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Republic of Molossia

Coordinates: 39°19′22″N 119°32′23″W / 39.32278°N 119.53972°W / 39.32278; -119.53972
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For the ancient Greek tribe of Epirus, see Molossians.
Republic of Molossia
Respubliko de Molossia (Esperanto)
República de Molossia (Spanish)
Micronation (unrecognized entity)
Government House of Molossia
Location of Molossia
Location of Molossia
Area claimed11.3 acres of land near Dayton, Nevada
Claimed byKevin Baugh
Dates claimedMay 26, 1977 (1977-May-26)–present
Website
www.molossia.org Edit this at Wikidata

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]

History

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Kevin Baugh, President of the Republic of Molossia.

Molossia started as a teenage dream of Kevin Baugh, and began as the Kingdom of Molossia, in 1998 when he bought land in Nevada.[6][7] Baugh has claimed that he based the idea of Molossia on the film The Mouse That Roared,[8][3] and also claims influence from his time in the military.[4] Earlier, it was known as the Grand Republic of Vuldstein where Kevin Baugh was the Prime Minister and his friend, James Speilam, was declared King James I. It went through several government and name changes, including the People's Democratic Republic of Molossia (Communist), Kingdom of Zaira and the United Provinces of Utopia.

A marker along the Molossian-Nevadan border

The Republic of Molossia claims to be at war with the former state of East Germany, alleging that they are responsible for military drills performed by Kevin Baugh while stationed with the U.S. military in West Germany, and therefore are also responsible for his resulting diagnosis of sleep deprivation.[9] While East Germany formally ceased to exist in 1990 following the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany, Molossia argues that Ernst Thälmann Island, dedicated by Fidel Castro to Weimar German politician Ernst Thälmann and given to East Germany, as well as its lack of mention in the Treaty on the Final Settlement or by the nation of Cuba, is therefore still East German land, allowing the war to continue.[10][9]

The Flag of the Republic of Molossia is a rectangle with a blue stripe on the top, a white stripe on the middle and a green stripe on the bottom. It is the Flag of Sierra Leone flipped upside-down.[11]

Culture

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Environmental Care

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Plastic bags and incandescent lightbulbs are banned in the Republic due to their effect on the environment. Catfish and walruses are also banned due to their non-presence in the micronation whatsoever.[11]

Laws

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Detonating any nuclear device inside of the nation will result in a 500 Valora fine; about 400 USD.[12][11] It is against the law to play percussion instruments inside of bathrooms, and sunshine is guaranteed for all.[11]

Anthem

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The National Anthem of the Republic of Molossia is "Fair Molossia Is Our Home." The song was written by Simon-Pierre Boka Di Mpasi Londi and lyrics were written by the President of Molossia.[13]

Cuisine

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The signature, national drink of Molossia is called the Molossolini, a non-alcoholic mixed drink of Sprite, grenadine, and pineapple juice, with added cherries and slices of banana, orange, and pineapple.[14]

Onions and spinach are banned food items inside of Molossia due to the President disliking it.[11]

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In 2010, the Republic of Molossia was featured in a feature-length special by Channel Awesome called Kickassia, with Baugh playing a fictional version of himself. In the film, the Republic undergoes an invasion by the Nostalgia Critic (played by Doug Walker) and his posse of reviewers, who briefly took over Molossia with a dictatorship "Kickassia" before being ousted five days later.[15] The official website for the Republic of Molossia treats the events of the film as factual.

Currency

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The Valora (issued by the Bank of Molossia) is divided into 100 Futtrus and denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and coins in 1, 5, 10, 30 (plastic); it has an exchange rate of 0.80.[12] The Valora is also valued to Pillsbury Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough[14] with one tube of cookie dough (13 Ba / 30 oz) being equal to 5 Valora.[12]

See also

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Footnotes

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Notes

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References

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  1. ^ "About Molossia". The Official Website of the Republic of Molossia. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  2. ^ "Visit the Republic of Molossia | Sovereign Country in NV | Weird Nevada". Travel Nevada. Retrieved April 12, 2022. 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.
  3. ^ a b c "Molossia and Vikesland? Leaders of (fake) nations gather in L.A." CBS News. April 10, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2022. 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.
  4. ^ a b "There's A Tiny Nation In Northern Nevada — Kind Of". Nevada Public Radio. Retrieved April 14, 2022. 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.
  5. ^ Baugh, Kevin. "Molossia FAQ". The Official Website of the Republic of Molossia. Retrieved April 12, 2022. 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.
  6. ^ Totten, Kristy (June 1, 2016). "Nevada Is Home To A Micronation — But Don't Tell The Micronation That". Knpr.org. Archived from the original on July 6, 2016.
  7. ^ "There's a country inside the US. Allegedly". Condé Nast Traveller India. October 26, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  8. ^ Deach, Ben (August 13, 2019). "Silver State Sights: The Republic of Molossia". kolotv.com. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Machado, Carmen (March 26, 2013). "The Imaginary Republic of Molossia". Vice.com. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  10. ^ "The War with East Germany". The Official Website of the Republic of Molossia. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Molossia: A small, unrecognised 'nation' within the US". www.bbc.com. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  12. ^ a b c "Bank of Molossia".
  13. ^ "NATIONAL SYMBOLS - The Official Website of the Republic of Molossia". Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Fast Facts About The "Republic" of Molossia". Topsy Tasty. August 30, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  15. ^ "The Imaginary Republic of Molossia". www.vice.com. April 26, 2013. Retrieved December 15, 2022.

Further reading

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39°19′22″N 119°32′23″W / 39.32278°N 119.53972°W / 39.32278; -119.53972

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