Užupis

  • Micronations
  • Founded 1 April 1997
  • Motto Don’t Fight, Don’t Win, Don’t Surrender
  • Area 0.598935 km²

Užupis is a small neighborhood in the old part of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. In 1991 Lithuania broke free from the former Soviet Union and local artists erected a monument for singer Frank Zappa, who they claimed served as an example for the inhabitants of the former satellite state. They went one step further on 1st April, 1997 when the independent Republic of Užupis was declared. “The spirit of Zappa made us see that independence from Moscow was not enough and persuaded us to declare independence from the rest of Vilnius.”

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Icaria

During the early twentieth century the inhabitants of Icaria took advantage of the war in the Balkans and the declining power of the Ottoman Empire to declare the Free State of Icaria (Ελευθέρα Πολιτεία Ικαρίας, Elefthéra Politía Ikarías) on 18th July 1912. The neighbouring islands of Fournoi Korseon were also liberated and became part of the Free State. Ioannis Malahias (Ιωάννης Μαλαχίας) was the first and only president of the Free State of Icaria. The country enjoyed its freedom for five months until it was annexed by the Kingdom of Greece.