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Coordinates: 23°38′30″S 178°54′47″W / 23.64167°S 178.91306°W / -23.64167; -178.91306
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{{Short description|1972 micronation in the Pacific Ocean}}
{{more footnotes|date=June 2011}}
{{Infobox country
{{Infobox
| above = Republic of Minerva
|micronation = yes <!--yes if a micronation-->
| subheader = Unrecognized [[micronation]]
|conventional_long_name = Republic of Minerva<!--Formal or official full name of the country in English-->
| image2 = [[File:Map of Minerva.jpg|200px]]
|native_name = <!--Country's name (usually full name) in its native language, hence in italics (double quotemarks)-->
| caption2 = Location of [[Minerva Reefs]]
|common_name = <!--Common name in English (used for wikilinks, captions, and to produce a default iso3166 code)-->
| label1 = Claimed by
|status = <!--Status of country, especially useful for micronations-->
| data1 = [[Michael Oliver (real estate)|Michael Oliver]]
|image_flag = Flag Minerva.svg<!--e.g. Flag of country.svg-->
| label2 = Dates claimed
|alt_flag = <!--alt text for flag (text shown when pointer hovers over flag)-->
| data2 = 1972–1973, 1982
|flag_border = <!--set to no to disable border around the flag-->
| label3 = Area claimed
|image_flag2 = <!--e.g. Second-flag of country.svg-->
| data3 = Minerva Reefs ([[Tonga]])
|alt_flag2 = <!--alt text for second flag-->
|flag2_border = <!--set to no to disable border around the flag-->
|image_coat = <!--e.g. Coat of arms of country.svg-->
|alt_coat = <!--alt text for coat of arms-->
|symbol_type = <!--emblem, seal, etc (if not a coat of arms)-->
|national_motto = "Land of the Rising Atoll"<!--in inverted commas and wikilinked if link exists-->
|englishmotto = <!--English language version of motto-->
|national_anthem = <!--in inverted commas and wikilinked if link exists-->
|royal_anthem = <!--in inverted commas and wikilinked if link exists-->
|other_symbol_type = <!--Use if a further symbol exists, e.g. hymn-->
|other_symbol =
|image_map = Map of Minerva.jpg<!--e.g. LocationCountry.svg-->
|loctext = <!--text description of location of country-->
|alt_map = <!--alt text for map-->
|map_caption = [[Minerva Reefs]]<!--Caption to place below map-->
|image_map2 = <!--Another map, if required-->
|alt_map2 = <!--alt text for second map-->
|map_caption2 = <!--Caption to place below second map-->
|capital = <!--Name of country/territory's capital, wikilinked if link exists-->
|coordinates = {{coord|23|38|S|178|54|W}}<!-- Coordinates for capital, using {{tl|coord}} -->
|largest_city = <!--Name of country/territory's largest city. Use "capital" (without quotation marks) if it's the capital.-->
|largest_settlement_type = <!--Type of settlement if largest settlement not a city-->
|largest_settlement = <!--Name of largest settlement-->
|official_languages = <!--Languages recognised in legislation, constitution, etc-->
|national_languages = <!--Country/territory-wide languages recognised but not necessarily in country/territory-wide law, etc-->
|regional_languages = <!--Languages recognised or associated with particular regions within the country/territory-->
|languages_type = Language<!--Use to specify a further type of language, if not official, national or regional-->
|languages = [[English language|English]]<!--Languages of the further type-->
|languages_sub = <!--Is this further type of language a sub-item of the previous non-sub type? ("yes" or "no")-->
|languages2_type = <!--Another further type of language-->
|languages2 = <!--Languages of this second further type-->
|languages2_sub = <!--Is the second alternative type of languages a sub-item of the previous non-sub type? ("yes" or "no")-->
|ethnic_groups = <!--List/breakdown of ethnic groups within the country/territory-->
|ethnic_groups_year = <!--Year of ethnic groups data (if provided)-->
|ethnic_groups_ref = <!--(for any ref/s to associate with ethnic groups data)-->
|religion = <!--Religion-->
|religion_year = <!--Year of religion data (if provided)-->
|religion_ref = <!--(for any ref/s to associate with religion data)-->
|demonym = <!--Term/s describing those associated with the country/territory (e.g. "Belgian" for the country Belgium)-->
|government_type = [[Republic]]<!--(often a compound multi-wikilinked term, e.g. "Federal semi-presidential constitutional republic", etc)-->
|leader_title1 = [[President (government title)|President]]<!--(for a country, usually the head of state's (wikilinked) title, e.g. "President", "Monarch")-->
