The Countries Iceberg - Part IX

The Yidindji Tribal Nation is an Aboriginal micronation that claims to exercise sovereignty over Aboriginal Australia. They claim a quite loosely described area of land in Queensland, Australia. They hope to establish diplomatic relations with Australia, as well as Russia and Venezuela. They launched their own digital currency in 2022.

Continent: Oceania

The Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance (HTA) is a loose military alliance of the Hahdrami people, an ethnic group in south Arabia that is split into many separate tribes. The HTA is most notable for their work in the Yemeni Civil War, in which they support the federal government and are opposed to Al-Qaeda. Their hope is that by aiding the Yemeni government, the Hahdrami people will be granted autonomy after the war is over.

Continent: Asia

The National Council of Iran for Free Elections is the exiled opposition of the Islamic Republic. They claim to have millions of followers, both domestically and internationally. The council often calls for international support to hold free and fair elections in Iran and works to raise awareness about the political situation in Iran.

Capital: Paris, France (headquarters)

Continent: Asia (operations) / Europe (headquarters)

The High Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was a breakaway Taliban faction formed in 2015, after leadership disputes. The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (the Afghani government before the Taliban's takeover) reportedly provided support to the High Council, though this has been denied by the Council and the Islamic Republic. It rejoined the mainstream Taliban in 2021 following their takeover of Afghanistan.

Continent: Asia

Gornja Siga and other pockets are bits of land disputed between Croatia and Serbia in the area of the Danube. The border situation became an issue in 1947, was not really spoken about during Yugoslavia's existence, and became a hot topic again when Croatia ascended to the European Union. Serbia claims that the current flow of the river defines the border, while Croatia claims that it's where the river flowed when the border was created. This leads to an odd situation where pockets of land are claimed by both nations, and a few aren't claimed by either one.

Continent: Europe

Council for the Republic is an organization led by Carles Puigdemont i Casamajó, the deposed president of Catalonia. It seeks to promote the region's independence following the failed 2017 Catalonian Declaration of Independence that led to Puigdemont's removal from office. It consists of Puigdemont and seven other members.

Capital: Brussels, Belgium (headquarters)

Continent: Europe

The Republic of South Maluku was a self-declared republic that emerged in the Maluku islands of Indonesia in 1950, capitalizing off of the disorder of Dutch decolonization. It was re-incorporated into the country in 1963, but quickly went into exile. Today, it is a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization.

Capital: Ambon (formerly)

Continent: Asia

he Global Country of World Peace (GCWP) is a non-profit organization created in 2000. The original conception of the project was "a country without borders for peace-loving people everywhere." The issued currency is called "raam." It has expanded its amount of administrative centers, holding offices in the United States, Ireland, and the Netherlands.

Continent: The entire world

Cascadia is a bioregional independence movement roughly consisting of the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon, the Canadian province of British Columbia, and various other pockets in the Pacific Northwest. Backers of the movement cite environmental issues and personal freedoms as motivations for secession. If it gained independence, it would be the 19th largest country, about equal in size to Peru.

Continent: North America

The Hadhrami League is a political organization advocating for the autonomy of the Hadhrami people (remember those guys?). They are active in the Yemeni Civil War, but oppose both the federal government and the rebels, preferring to seek independence for their people.

Continent: Asia

Asgardia is a "virtual nation" founded in 2016 that has its own constitution and governance. The nation has claimed that it is the first nation to have the entirety of its territory within outer space. Asgardia plans to establish a permanent Moon settlement by 2043.

Continent: ...

The Juan Fernández Islands are a sparsely populated archipelago about 416 mi / 670 km off the coast of Chile. It is administered as part of the Valparaíso Region, and is a "special territory" of Chile, though what exactly this means is unclear. It is comprised of three main volcanic islands: Robinson Crusoe, Santa Clara, and Alejandro Selkirk.

Capital: San Juan Bautista

Continent: South America

Danu Self-Administered Zone is a self-administered zone in Myanmar consisting of two townships, to be self-administered by the Danu people.

