
| Anthem: God save the Emperor by Jonathan Austen | |
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| Status | Current |
| Capital | "Wrythe" (in Carshalton) |
| Official languages | English |
| Ethnic groups | European |
| Demonym(s) | Austenasian |
| Organizational structure | Constitutional monarchy |
• Emperor | Jonathan I (Jonathan Austen) |
| Establishment | |
• Declared | 20 September 2008 |
| Area claimed | |
• Total | 0.093 km2 (0.036 sq mi) |
| Membership | 16 |
| Purported currency | Pound sterling (£) |
The Empire of Austenasia is a micronation and self-declared sovereign state based in the United Kingdom. It operates under constitutional monarchy and comprises five properties that have declared themselves independent under the leadership of a house in south London.[1][2][3][4][5] Austenasia is recognized by Vikesland,[6] among others.
History
Austenasia was created on 20 September 2008 by Jonathan Austen (born 1994), a student, and his father Terry Austen (born 1961), a security guard turned gardener. After sending a declaration of independence for their house in Carshalton to their local Member of Parliament, Tom Brake, Terry was named Emperor and Jonathan was named Prime Minister. Two subsequent declarations of independence were sent to Gordon Brown and the British Home Office, as no reply had been received from any of the previous declarations, on 13 October and 31 December 2008 respectively.
Terry abdicated in February 2010, and was succeeded by Emperor Esmond III, who after a "civil war" and various internal disputes was replaced by a new leader, Declan MacDonagh, in December later that year. Jonathan met with Tom Brake MP in May 2011, who contacted Foreign Secretary William Hague to enquire about the criteria by which the UK recognises new states on Jonathan's behalf.[7] Jonathan then became emperor after Declan abdicated in January 2013 for personal reasons. The micronation has been featured in several local and international publications, and has a certain amount of fame within Carshalton as being a local "quirk".
Politics
The Empire of Austenasia operates under a constitutional monarchy, with an emperor as head of state and a prime minister as the head of government. Each town has a Town Council composed of its population, and elects a Representative - these Representatives form the legislature. The prime minister is elected through general elections, and two left-wing political parties exist.[8]
Geography
Austenasia claims three "towns" and two "crown dependencies" The first three areas of land claimed by Austenasia - Wrythe, Zephyria and Glencrannog - are all non-contiguous and located in Great Britain. Wrythe, the capital, and Zephyria both consist of suburban houses in the London Borough of Sutton, whereas Glencrannog consists of an uninhabited square foot of land in the Scottish Highlands. The two latter claims are both overseas - Axvalley comprises a farm in Brazil, whereas New South Scotland consists of part of a university campus in Australia.[9][10]
See also
References
- ^ Your Local Guardian: Carshalton home declares itself independent state Retrieved on 22.01.2009
- ^ Join the List of 5 Weirdest Micronations by Starting Your Own Country - Asylum.com Retrieved 25.12.2010
- ^ Chosun Ilbo 16 March 2010 Retrieved 22.12.2010
- ^ City - Summer 2009 (Page 97) Retrieved 22.12.2010
- ^ Tom Cutler (3 May 2011). The Gentleman's Bedside Companion: A Compendium of Manly Information for the Last Fifteen Minutes of the Day. Penguin. pp. 137-138. ISBN 978-0-399-53669-4. Retrieved 2011-11-22.
- ^ Vikesland Foreign Affairs Page
- ^ Your Local Guardian: Carshalton "micronation" pushes for independence from Sutton Retrieved on 22 November 2011
- ^ Government of Austenasia - Empire of Austenasia, retrieved July 2, 2012.
- ^ Your Local Guardian: Expanding empire celebrates new leader's coronation Retrieved on 19 March 2013
- ^ Territory - Empire of Austenasia website, retrieved 19 March 2013.