|leader_name1 = Morris C Davis, 1972-1973, 1982
|leader_title2 = <!--(could be "Vice President", otherwise "Prime Minister", etc, etc)-->
|leader_name2 =
<!--......-->
|leader_title14 = <!--(up to 14 distinct leaders may be included)-->
|leader_name14 =
|legislature = <!--Name of the country/territory's governing body, e.g. "Parliament", "Congress", etc-->
|upper_house = <!--Name of governing body's upper house, if given (e.g. "Senate")-->
|lower_house = <!--Name of governing body's lower house, if given (e.g. "Chamber of Deputies")-->
|sovereignty_type = Defunct (now part of [[Tonga]])<!--Brief description of country/territory's status ("Independence [from...]", "Autonomous province [of...]", etc)-->
|sovereignty_note =
|established_event1 = Foundation<!--First key event in history of country/territory's status or formation-->
|established_date1 = 19 January 1972<!--Date of first key event-->
|established_event2 = <!--Second key event-->
|established_date2 = <!--Date of second key event-->
<!--......-->
|established_event13 = <!--(up to 13 distinct events may be included)-->
|established_date13 =
|area_rank =
|area = <!--Major area size (in [[Template:convert]] either km2 or sqmi first)-->
|area_km2 = <!--Major area size (in square km)-->
|area_sq_mi = <!--Area in square mi (requires area_km2)-->
|area_footnote = <!--Optional footnote for area-->
|percent_water =
|area_label = <!--Label under "Area" (default is "Total")-->
|area_label2 = <!--Label below area_label (optional)-->
|area_data2 = <!--Text after area_label2 (optional)-->
|population_estimate =
|population_estimate_rank =
|population_estimate_year =
|population_census =
|population_census_year =
|population_density_km2 =
|population_density_sq_mi =
|population_density_rank =
|nummembers = 42<!--An alternative to population for micronation-->
|GDP_PPP = <!--(Gross Domestic Product from Purchasing Power Parity)-->
|GDP_PPP_rank =
|GDP_PPP_year =
|GDP_PPP_per_capita =
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank =
|GDP_nominal =
|GDP_nominal_rank =
|GDP_nominal_year =
|GDP_nominal_per_capita =
|GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank =
|Gini = <!--(Gini measure of income inequality; input number only; valid values are between 0 and 100)-->
|Gini_ref = <!--(for any ref/s to associate with Gini number)-->
|Gini_rank =
|Gini_year =
|HDI_year = <!-- Please use the year to which the data refers, not the publication year-->
|HDI = <!--(Human Development Index; input number only; valid values are between 0 and 1)-->
|HDI_change = <!--increase/decrease/steady; rank change from previous year-->
|HDI_rank =
|HDI_ref = <!--(for any ref/s to associate with HDI number)-->
|currency = Minerva Dollar<!--Name/s of currency/ies used in country/territory-->
|currency_code = <!--ISO 4217 code/s for currency/ies (each usually three capital letters)-->
|time_zone = <!--e.g. GMT, PST, AST, etc, etc (wikilinked if possible)-->
|utc_offset = <!--in the form "+N", where N is number of hours offset-->
|time_zone_DST = <!--Link to DST (Daylight Saving Time) used, otherwise leave empty-->
|utc_offset_DST = <!--in the form "+N", where N is number of hours offset-->
|DST_note = <!--Optional note regarding DST use-->
|antipodes = <!--Place/s exactly on the opposite side of the world to country/territory-->
|date_format = <!--all-numeric date format and era, such as [[Common Era|CE]], [[Anno Domini|AD]], [[Hijri year|AH]], etc.; e.g. {{abbr|yyyy|year}}-{{abbr|mm|month}}-{{abbr|dd|day}} ([[Anno Domini|AD]]) -->
|electricity = <!--e.g. "230 V–50 Hz"-->
|drives_on = <!--"right" or "left" (side of road)-->
|cctld = <!--Internet country code top-level domain identifier (e.g. [[.br]], [[.de]], etc) -->
|iso3166code = <!--Use to override default from common_name parameter above; omit using "omit".-->
|calling_code = <!--e.g. [[+1]], [[+531]], [[+44]], etc-->
|patron_saint = <!--Use patron_saints for multiple-->
|image_map3 = <!--Optional third map position, e.g. for use with reference to footnotes below it-->
|alt_map3 = <!--alt text for third map position-->
|footnote_a = <!--For any footnote <sup>a</sup> used above-->
|footnote_b = <!--For any footnote <sup>b</sup> used above-->
<!--......-->
|footnote_h = <!--For any footnote <sup>h</sup> used above-->
|footnotes = <!--For any generic non-numbered footnotes-->
|s1 = Tonga<!-- Name of the article for succeeding entity, numbered 1-5 -->
|flag_s1 = Flag of Tonga.svg<!-- Default: "Flag of {{{s1}}}.svg" (size 30) -->
|image_s1 = <!-- Use: [[File:Sin escudo.svg|20px|Image missing]] -->
}}
}}


