Grand Duchy of Flandrensis

Grand Duchy of Flandrensis
Micronation
Flag
Coat of arms
Motto: No humans, only nature
Anthem: "Long Live Flandrensis"
StatusCurrent
Official languagesDutch, English
Demonym(s)Flandriaan, Flandrensian
Organizational structureConstitutional monarchy
• Head of State
Niels Vermeersch
Establishment
• Declared
4 September 2008
Area claimed
• Total
14,890 km2 (5,750 sq mi)
Population
• Census
741 (as of 2021)[1]
Purported currencyFlandri[2][3][4]
Time zoneGMT-8

The Grand Duchy of Flandrensis (Dutch: Groothertogdom Flandrensis) is a micronation which has some claims of territories in Antarctica. It was created in 2008 by the Belgian Niels Vermeersch.

Its was founded on September 4, 2008 as a temporary hobby for two weeks.[5] The micronation is inspired by the medieval County of Flanders (Pagus Flandrensis).[6][7] Flandrensis was regarded by the founder first as a hobby-micronation, and later as an ecological venture, to raise awareness of ice melting and climate change.[8]

References

  1. (in Dutch) BAUDET, M., Voyage dans les micronations, ces pays de fantaisie qui réinventent la démocratie, Le Monde, 16 August 2021
  2. (in Dutch) DAMIAANS, R., DILLEN, R., Uw krant op bezoek bij Europese micronaties Deel 1: Flandrensis, Het Belang van Limburg, 20 July 2012, page 20-21
  3. (in Dutch) DAMIAANS, R., DILLEN, R., Dwergstaten Deel 1: Flandrensis, Gazet van Antwerpen, 23 July 2012, page 8-9
  4. (in Dutch) GHEERAERT, T., Diplomatieke rel om een deel van Antarctica, Het Wekelijks Nieuws, 05 September 2013, page 10-11
  5. (in French) Oeuillet, J., Le business des vanités : enquête sur les arnaques à la noblesse, Ed. du Moment, 16 April 2015, pages 207, ISBN 978-2-35417-370-8
  6. (in Dutch) VANSTEENKISTE, A., "Hoogledenaar is Groothertog van micronatie Flandrensis", Het Nieuwsblad, 13 September 2012, page 22-22
  7. (in Dutch) VERHAEGHE, H., Middagpost West-Vlaanderen Archived 2012-12-03 at the Wayback Machine, Radio 2, 13 September 2012 (interview with Niels Vermeersch)
  8. (in Dutch) STROCHLIC, N., Ieder zijn eigen koninkrijk, National Geographic, April 2016, page 8-9