Liberland

Location of the claimed territory of Liberland in Europe
Flag of Liberland
Vít Jedlička, founder and president of Liberland

Liberland, also known as the Free Republic of Liberland, is a micronation promoted by Czech right-libertarian politician and activist Vít Jedlička,[1][2] who began claiming in 2015 that an uninhabited stretch of floodplain on the Croatian bank of the Danube (known as Gornja Siga), is the territory of a new independent country. Not recognized by any country, it has since become an example of a micronation. Jedlička was inspired by classical liberal thinkers such as Ludwig von Mises and Ayn Rand, and he envisioned a political system characterised by laissez-faire capitalism, minimal government, and an economy based on cryptocurrency.[3]

The official website of Liberland states that the nation was created in the wake of the ongoing Croatia–Serbia border dispute.[4][5][6] According to Jedlička, this dispute resulted in a plot of land west of the Danube being unclaimed by either side.[5][7] The parcel of land in question is 7 km2 (2.7 sq mi) in area, roughly the same size as Gibraltar. It has been administered by Croatia since the Croatian War of Independence.[8] Liberland has no diplomatic recognition from any recognized nation.[9] The land lacks infrastructure and lies on the floodplain of the Danube.[10][11] Croatia has frequently blocked off access to the Gornja Siga territory since 2015. As a result, a number of people, including Vít Jedlička, have been arrested for trying to enter the claimed land.[12]

  1. ^ Lewis-Kraus, Gideon (11 August 2015). "Welcome to Liberland, the World's Newest Country (Maybe)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  2. ^ "(EXCLUSIVE) President Vít Jedlička of Free Republic of Liberland has presented first members of government". 20 December 2015.
  3. ^ "Liberland: Could the world's newest micronation get off the ground?". 25 April 2015.
  4. ^ "Balkans: Czech man claims to establish 'new state'". BBC News. 16 April 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2015.
  5. ^ a b Martínek, Jan (15 April 2015). "Člen Svobodných vyhlásil na území bývalé Jugoslávie vlastní stát". Novinky.cz (in Czech). Právo. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  6. ^ "Čech si medzi Srbskom a Chorvátskom založil vlastný štát". sme.sk (in Slovak). TASR. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Vice-Nolan was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Klemenčić, Mladen; Schofield, Clive H. (2001). War and Peace on the Danube: The Evolution of the Croatia-Serbia Boundary. Durham, England: International Boundaries Research Unit. p. 19. ISBN 9781897643419.
  9. ^ "Liberland, a country that may not exist, says it hopes to build close ties to Trump White House". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  10. ^ Palmeri, Tara (2 September 2016). "Looking for Liberland". Politico.
  11. ^ "Liberland, medijska bomba koja zabavlja stanovnike 'države'". Al Jazeera Balkans. 23 April 2015.
  12. ^ Gajic, Iva; Heil, Andy (25 July 2022). "Wedged Away in the Balkans, Would-Be Microstate 'Liberland' Keeps Up Its Fight For Recognition". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 6 May 2023.