The '''Republic of Minerva''' was a [[micronation]] consisting of the [[Minerva Reefs]]. It was one of the few modern attempts at creating a sovereign micronation on the reclaimed land of an [[artificial island]] in 1972. The architect was [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]] [[real estate]] [[millionaire]] and political activist [[Michael Oliver (real estate)|Michael Oliver]], who went on to other similar attempts in the following decade. Lithuanian-born Oliver formed a syndicate, the Ocean Life Research Foundation, which had considerable finances for the project and had offices in [[New York City|New York]] and [[London]].<ref name=queenoftheisles>{{cite web|title=A true record of the Minerva Reef saga of 1972 and the part played by the Tongan Shipping Company Vessel Olovaha|url=http://www.queenoftheisles.com/HTML/Republic%20of%20Minerva.html|first=Doug|last=Jenkins|access-date=17 November 2014}}</ref> They anticipated a [[Libertarianism|libertarian]] [[society]] with "no taxation, welfare, subsidies, or any form of [[economic interventionism]]." In addition to tourism and fishing, the economy of the new [[nation]] would include [[light industry]] and other commerce. According to Glen Raphael, "The chief reason that the Minerva project failed was that the libertarians who were involved did not want to fight for their territory."<ref>{{cite web|last=Raphael|first=Glen|title=A Non-Non-Libertarian FAQ: Responses to Mike Huben|url=http://www.impel.com/liblib/NNLFAQ.html#13|publisher=impel.com|access-date=6 June 2011}}</ref> According to ''[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]'', Minerva has been "more or less reclaimed by the sea".<ref>{{cite journal|last=Mangu-Ward|first=Katherine|title=Artifact: Hope Floats|journal=Reason Magazine|date=August–September 2008|url=http://reason.com/archives/2008/08/01/artifact-hope-floats|access-date=6 June 2011}}</ref>
The '''Republic of Minerva''' was a [[micronation]] consisting of the [[Minerva Reefs]]. It was one of the few modern attempts at creating a sovereign micronation on the reclaimed land of an [[artificial island]] in 1972. The architect was [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]] [[real estate]] [[millionaire]] and political activist [[Michael Oliver (real estate)|Michael Oliver]], who went on to other similar attempts in the following decade. Lithuanian-born Oliver formed a syndicate, the Ocean Life Research Foundation, which had considerable finances for the project and had offices in [[New York City|New York]] and [[London]].<ref name=queenoftheisles>{{cite web|title=A true record of the Minerva Reef saga of 1972 and the part played by the Tongan Shipping Company Vessel Olovaha|url=http://www.queenoftheisles.com/HTML/Republic%20of%20Minerva.html|first=Doug|last=Jenkins|access-date=17 November 2014}}</ref> They anticipated a [[Libertarianism|libertarian]] [[society]] with "no taxation, welfare, subsidies, or any form of [[economic interventionism]]." In addition to tourism and fishing, the economy of the new [[nation]] would include [[light industry]] and other commerce.
On 24 February 1972 [[Tonga]] made a claim over the Minerva Reefs, which was backed by [[Australia]], [[New Zealand]] (including the [[Cook Islands]]), [[Fiji]], [[Nauru]] and [[Samoa]]. A Tongan expedition was sent to enforce the claim, arriving on 18 June 1972. In 1982 a group of [[United States|Americans]] led by Morris C. "Bud" Davis tried to occupy the reefs, but were forced off by Tongan troops after three weeks.<ref name=":0" /> No known claimant group since 1982 has made any attempt to take possession of the Minerva Reefs. According to ''[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]]'', Minerva has today been "more or less reclaimed by the sea".<ref>{{cite journal|last=Mangu-Ward|first=Katherine|title=Artifact: Hope Floats|journal=Reason Magazine|date=August–September 2008|url=http://reason.com/archives/2008/08/01/artifact-hope-floats|access-date=6 June 2011}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
[[Image:MinervaReef3.jpg|Landing on Minerva, years after the confrontation.|left|250px|thumb]]
[[Image:MinervaReef3.jpg|Landing on Minerva, years after the confrontation.|left|250px|thumb]]
[[Image:MinervaReef2.jpg|More people walking on Minerva.|right | thumb]]
[[Image:MinervaReef2.jpg|More people walking on Minerva.|right | thumb]]
The reefs were put on the charts by Captain John Nicholson of LMS Haweis in December 1818 as reported in The Sydney Gazette 30 January 1819<ref>trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2178505</ref> and had been marked on charts as "Nicholson's Shoal" since the late 1820s. [[Henry Mangles Denham|Captain H. M. Denham]] of the [[HMS Herald (1824)|HMS ''Herald'']] surveyed the reefs in 1854 and renamed them after the Australian whaler ''Minerva'', which collided with South Minerva Reef on 9 September 1829.<ref>Ruhen, Olaf. ''Minerva Reef'', Minerva Bookshop Limited, 1963, p. 7</ref>
The reefs were put on the charts by Captain John Nicholson of LMS Haweis in December 1818 as reported in [[Sydney Gazette|The Sydney Gazette]] 30 January 1819<ref>{{cite news|date=30 January 1819|newspaper=The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser|page=3|via=[[Trove]] |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2178505/494092|title=The Haweis, Captain Nicholson, arrived last Sunday... |quote=From Captain Nicholson, of the Haweis, we receive the following report of three dangerous reefs, discovered in his passage from Otaheite to this port in December last. }}</ref> and had been marked on charts as "Nicholson's Shoal" since the late 1820s. [[Henry Mangles Denham|Captain H. M. Denham]] of [[HMS Herald (1824)|HMS ''Herald'']] surveyed the reefs in 1854 and renamed them after the Australian whaler ''Minerva'', which collided with South Minerva Reef on 9 September 1829.<ref>Ruhen, Olaf. ''Minerva Reef'', Minerva Bookshop Limited, 1963, p. 7</ref>
[[Image:Flag Minerva.svg|Flag of Minerva|left|200px|thumb]]
In 1971 barges loaded with [[sand]] arrived from [[Australia]], bringing the reef level above the water and allowing construction of a small tower and flag.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/03/28/archives/nations-off-the-beaten-track-a-world-of-tiny-nations.html |title=Nations Off the Beaten Track |work=New York Times |author=Roy Bongartz |date=28 March 1976 |access-date=10 December 2023}}</ref> The Republic of Minerva issued a [[declaration of independence]] on 19 January 1972,<ref>{{cite book|last=Middleton|first=Nick|title=An Atlas of Countries That Don't Exist: A Compendium of Fifty Unrecognized and Largely Unnoticed States|year=2015|publisher=Macmillan|location=London|isbn=978-1-4472-9527-3|page=198}}</ref> in letters to neighboring countries and even created their own currency. Morris C. "Bud" Davis was elected as President of the Republic of Minerva.<ref>{{cite web | title = Phoenix: ashes to ashes | author = Mike Parsons in [[Port Vila]] | work = [[New Internationalist]] | date = July 1981 | url = http://www.newint.org/issue101/phoenix.htm | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100511054249/http://www.newint.org/issue101/phoenix.htm | archive-date = 11 May 2010 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>


