State of Jefferson

  • Micronations
  • Founded 27 November 1941
  • Area 190,768 km²
  • Capital Yreka
  • Govenor John Leon Childs
  • Population 2,313,958

The State of Jefferson is a collection of counties in Southern Oregon and Northern California. It was established on November 27th in 1941, when armed men roadblocked the borders and informed all vehicles about the new territory they were entering. The two X’s inside the gold pan on their flag symbolize the feeling of being double crossed by politicians when modernization shifted tax dollars away from their communities. Jeffersonians’ dreams of independence were derailed only days after, when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, thrusting the U.S. into WWII. The war effort took priority over independence, but the flags didn’t disappear. In 2013, there was a resurgence when several counties voted to secede from California and become the 51st state of America. The State of Jefferson is not to be confused with Calexit, California’s other secession movement looking to separate California from the United States.

Explore De Facto

Northern Cyprus

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (Turkish: Kuzey Kıbrıs Türk Cumhuriyeti), is a de facto state that comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. It unilaterally declared independence in 1983, and is recognized only by Turkey. A buffer zone under the control of the United Nations stretches between Northern Cyprus and the rest of the island and divides Nicosia, the island's largest city and capital. Attempts to reach a solution to the Cyprus dispute have been unsuccessful. The Turkish Army maintains a large force in Northern Cyprus.

West Papua

The Republic of West Papua is an unrecognized, proposed state on the western half of the island of New Guinea. It is home to many unique species of wildlife including tree kangaroos and birds of paradise. It is also one of the world’s most resource rich areas containing huge reserves of oil, gas, copper, gold and timber. Previously a Dutch colony along with the islands that now make up Indonesia, West Papua remained under Dutch control when the Republic of Indonesia became independent in 1949. The Dutch government began preparing West Papua for independence throughout the 1950s, and on 1 December 1961, West Papua held a Congress at which its people declared independence, and raised their new flag – the Morning Star. However, the Indonesian army took over control and killed and imprisoned thousands of Papuans. The independence struggle continues ever since.

Westarctica

The Grand Duchy of Westarctica, as it is officially known, is one of the world's largest micronations. In 2001 Travis McHenry was reading through the CIA World Factbook about the antarctic and learned that: ‘no formal claims have been made in the sector between 90 degrees west and 150 degrees west’. This inspired him to claim this specific part of land and he named himself Grand Duke. After initial protests from his employer—the US navy—he stepped away from the project but returned to his post in 2014. He registered the country as a non-profit organization looking after the neglected western side of Antarctica and accepting tax-free gifts.