If you’re a curious wanderer like us, you’ve often wondered what the heck constitutes as a micronation. Is the Vatican a micronation? No, it’s just a really, really small nation. Neither is Puerto Rico, which is simultaneously its own country but not its own country.
A micronation is a patch of land—or sometimes just a concrete block or some guy’s house—that claims to be a formal country, even if no other government or international organization recognizes it as one.
In underdog spirit, here’s an assortment of kick-ass countries that exist without really existing.
Tom Burson is a travel writer, part-time hitchhiker, and he’s currently trying to imitate Where in the World is Carmen San Diego but with more sunscreen and jorts.