Prior to 1972, Tonga had not claimed sovereignty over the Minerva Reefs. In 1887, when King George Tupou I of Tonga first proclaimed Tonga’s territory, the Minerva Reefs were not included. When asked about the Minervan's project, the King of Tonga, Taufa{{okina}}ahau Tupou IV, denied rumors that Tonga meant to claim sovereignty over it, yet said "it was in the best interest of Tonga not to allow a group of people, whose objects were to make money and whose activities could be harmful, to become established on the reefs." Neighboring countries agreed; Fiji’s Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, claimed the actions of the Minervans set a dangerous precedent: "If these people can claim Minerva, what would stop them from doing it here?"<ref>{{Cite web |title= The Curious History of the Minerva Reefs: Tracing the Origin of Tongan and Fijian Claims Over the Minerva Reefs |publisher=Taylor and Francis |date=February 2019 |access-date=31 July 2022 |url= https://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/handle/10523/12395?show=full }}</ref>
In 1971, barges loaded with [[sand]] arrived from [[Australia]], bringing the reef level above the water and allowing construction of a small tower and flag. The Republic of Minerva issued a [[declaration of independence]] on 19 January 1972,<ref>{{cite book|last=Middleton|first=Nick|title=An Atlas of Countries That Don't Exist: A Compendium of Fifty Unrecognized and Largely Unnoticed States|year=2015|publisher=Macmillan|location=London|isbn=978-1-4472-9527-3|page=198}}</ref> in letters to neighboring countries and even created their own currency. Morris C. "Bud" Davis was elected as President of the Republic of Minerva.<ref>{{cite web | title = Phoenix: ashes to ashes | author = Mike Parsons in [[Port Vila]] | work = [[New Internationalist]] | date = July 1981 | url = http://www.newint.org/issue101/phoenix.htm | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100511054249/http://www.newint.org/issue101/phoenix.htm | archive-date = 11 May 2010 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>


