Puntland

  • Unrecognized states
  • Established 1 August 1998
  • Capital Garowe
  • Population 4,334,633 (2016 estimate)
  • Area 212,510 km²
  • Motto Star of the North

Puntland (officially the Puntland State of Somalia) is an autonomous region in Northeastern Somalia which was established in 1998 following the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991. Unlike Somaliland, Puntland is not striving for independence. However, since 2024 the government of Puntland declared that it no longer recognizes the authority of the Somali federal government and that it will "act independently". Puntland has long been the epicenter of piracy networks in the Gulf of Aden. In 2009, Puntland MPs introduced a new state flag consisting of blue, green and white horizontal stripes — the white stripe in the centre represents peace and stability in the region.

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South Ossetia

South Ossetia is a de facto state in South Caucasus, which declared independence from Georgia in 1991. Military conflicts with the Georgian army occurred in 1991-1992, 2004 and 2008. South Ossetia is recognized as a state by the UN member states Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria, and by the unrecognized states Transnistria and Abkhazia. It is a very mountainous region at the juncture of Asia and Europe, which struggles economically as employment and supplies are scarce. The region relies heavily on military, political and financial aid from Russia.

Wake Island

Wake Island is one of the most isolated islands in the world. It lies in the western Pacific Ocean, in the northeastern area of the Micronesia subregion. The island, a coral atoll, is an unincorporated territory of the United States that is also claimed by the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The centre of activity is at Wake Island Airfield, which is primarily used as a mid-Pacific refuelling stop for military aircrafts and an emergency landing area. The nearest neighbour of Wake Island is Utirik Atoll in the Marshall Islands, 953 kilometres to the southeast.

Kingdom of Lovely

The internet based micronation Kingdom of Lovely was the result of a television program hosted by British comedian Danny Wallace: ‘How To Start Your Own Country’. The initial location for the micronation was Wallace’s own flat in London. Anyone could become an ambassador simply by registering online and sending in a photograph of your ‘embassy’ with the flag. Wallace also attempted to get the Kingdom recognized by the United Nations, which failed as he did not have any independent territory.