Agreed The War of the End of the World is a magnificent book. Definitely well worth reading along with many of his other works
wierdest, obcure countries in history?: odd nations that we forgot
- Thread starter Archon of Thessaly
- Start date
Agreed The War of the End of the World is a magnificent book. Definitely well worth reading along with many of his other works
I nobody has mentioned this already there's Couto Misto (or Mixto) which survived as a de facto state in the Iberian Peninsula for centuries
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couto_Mixto
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couto_Mixto
Deleted member 40957
I love the etymology: Republic of the Mixed-Up Boundary Stones.
Almost passed this one by on my false assumption. New England-on-the-Crimea?
with awesome sauce. Wish it had lingered on if it ever really existed.
Kaiphranos
Donor
I know I've mentioned this one on here before, but how about the Republic of Maryland?
In Southern Africa: Griqualand West, Natalia, the United States of Stellaland, the Nieuw Republiek and the Klein Vrystaat. I'm pretty sure those weren't all of them.
The Lanfang Republic in Borneo.
The Republic of the Rif in northern Morocco.
And four that exist today: Pridnestrovie, South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Somaliland.
The Lanfang Republic in Borneo.
The Republic of the Rif in northern Morocco.
And four that exist today: Pridnestrovie, South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Somaliland.
That, and Mississippi-in-Africa.
How about countries with funny names? The Kingdom of Lindsey, the Kingdoms of Nikki and Kandi, the other Kingdom of Kandy, the Kingdoms of Kitti and U, or the Indian princely state of Korea?
In the aftermath of WW2, Stalin installed an Islamic puppet regime in East Turkestan, a.k.a. Xinjiang. As Mao began to win the Chinese Civil War, Stalin then ordered the leadership of the SETR to fly to Beijing to participate in the conference preparing for the People's Republic of China. Their flight mysteriously crashed in Siberia.
When the KGB archives were revealed, it was proven that Stalin had colluded with Mao to have the NKVD rid the leadership off. Even for Stalin's standards that's rather nasty.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_East_Turkestan_Republic
When the KGB archives were revealed, it was proven that Stalin had colluded with Mao to have the NKVD rid the leadership off. Even for Stalin's standards that's rather nasty.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_East_Turkestan_Republic
Carpathian Ukraine declared independence (as the Republic of Carpatho-Ukraine) once things started to go crap in March 1939. It lasted mere days, until Hungary and others gradually overran most of its territory.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Carpatho-Ukraine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Carpatho-Ukraine
The Conch Republic
A tiny micro-nation that succeeded from the USA. (POD: This was intended as a tongue-in-cheek protest against the US for creating a border crossing north of the Keys, but was mistaken by the US as a real succession. The US therefore cut all political ties to the tiny micro-nation.)
A tiny micro-nation that succeeded from the USA. (POD: This was intended as a tongue-in-cheek protest against the US for creating a border crossing north of the Keys, but was mistaken by the US as a real succession. The US therefore cut all political ties to the tiny micro-nation.)
The Banana Islands Kingdom, and the other, related Caulker Chieftancies in Sierra Leone, are very intriguing and complex. Basically, two ambitious, lily-white Brits marry into the indigenous ruling families of local chiefdoms to create their own dynasties, which then compete against each other. One is eliminated, and the other remains a very influential family line in modern Sierra Leone.
My favorite underrated one is the democratic Mapuche, in what's now Chile, whom survived an unparalleled centuries surviving both Spanish conquest and plague.
Tnere's another lesser-known democracy, the Novgorod Republic, a city-state that also lasted centuries until Moscow's conquests reunified that part of Russia.
Then, moving to tragedy, there was also tragic African Biafra, when I was a tiny kid. that lasted just three years.
Tnere's another lesser-known democracy, the Novgorod Republic, a city-state that also lasted centuries until Moscow's conquests reunified that part of Russia.
Then, moving to tragedy, there was also tragic African Biafra, when I was a tiny kid. that lasted just three years.
Wait, do micronations count in this thread ? I thought everyone meant only serious attempts at countries. The Conch Republic was a micronation founded as a protest prank due to annoyance with the local government. Sealand was founded out of a similar stubborness to found a pirate radio by a radio enthusiast. And there's hundreds more, all over the world. I should know, I did a lecture about the micronation phenomennon last year.
Eight years back I spend a couple weeks fruitlessly searching for a reference to the Cape Verde Republic, a microstate on Cape Verde - the current location of Dakar. I got literally nowhere, and other than a single map of West Africa c1800 in a single historical atlas, I have never found the slightest evidence that any such thing ever existed.
Whatever it was or wasn't, it existed/didn't briefly appearing after 1700 and disappearing again by c1850.
As I mentioned at the time:
Still bugs me....
Whatever it was or wasn't, it existed/didn't briefly appearing after 1700 and disappearing again by c1850.
As I mentioned at the time:
Still bugs me....
The Mormon kingdom on Beaver Island
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beaver_Island_(Lake_Michigan)&action=edit§ion=3
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beaver_Island_(Lake_Michigan)&action=edit§ion=3
It's also known as the Lebou Republic. You'll find more by googling on that name, though most of it seems to be repetitions of this bit from the wikipedia article on Dakar -
"In 1795, the Lebou of Cape Verde revolted against Cayor rule. A new theocratic state, subsequently called the "Lebou Republic" by the French, was established under the leadership of the Diop, a Muslim clerical family originally from Koki in Cayor. It's capital, called Ndakarou, was established at the present site of Dakar.
In 1857, the French established a military post there, called it "Dakar," and annexed the Lebou Republic. The Senegalese State recognizes the Serigne (also spelled Sëriñ, "Lord") of Ndakarou as the traditional political authority of the Lebou."
The Republic of Benin (not to be confused with the Republic of Benin) - established on 19th September 1967, captured by Nigeria 20th September 1967. Not even its parent state Biafra recognised it.
Ras al-Khaimah - became independent when the British protectorate over the Trucial Coast ended and it opted not to join the United Arab Emirates. Joined the United Arab Emirates after two months of independence.
Ras al-Khaimah - became independent when the British protectorate over the Trucial Coast ended and it opted not to join the United Arab Emirates. Joined the United Arab Emirates after two months of independence.