The declaration of independence, however, was greeted with great suspicion by other countries in the area. A conference of the neighboring [[sovereign state|states]] ([[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], [[Tonga]], [[Fiji]], [[Nauru]], [[Samoa]], and territory of [[Cook Islands]]) met on 24 February 1972 at which [[Tonga]] made a claim over the Minerva Reefs and the rest of the states recognized its claim.
Consequently, a conference of the neighboring [[sovereign state|states]] ([[Australia]], [[New Zealand]], [[Tonga]], [[Fiji]], [[Nauru]], [[Samoa]], and territory of [[Cook Islands]]) met on 24 February 1972 at which [[Tonga]] made a claim over the Minerva Reefs, and the rest of the states recognized its claim.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2022/05/michael-oliver-republic-of-minerva-history-libertarian-micronations-tonga.html |title=The Brief Life and Watery Death of a '70s Libertarian Micronation |publisher=Slate |author= Raymond Craib |date=21 May 2022 |access-date=10 December 2023}}</ref>


On 15 June 1972, the following proclamation was published in a Tongan government [[gazette]]:
On 15 June 1972 the following proclamation was published in a Tongan government [[gazette]]:
{{quotation |PROCLAMATION
{{quotation |PROCLAMATION
:His Majesty King Taufa{{okina}}ahau Tupou IV in Council DOES HEREBY PROCLAIM:
:His Majesty King Taufa{{okina}}ahau Tupou IV in Council DOES HEREBY PROCLAIM:
:WHEREAS the Reefs known as North Minerva Reef and South Minerva Reef have long served as fishing grounds for the Tongan people and have long been regarded as belonging to the Kingdom of Tonga has now created on these Reefs islands known as Teleki Tokelau and Teleki Tonga; AND WHEREAS it is expedient that we should now confirm the rights of the Kingdom of Tonga to these islands; THEREFORE we do hereby AFFIRM and PROCLAIM that the islands, rocks, reefs, foreshores and waters lying within a radius of twelve miles [19.31 km] thereof are part of our Kingdom of Tonga.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Proclamation concerning the Teleki Tokelau and Teleki Tonga Islands of 15 June 1972. |publisher=FAO |date=15 June 1972 |access-date=12 February 2020 |url= http://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC005226/ |id=LEX-FAOC005226 }}</ref>}}
:WHEREAS the Reefs known as North Minerva Reef and South Minerva Reef have long served as fishing grounds for the Tongan people and have long been regarded as belonging to the Kingdom of Tonga has now created on these Reefs islands known as Teleki Tokelau and Teleki Tonga; AND WHEREAS it is expedient that we should now confirm the rights of the Kingdom of Tonga to these islands; THEREFORE we do hereby AFFIRM and PROCLAIM that the islands, rocks, reefs, foreshores and waters lying within a radius of twelve miles [19.31 km] thereof are part of our Kingdom of Tonga.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Proclamation concerning the Teleki Tokelau and Teleki Tonga Islands of 15 June 1972. |publisher=FAO |date=15 June 1972 |access-date=12 February 2020 |url= http://www.fao.org/faolex/results/details/en/c/LEX-FAOC005226/ |id=LEX-FAOC005226 }}</ref>}} A Tongan expedition was sent to enforce the claim, arriving on 18 June 1972. The [[Flag of Tonga]] was raised on 19 June 1972 on North Minerva and on South Minerva on 21 June 1972. Tonga's claim was recognized by the [[Pacific Islands Forum|South Pacific Forum]] in September 1972.<ref name=queenoftheisles/> Meanwhile, Provisional President Davis was fired by founder Michael Oliver and the project collapsed in confusion. Nevertheless, Minerva was referred to in [[The Girl Who Owned a City|O. T. Nelson]]'s post-apocalyptic children's novel ''[[The Girl Who Owned a City]]'', published in 1975, as an example of an invented utopia that the book's protagonists could try to emulate.
A Tongan expedition was sent to enforce the claim, arriving on 18 June 1972. The [[Flag of Tonga]] was raised on 19 June 1972 on North Minerva and on South Minerva on 21 June 1972. Tonga's claim was recognized by the [[Pacific Islands Forum|South Pacific Forum]] in September 1972.<ref name=queenoftheisles/> Meanwhile, Provisional President Davis was fired by founder Michael Oliver and the project collapsed in confusion. Nevertheless, Minerva was referred to in [[The Girl Who Owned a City|O. T. Nelson]]'s post-apocalyptic children's novel ''[[The Girl Who Owned a City]]'', published in 1975, as an example of an invented utopia that the book's protagonists could try to emulate.