Capital: Pindaya

Continent: Asia

Kokang Self-Administered Zone is a former de facto self-administered zone in Myanmar consisting of two townships, intended to be self-administered by the Kokang people. It is labeled illegal by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and no longer officially exists. Anti-junta forces launched an offensive on northern Myanmar in 2023, and by the end of the year most of Laukkai was under MNDAA control.

Capital: Laukkai

Continent: Asia

Naga Self-Administered Zone is a self-administered zone in Myanmar consisting of three townships, to be self-administered by the Naga people. Due to poor health infrastructure and lack of available vaccinations, a mass outbreak of measles ensued in 2016, leaving 44 children dead.

Capital: Lahe

Continent: Asia

Pa Laung Self-Administered Zone is a self-administered zone in Myanmar consisting of two townships, to be self-administered by the Palaung people. During the ongoing civil war, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army took control of Namhsan.

Capital: Namhsan

Continent: Asia

Pa'O Self-Administered Zone is a self-administered zone in Myanmar consisting of three townships. Fighting in Pinlaung Township ensued in 2023, displacing over 5,000 villagers. Around a month later, this led to the Pinlaung Massacre, in which the army of Myanmar murdered 30 civilians.

Capital: Hopong

Continent: Asia

Mbamu is an island in Stanley Pool that is territory of the Republic of the Congo. Mbamu is a de-militarized zone as established by the Franco-Belgian Convention of 1908. The island is in close proximity to both Kinshasa and Brazzaville.

Continent: Africa

Slab City, which is sometimes referred to as "The Last Free Place on Earth," is an unincorporated squatter community located in California's Sonoran Desert near the Salton Sea. It is probably most known for its unique and nonconformist culture, attracting those seeking an alternative way of living.

Continent: North America

The Saimaa Canal is a canal that connects Lake Saimaa with the Gulf of Finland. The canal was originally constructed in the 19th century, and the first section was completed in 1856. It has undergone several expansions and renovations since then, especially when it was overhauled and widened in 1963-1968.

Though its end is located in Russia, the entire canal is leased out by Finland. They manage and control the canal, though passports are still required to cross into the Russian side.

Continent: Europe

The Saatse Boot is 280 acres of Russian territory extending into Estonia. This area is the only method by which to legally enter Russia without a visa, as long as you're not walking, your car does not stop, and you're not picking wild mushrooms. If your car runs out of gas while you are attempting to traverse the boot, you will likely be arrested if detected by a Russian spy tower.

Continent: Europe

Some smaller Swiss rails and roads cross into the European Union, though if they loop back into the country customs checks are not required.

Continent: Europe

United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus is a Belarusian government-in-exile formed in 2022 led by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. The cabinet seeks to represent various political, social, and civil interests within Belarus. It was formed after members of Belarusian opposition requested from Tsikhanouskaya to form an interim government. It is headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Continent: Europe

The Sorbian settlement area commonly refers to the areas east of Saxony and south of Brandenburg in which the Slavic people group of the Sorbs live. It is officially recognized by the government as a sentiment area for the people. The Sorbs are generally categorized as a national minority rather than an indigenous group.

Continent: Europe

The ULMWP (United Liberation Movement for West Papua) is an organization that supports independence for West Papua / West New Guinea, a region of Indonesia that is pretty different from the rest of the country (and was at one point its own colony). It is a merger of several other pro-independence groups, and seems to operate as a government-in-exile / awareness campaign.

Capital: Vanuatu (headquarters)

Continent: Oceania

In 1967, after long-standing tensions in Nigeria between the Igbos and other ethnic groups, the Igbos seceded and formed their own state, known as the Republic of Biafra. This launched the Nigerian Civil War, which resulted in the country reclaiming Biafra.

The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), which is what this entry is referring to, is a modern-day organization that pushes for the re-independence of Biafra, or more generally, the creation of an ethnic Igbo state. They operate a government-in-exile for the nation, and also issue their own currency and passports. Although they brand themselves as non-violent, they have been accused by Nigeria as "threatening national security."

