micronation en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mey-der.? Ancient Greek μῑκρός (mīkrós) Ancient Greek μῑκρο- (mīkro-)lbor. English micro- Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁tisder. Proto-Italic *gnātiō Latin nātiōbor. Old French nacionbor. Middle English nacioun English nation English micronation From micro- (“very small”) + nation (“a sovereign state; country”). Compare microcountry, mini-nation, mini-country and ministate. The first sense was coined on 11 March 1973 by the editors of the Lansing State Journal (see quotations) in a republication of an article by Philip J. Hilts, originally writing for Potomac Magazine (Sunday supplement to The Washington Post), and so-called because most micronations are small in size. The article was referring to the unrecognised political entities listed in the Ephemeral States file, a collection of physical micronational records maintained by the Office of the Geographer of the United States Department of State, launched in 1933.
Meanings
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A non-autonomous entity that claims to be a sovereign state and mimics the actions of a state (with varying degrees of seriousness), but lacks any legal recognition and exists only on paper or in the mind of its creator; a micronational entity.
After exploring several classificatory accounts that identify commonalities and distinctions among and between different types of micronation, we outline our definition. We find that micronations are self-declared nations that perform and mimic acts of sovereignty, and adopt many of the protocols of nations, but lack a foundation in domestic and international law for their existence and are not recognised as states in domestic or international forums.
2021, Harry Hobbs, George Williams, Micronations and the Search for Sovereignty (Cambridge Studies in Constitutional Law), Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 21:[Never heard of] the Imperial Kingdom of Calsahara? The Conch Republic? The Principality of Sealand? You’re not alone. Léo Delafontaine hadn’t either until 2012, when he visited the Republic of Saugeais, a self-proclaimed micronation in eastern France. He's since become fascinated with "countries" unrecognized by world governments and organizations. […] Some micronations are easily accessible while others are difficult to get to.
2014 November 18, Jordan Teicher, “The World's Tiniest Countries and the Eccentrics Who Rule Them”, in Wired, archived from the original on 10 Mar 2015:Even if you are very well traveled, you may not yet have visited any of the world's micronations. There are places all over where someone or some group has declared a sort of mock sovereignty. Real nations mostly ignore them, and so does everyone else usually.
2006 November 1, Alex Chadwick, “'Lonely Planet' Explores Micronations”, in NPR, archived from the original on 12 Apr 2025:The list of micro-nations is long and colorful. The spirit of new nation-building that resonates from King Robert's descriptions of these countries, is seductive.
1996 April 1, David Zgodziński, “Net full of nations”, in The Montreal Gazette, page B3:Oceanus ... This is the world's largest micronation, taking up all the seas of the world beyond national 3-mi. limits.
1978, David Wallechinsky, Irving Wallace, The People's Almanac #2: A Completely New Book from Cover to Cover, Bantam Books, →ISBN, page 330:For every dreamer there is somewhere a doer, and in the realm [of] the strange micro-nations, the Republic of Minerva has plunged a bit ahead of the nebulous status of most others.
1973 March 11, Philip J. Hilts, “Micro-nations Nebulous Fourth World”, in Lansing State Journal, page C-5:
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Synonym of microstate (“a country that has a very small population and land area”).
Also, since Nigeria is the cornerstone of the economy of West Africa, many countries around its perimeter will suffer, including many of the "micro-nations" of the U.N. which were the biggest supporters of the actions in The Congo and Rhodesia.
1967 June 11, T. W. Carlson, “U.N. Should Act to Save Nigeria”, in Star Tribune, page 45:Europe already has workable arrangements with micro-nations like Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Andorra and San Marino.
1991 July 7, “Wanna try driving a 'Yugo,' Mister?”, in Robert M. McKinney, editor, The Santa Fe New Mexican, page A-6:The concept of an independent Bougainville is sometimes denounced because such a micronation would necessarily restrict the scope of employment opportunities while increasing the frustrations of educated Bougainvilleans.
1973, Anthony Clunies Ross, John Langmore, Alternative Strategies for Papua New Guinea, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 129:But in easing its own vaccine crisis, this hilltop micronation – which is not a member of the European Union – has become a foil for a much larger crisis playing out beyond its borders.
2021 April 2, Chico Harlan, Stefano Pitrelli, “San Marino, the micronation within Italy, stokes envy with speedy Russian-supplied vaccine campaign”, in The Washington Post:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| micronations | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| micro-nation | alternative | lexicographic |
Antonyms
country · macronation · nation · sovereign state
Deriveds
micronationality · micronationdom · micronationhood · micronationry
Holonyms
Hypernyms
political entity · government · pseudonation · aspirant state · micronational entity
Hyponyms
bug nation · egostan · space nation · bedroom nation · egonation · mini-independent country · nanonation
Relateds
micropatriology · cybernation · ronation · network state
Synonyms
microstate · new nation project · mini-country · mnation · mrnation · microcountry · project nation · ephemeral state · nationette · MN · countercountry · model nation · new country project · mini-nation · model country · micronational entity · micropatria
Translations (15)
ka მიკროსახელმწიფო (Entity that claims to be a sovereign state) · sh mikronacija (Entity that claims to be a sovereign state) · sh микронација (Entity that claims to be a sovereign state) · vi vi quốc gia (Entity that claims to be a sovereign state) · id negara mikro (Entity that claims to be a sovereign state) · it micronazione (Entity that claims to be a sovereign state) · es micronación (Entity that claims to be a sovereign state) · is smáþjóð (Entity that claims to be a sovereign state) · th ประเทศจำลอง (Entity that claims to be a sovereign state) · de Mikronation (Entity that claims to be a sovereign state) · ka მიკროერი (Entity that claims to be a sovereign state) · ro micronațiune (Entity that claims to be a sovereign state) · pt micronação (Entity that claims to be a sovereign state) · nl micronatie (Entity that claims to be a sovereign state) · ka მიკროქვეყანა (Entity that claims to be a sovereign state)
wikipedia: Philip J. Hilts · wikipedia: The Washington Post · wikipedia: Office of the Geographer · wikipedia: Lansing State Journal