In 1982, a group of [[United States|Americans]] led again by Davis tried to occupy the reefs, but were forced off by Tongan troops after three weeks.
In 1982 a group of [[United States|Americans]] led again by Davis tried to occupy the reefs, but were forced off by Tongan troops after three weeks.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=http://www.queenoftheisles.com/HTML/Olovaha%20&%20Minerva.html |title=Olovaha & the Republic of Minerva |first=Doug|last=Jenkins |access-date=30 September 2021}}</ref>
In recent years{{when|date=July 2020}} several groups have allegedly sought to re-establish Minerva. No known claimant group since 1982 has made any attempt to take possession of the Minerva Reefs.


In November 2005, [[Fiji]] lodged a complaint with the [[International Seabed Authority]] concerning Tonga's maritime waters claims surrounding Minerva.
In November 2005, [[Fiji]] lodged a complaint with the [[International Seabed Authority]] concerning Tonga's maritime waters claims surrounding Minerva. Tonga has lodged a counter claim.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pireport.org/articles/2005/11/07/international-body-decide-fiji-tonga-dispute |title=INTERNATIONAL BODY TO DECIDE FIJI, TONGA DISPUTE |publisher=Pacific Islands Report |date=7 November 2005 |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref>
Tonga has lodged a counter claim. The Minerva "principality" group also claims to have lodged a counter claim.


==Coins==
==Coins==
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==See also==
==See also==
*[[Liberland]] – a micronation formed on previously unclaimed territory between [[Croatia]] and [[Serbia]] on the [[Danube River]]
*[[Principality of Sealand|Sealand]] - a declared principality near the United Kingdom which is built on a WWII sea fort.
*[[REM Island]], a platform towed into international waters for the purposes of [[offshore radio]] broadcasting.
*[[Ocean colonization]]
*[[Ocean colonization]]
*[[Principality of Sealand|Sealand]] – a declared principality off the coast of the United Kingdom is built on a [[Maunsell_Forts|WWII sea fort]]
*[[Seasteading]]
*[[REM Island]] – a platform towed into international waters for the purposes of [[offshore radio]] broadcasting
*[[Republic of Rose Island]]
*[[Republic of Rose Island]] – a micronation on a platform built off the coast of [[Italy]] in the [[Adriatic Sea]]
*[[Saya de Malha Bank]]
*[[Saya de Malha Bank]]
*[[Seasteading]]
*''[[How to Start Your Own Country]]''
*''[[How to Start Your Own Country]]''