Capital: Okwe, Nigeria (headquarters)

Continent: Africa

The Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) is a guerrilla movement fighting for the independence of Cabinda, an oil-rich exclave, from Angola. The struggle dates back to 1956, when Portugal, the colonial master of both Cabinda and Angola, handed Cabinda over to Angola without any local input. That, combined with the geographical isolation and large amounts of oil, has led to many calls for Independence.

The FLEC is probably most known for attacking the Togoloese national football team when they were on their way to the 2010 African Cup.

Capital: Unknown (probably headquartered somewhere in Cabinda)

Continent: Africa

In 1991, during the breakup of the Soviet Union, the mostly-Muslim Checheno-Ingush ASSR declared its independence from Russia. During its brief existence, it was plagued with Russian aggression and gang wars, and by 2000 the Russian government had fully re-captured the region. Since then, the government has continued to claim its sovereignty as a nation-in-exile. Most notably, in 2022 Uaine passed a bill to recognize Ichkeria as "temporarily occupied" by Russia.

Capital: Grozny (claimed)

Continent: Europe

Tamil Eelam is a proposed country to be formed out of ethnically Tamil regions in northern Sri Lanka. The Tamil are Sri Lanka's second-largest ethnic group, after the Sinhalese, and they often face persecution from the national government.

The idea nearly came to fruition during the Sri Lankan Civil War, when the Tamil Tigers controlled a lot of the proposed territory, but they were eventually beaten out by the Sri Lankan government.

Nowadays, the idea lives on through several governments-in-exile.

Capital: Trincomalee (claimed)

Continent: Asia

Lapithos is a town in northern Cyprus whose government was forced into exile following the Turkish invasion in 1974. A rival Turkish government for the town was quickly established, and it's the one that currently controls it. The Cypriot municipal government is based out of a house near Dhekelia.

An interesting note is that the city's logo is lifted from an ancient coin found there.

Continent: Asia

Kythrea is essentially the same story as Lapithos above—it's a city government-in-exile forced out after the Turkish invasion in 1974. The two governments-in-exile even share the same headquarters!

Continent: Asia

Famagusta District is one of the six districts of Cyprus. Its northern part was, take a guess, invaded by Turkey and is still controlled by them today. Though it still controls the southern part of its territory, it maintains a government-in-exile for its northern regions as well.

Capital: Famagusta

Continent: Asia

Nutopia is a concept / micronation created by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. According to them, it is a nation with "no land, no boundaries, no passports, only people. Nutopia has no laws other than cosmic. Citizenship of the country can be obtained by declaration of your awareness of Nutopia." It's pretty clearly a parallel to Lennon's song "Imagine".

The real reason behind Nutopia is easier to grasp. Lennon, a British citizen, wanted to move to the United States, but had trouble getting through the immigration system. After receiving an order to leave the country, he created Nutopia and declared himself an ambassador in order to stay longer. He waited it out, and eventually was able to stay legally.

The Progress Party of Equatorial Guinea (PPEQ) is a pro-democracy party in Equatorial Guinea (though it is currently based out of Spain). It was formed in 1983 to oppose Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the still-in-power dictator of Equatorial Guinea who has complete control of the government. The PPEQ operates a government-in-exile, claiming to be the true, democratic voice of the people. Members who stay in the country have been harassed and prosecuted by the authoritarian government.

Capital: Madrid, Spain (headquarters)

Continent: Africa (claimed territory) / Europe (operations)

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party is a right-wing nationalist party in Bangladesh. Early on, they were an instrumental force in Bangladeshi democracy, but have since been involved in several controversies, such as alleged vote rigging. More recently, party leader Khaleda Zia was thrown in jail for corruption, and today the party maintains a organization-in-exile from London.

