Molossia, also known as the self-proclaimed Republic of Molossia, is a micronation, founded
by Kevin Baugh and headquartered solely from his home near Dayton, Nevada.
It consists of Baugh's house, about 0.001 acres in size, as well as 1.3 acres of surrounding
property, enclaved by Nevada.
It formerly claimed a property in Pennsylvania as well.
According to author John Ryan, Molossia is "a hobby that has been pushed to the nth degree."
Originally established as a childhood project in 1977, Molossia subsequently evolved into
a territorial entity in the late 1990s.
The name Molossia is derived from the Spanish word morro which means "small rocky hill".
Baugh has stated that the ancient Greek tribe of Molossians is unrelated.
History On September 3, 1999, Baugh created the Republic
of Molossia as a latter day successor to a childhood make-believe kingdom called "The
Grand Republic of Vuldstein", and declared himself to be its president.
On November 13, 2012, Kevin Baugh created a petition on the Whitehouse.gov We the People
website requesting formal recognition of the micronation.
However, his petition did not gain enough signatures for recognition.
Territory
Molossia consists of two properties, located within the continental United States and comprising
a total area of 6.3 acres.
They are owned by Baugh.
Harmony Province is located near Dayton, Nevada and is the smallest of Molossia's territories
at little more than one acre in size.
It is the Baugh family's primary place of residence, and the site of Molossia's designated
capital, Baughston.
Baughston was renamed from Espera on 30 July 2013 to commemorate President Baugh's 51st
birthday.
The Protectorate of New Antrim was located at an undisclosed location in Pennsylvania
and was the largest of Molossia's territories at a little over 8 acres in extent.
It was named after County Antrim in Northern Ireland and had its own governor, Grand Admiral
Hess.
It is no longer claimed by Molossia.
In August 2003, Baugh purchased a small piece of rural land in Northern California.
This was referred to the Colony of Farfalla.
The property was sold late in 2005, after Baugh inherited more land which he subsequently
named Desert Homestead Province, in Southern California.
Desert Homestead was previously owned by Baugh's grandfather, and the property has since been
declared a "national monument" dedicated to him.
Vesperia is the name of Molossia's claim of 49,881 square miles on the planet of Venus.
Additionally, Molossia claims a spot named Neptune Deep in the North Pacific Ocean, about
750 kilometres southwest of Mexico.
Operations
Proclamations The Republic of Molossia claims to be a sovereign,
independent nation-state, completely surrounded by the United States.
As a result, it has adopted a system of government recognizably similar in structure to that
of a sovereign state.
Military The Republic of Molossia has no Army or Air
Force.
It maintains a standing Navy with a fleet of four vessels and a land infantary division;
the Molossian Naval Infantary.
The M.S.
Spindrift, the Navy's flagship is a 13 by 3 foot Allen Class inflatable boat.
The U.S. Mantee and twin boats M.S.
Bandicoot and the M.S.
Platypus form the remained of the fleet.
The M.S.
Wombat, the first vessel of the Navy, built in 2005, was decommissioned on the 7th of
April, 2013.
The Navy has 1 commissioned officer and 49 honorary commissioned officers.
Space Program The Republic of Molossia Ministry for Air
and Space Exploration is charged with all matters related to air and spacecraft in the
Republic.
It has many running projects in exisitance including the Skylofter Project.
Structure Molossia is a republic governed by a constitution
creating a National Assembly and other institutions of state.
However, "due to unrest and the ever-present foreign menace from over the border", a state
of martial law exists, enabling the President, Kevin Baugh, to exercise all powers of governance,
including foreign affairs, while making the National Assembly an advisory body with no
legislative powers.
Foreign relations Molossia recognizes several other micronations,
with numerous treaties enacted to this end.
In May 2008, a summit was held with Grand Duke Paul, leader of the Grand Duchy of Greifenberg,
another micronation.
Plans were made for the revitalization of the League of Small Nations, a nearly defunct
organization devoted to the prosperity of all micronations claiming land.
This was Molossia's first ever formal state visit.
Molossia asserts it was one of the first countries to recognize the Republic of Kosovo, one day
after the Albanian majority country was declared on February 18, 2008, with Baugh sending an
official letter to the newly formed government.
However Molossia now only opens informal relations with other states.
Economy Molossia sells a variety of products in person
and online, including photographs signed by the Baughs and homemade soap.
Cinderella stamps are also produced by Molossia through its self-created Postal and Telegraph
Service.
Molossia's purported currency is the Valora, which subdivided into 100 Futtrus and pegged
to Pillsbury cookie dough, with one tube of dough claimed to equal three Valora in value.
Cookie dough is stored in an outbuilding called the Bank of Molossia, from which Valora coins
made from gambling chips and printed "banknotes" are sold.
Tourism
In recent years the various micronation-themed art installations and landscaping projects
that Baugh has constructed around his home have begun to attract some outside interest,
with Baugh taking visitors on guided tours of the property by prior arrangement.
As of 2008, he claims to have hosted around 14 visitors in a year.
Visitors are required to produce a passport and their pocket change in order to be admitted.
Baugh has stated that these requirements are waived for citizens of Andorra, Liechtenstein,
San Marino, Monaco, Seborga and "any other country recognized by Molossia".
Visitors are not allowed to bring certain items onto the property, including tobacco
and incandescent light bulbs.
War with East Germany The Republic of Molossia has claimed to be
fighting a war with East Germany and it has issued war bonds to stop the war.
It claims to have been fighting it since November 2, 1983.
Although East Germany is now defunct, President Baugh asserts that Ernst Thälmann Island,
kinda probably given to East Germany by Cuba in 1972, is sovereign territory of East Germany,
and thus allows the war to continue.
In reality, the island continues to remain officially under Cuban sovereignty, although
Ernst Thälmann Island was overlooked by the German Reunification Treaty.
In popular culture Molossia was the main focus and site of the
two-year anniversary of the That Guy with the Glasses website.
Doug Walker produced a six-part mini-series starring Channel Awesome members titled Kickassia,
primarily set and filmed on-location in Molossia and a nearby hotel.
In the film, the Nostalgia Critic conquers Molossia and becomes its new leader, with
the help of various other members of the That Guy With the Glasses site.
The critics succeed and rename the nation "Kickassia" with plans to hopelessly conquer
the United States, but the Critic becomes corrupt with his own power, leading the members
of Channel Awesome to revolt against him and pass the power back to Baugh.
Baugh stars as a comical version of himself.
Molossia has also made an appearance as one of several micronations in the Japanese online
webcomic, Hetalia: Axis Powers.
He is mostly seen interacting with other micronations such as Sealand, Seborga, and Wy.
See also
List of micronations Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made
Nations References
Further reading In The Spirit Of Independence Day - One nation,
under me, The Chicago Tribune, Colleen Mastoni, July 3, 2008.
Ryan, John.
Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Self-Proclaimed Nations, ISBN 1-74104-730-7.
iBerkshires Bite-sized sovereignties offer worlds of fun, February 2, 2005.
Micronations: Republic of Molossia, Unrecognised States Numismatic Society, 2006.
Micronations: Little Countries that Could, G4TV, Dave Roos, June 8, 2001.
Born to rule, The Australian, Peter Needham, September 16, 2006.
State of the nation, San Francisco Bay Guardian, Lynn Rapoport, February 28, 2007.
External links The Republic of Molossia official website