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* [http://www.landfallnavigation.com/minervareefs.html "The Danger and Bounty of the Minerva Reefs"]
* [http://www.landfallnavigation.com/minervareefs.html "The Danger and Bounty of the Minerva Reefs"]
* [http://www.svsequoia.com/minerva_reef.htm "On passage from Minerva Reef, November 2, 2003"]
* [http://www.svsequoia.com/minerva_reef.htm "On passage from Minerva Reef, November 2, 2003"]
* [http://www.queenoftheisles.com/HTML/Olovaha%20&%20Minerva.html Olovaha & the Republic of Minerva]


{{Micronations}}
{{Micronations}}
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[[Category:Controversies within libertarianism]]
[[Category:Controversies within libertarianism]]
[[Category:1972 in Tonga]]
[[Category:1972 in Tonga]]
[[Category:Former republics]]
[[Category:Island countries]]

Latest revision as of 21:27, 28 October 2024

Republic of Minerva
Unrecognized micronation
Location of Minerva Reefs
Claimed byMichael Oliver
Dates claimed1972–1973, 1982
Area claimedMinerva Reefs (Tonga)

The Republic of Minerva was a micronation consisting of the Minerva Reefs. It was one of the few modern attempts at creating a sovereign micronation on the reclaimed land of an artificial island in 1972. The architect was Las Vegas real estate millionaire and political activist Michael Oliver, who went on to other similar attempts in the following decade. Lithuanian-born Oliver formed a syndicate, the Ocean Life Research Foundation, which had considerable finances for the project and had offices in New York and London.[1] They anticipated a libertarian society with "no taxation, welfare, subsidies, or any form of economic interventionism." In addition to tourism and fishing, the economy of the new nation would include light industry and other commerce.

On 24 February 1972 Tonga made a claim over the Minerva Reefs, which was backed by Australia, New Zealand (including the Cook Islands), Fiji, Nauru and Samoa. A Tongan expedition was sent to enforce the claim, arriving on 18 June 1972. In 1982 a group of Americans led by Morris C. "Bud" Davis tried to occupy the reefs, but were forced off by Tongan troops after three weeks.[2] No known claimant group since 1982 has made any attempt to take possession of the Minerva Reefs. According to Reason, Minerva has today been "more or less reclaimed by the sea".[3]

History

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Landing on Minerva, years after the confrontation.
More people walking on Minerva.

The reefs were put on the charts by Captain John Nicholson of LMS Haweis in December 1818 as reported in The Sydney Gazette 30 January 1819[4] and had been marked on charts as "Nicholson's Shoal" since the late 1820s. Captain H. M. Denham of HMS Herald surveyed the reefs in 1854 and renamed them after the Australian whaler Minerva, which collided with South Minerva Reef on 9 September 1829.[5]

Flag of Minerva

In 1971 barges loaded with sand arrived from Australia, bringing the reef level above the water and allowing construction of a small tower and flag.[6] The Republic of Minerva issued a declaration of independence on 19 January 1972,[7] in letters to neighboring countries and even created their own currency. Morris C. "Bud" Davis was elected as President of the Republic of Minerva.[8]

Prior to 1972, Tonga had not claimed sovereignty over the Minerva Reefs. In 1887, when King George Tupou I of Tonga first proclaimed Tonga’s territory, the Minerva Reefs were not included. When asked about the Minervan's project, the King of Tonga, Taufaʻahau Tupou IV, denied rumors that Tonga meant to claim sovereignty over it, yet said "it was in the best interest of Tonga not to allow a group of people, whose objects were to make money and whose activities could be harmful, to become established on the reefs." Neighboring countries agreed; Fiji’s Prime Minister, Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, claimed the actions of the Minervans set a dangerous precedent: "If these people can claim Minerva, what would stop them from doing it here?"[9]

Consequently, a conference of the neighboring states (Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Fiji, Nauru, Samoa, and territory of Cook Islands) met on 24 February 1972 at which Tonga made a claim over the Minerva Reefs, and the rest of the states recognized its claim.[10]

On 15 June 1972 the following proclamation was published in a Tongan government gazette:

PROCLAMATION

His Majesty King Taufaʻahau Tupou IV in Council DOES HEREBY PROCLAIM:
WHEREAS the Reefs known as North Minerva Reef and South Minerva Reef have long served as fishing grounds for the Tongan people and have long been regarded as belonging to the Kingdom of Tonga has now created on these Reefs islands known as Teleki Tokelau and Teleki Tonga; AND WHEREAS it is expedient that we should now confirm the rights of the Kingdom of Tonga to these islands; THEREFORE we do hereby AFFIRM and PROCLAIM that the islands, rocks, reefs, foreshores and waters lying within a radius of twelve miles [19.31 km] thereof are part of our Kingdom of Tonga.[11]

A Tongan expedition was sent to enforce the claim, arriving on 18 June 1972. The Flag of Tonga was raised on 19 June 1972 on North Minerva and on South Minerva on 21 June 1972. Tonga's claim was recognized by the South Pacific Forum in September 1972.[1] Meanwhile, Provisional President Davis was fired by founder Michael Oliver and the project collapsed in confusion. Nevertheless, Minerva was referred to in O. T. Nelson's post-apocalyptic children's novel The Girl Who Owned a City, published in 1975, as an example of an invented utopia that the book's protagonists could try to emulate.

In 1982 a group of Americans led again by Davis tried to occupy the reefs, but were forced off by Tongan troops after three weeks.[2]

In November 2005, Fiji lodged a complaint with the International Seabed Authority concerning Tonga's maritime waters claims surrounding Minerva. Tonga has lodged a counter claim.[12]

Coins

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  • The obverse of the 35 Minerva Dollar coin
    The obverse of the 35 Minerva Dollar coin
  • The reverse of the 1973 35 Minerva Dollar coin
    The reverse of the 1973 35 Minerva Dollar coin

See also

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b Jenkins, Doug. "A true record of the Minerva Reef saga of 1972 and the part played by the Tongan Shipping Company Vessel Olovaha". Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  2. ^ a b Jenkins, Doug. "Olovaha & the Republic of Minerva". Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  3. ^ Mangu-Ward, Katherine (August–September 2008). "Artifact: Hope Floats". Reason Magazine. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  4. ^ "The Haweis, Captain Nicholson, arrived last Sunday..." The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser. 30 January 1819. p. 3 – via Trove. From Captain Nicholson, of the Haweis, we receive the following report of three dangerous reefs, discovered in his passage from Otaheite to this port in December last.
  5. ^ Ruhen, Olaf. Minerva Reef, Minerva Bookshop Limited, 1963, p. 7
  6. ^ Roy Bongartz (28 March 1976). "Nations Off the Beaten Track". New York Times. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  7. ^ Middleton, Nick (2015). An Atlas of Countries That Don't Exist: A Compendium of Fifty Unrecognized and Largely Unnoticed States. London: Macmillan. p. 198. ISBN 978-1-4472-9527-3.
  8. ^ Mike Parsons in Port Vila (July 1981). "Phoenix: ashes to ashes". New Internationalist. Archived from the original on 11 May 2010.
  9. ^ "The Curious History of the Minerva Reefs: Tracing the Origin of Tongan and Fijian Claims Over the Minerva Reefs". Taylor and Francis. February 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  10. ^ Raymond Craib (21 May 2022). "The Brief Life and Watery Death of a '70s Libertarian Micronation". Slate. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  11. ^ "Proclamation concerning the Teleki Tokelau and Teleki Tonga Islands of 15 June 1972". FAO. 15 June 1972. LEX-FAOC005226. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  12. ^ "INTERNATIONAL BODY TO DECIDE FIJI, TONGA DISPUTE". Pacific Islands Report. 7 November 2005. Retrieved 21 November 2021.

References

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  • Strauss, Erwin S. How to Start Your Own Country, 2nd ed. Port Townsend, WA: Breakout Productions, 1984. ISBN 1-893626-15-6
  • Olaf Ruhen, Minerva Reef (Halstead Press, Sydney, 1963)
  • Samuel Pyeatt Menefee, "Republics of the Reefs": Nation-Building on the Continental Shelf and in the World's Oceans,California Western International Law Journal, vol. 25, no. 1, Fall 1994
  • South Seas: The Minerva Ploy, Newsweek, 23 October 1972
  • South Sea Reef Proclaimed a Republic by 3 Americans, New York Times, 30 January 1972
  • Micronations: Principality of Minerva, FHM Estonia, January 2005
  • Principality of Minerva, Lahontan Valley News and Fallon Eagle Standard, by David Henley, December 2004
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