Capital: Dhaka (local headquarters) / London, United Kingdom (party operations)

Continent: Asia (claimed territory) / Europe (operations)

The Ukrainian Salvation Committee is a government-in-exile for Ukraine, based in Russia, in order to stop the country's "crisis" or something. It was established by former Ukrainian P.M. Mykola Azarov, who fled to Russia after intense protests in 2014.

The entire operation is usually considered a Russian front, and they seem to have died down in recent years.

Capital: Moscow, Russia (headquarters)

Continent: Europe

Azawad was a short-lived unrecognized state in the northern half of Mali from 2012 to 2013. It was propped up by the Tuareg people, a branch of the Berbers who don't like the Malian government very much. With some help from the French, the federal government eventually reclaimed the region, although clashes continue. There are dozens of militant groups backing Azawad, most notably the Azawad Liberation Front, which is rumored to be supported by Al-Qaeda.

Capital: Timbuktu (claimed)

Continent: Africa

The nations of Iraq and Kuwait share a 158 mile / 254 kilometer-long border. This is notable because, along the border, there is a neutral zone extending six miles into Iraq and three miles into Kuwait. This strip is guarded by a 15-foot wide fence, trenches, soldiers, and helicopters. It was constructed by request of the United Nations, in order to prevent a second Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.

Continent: Asia

The Ceuta border fence is, well, a border fence between the autonomous Spanish city of Ceuta and the African nation of Morocco. The strip of land between the walls of the fence are considered to be a neutral ground, though Morocco objects to this, and considers the entire city of Ceuta theirs.

The point of the fence is to keep Moroccans from fleeing to the much more well-off Spain, though it has been breached several times.

Continent: Africa

The Melilla border fence is pretty much the same thing as the Ceuta border fence, only this time in the city of Melilla. Go figure. :P

Continent: Africa

Martin García Island is a tiny island in the Río de la Plata, on the border between Argentina and Uruguay. It was controlled by Argentina, but claimed by, and surrounded by the territorial waters of, Uruguay, up until 1973 when the two agreed to make the island a Argentine nature preserve. Before this, the island was a military base where Juan Perón was once imprisoned.

Technically, Martin García is just the southern half of a larger island. The northern half, Timoteo Domínguez, is Uruguayan territory that rose out of a sand bank and merged with the island in the 1980's.

Continent: South America

Preah Vihear Temple is an ancient Hindu temple and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in northern Cambodia. It was built by the Khmer Empire in the 800s, and remained an important religious center until Buddhists eventually took it over.

Politically, it is the subject of a long-running dispute between Cambodia and Thailand. During colonial rule, the French let Thailand (then Siam) occupy the complex. After Cambodia became independent, it used official French maps to justify its claim on the temple. In 1962, the International Court of Justice ruled that it belonged to Cambodia, but Thailand continues to claim it. After a series of violent clashes, the ICJ ordered both armies to leave the area in 2011, effectively making it a demilitarized zone.

Continent: Asia

Brazilian Antarctica is a region of Antarctica that the Brazilian government has considered approachable. It is defined as a "Zone of Interest" by scholar Therezinha de Castro, who believed that a country has a right to Antarctic territory directly south of their land.

Several Brazilian officials have expressed interest in the region, and the country does maintain some research stations there, but no substantial claims have been made. If established, Brazilian Antarctica would overlap with the British and Argentinian claims. 

The Free Papua Movement, or Organisasi Papua Merdeka (OPM) in Indonesian, is an organization that seeks the independence of West Papua from Indonesia. They have attempted diplomacy, but are most infamous for their militias who fight for the region's freedom (and occasionally take hostages). They've even been designated as a terrorist group by the Indonesian government.

Continent: Oceania

Yanbian is an autonomous prefecture (a prefecture being equivalent to a U.S. county) within Jilin province, China. The prefecture was created in 1955 for ethnic Koreans living in China, or Chaoxianzu as they are sometimes called.

It includes the Chinese side of Paektu Mountain, a cultural monument for both Manchus and Koreans (as well as the claimed birthplace of Kim Jong Il).

Capital: Yanji

Continent: Asia

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The Countries Iceberg - Part IV