Empire of Atlantium

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Empire of Atlantium

Flag
Arms
Motto: E Tenebris Lux
(English: Out of Darkness, Light)
Musical Anthem: Auroran Hymn, by Camille Saint Saens
Image:Map Atlantium 01.png
Location: Near Reids Flat, New South Wales, Australia
Co-ordinates: 34°11'33"S, 149°01'56"E
Area: 0.76 km2
Capital: Concordia
Membership: 831 (2004)
Date of foundation: 27 November 1981
Leadership: George Francis Cruickshank (Emperor George II)
Organisational structure: Elective constitutional monarchy
Language: Latin and English
Currency: 1 Imperial Solidus = 100 centi

The Empire of Atlantium is a progressive, secular, pluralist civil society organisation based in New South Wales, Australia. As a consequence of its adoption of nation-state symbolism and behaviours it is widely identified as a micronation.

Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations describes Atlantium as "a refreshing antidote to the reactionary self-aggrandisement of so many micronations", and "an extremely sophisticated nation-state experiment, as well as an entirely serious claimant to legitimate statehood". The book's entry on Atlantium notes its espousal of "progressive, liberal policies" and characterizes it as a "secular humanist utopia".[1]

Among the causes espoused by Atlantium are the right to unrestricted international freedom of movement, the right to abortion, the right to assisted suicide[2] and decimal calendar reform.[3]

History

Atlantium was established on 27 November 1981 by three Sydney teenagers - George Francis Cruickshank (born 7 December 1966), Geoffrey John Duggan and Claire Marie Coulter (née Duggan).

It was initially conceived as as a largely theoretical exercise in global governance, and was created in response to the ideological confrontation of the Cold War, which Atlantium's founders identified as an impediment to the evolution of a global civil society.

The three declared Cruickshank to be 'Sovereign Head of State', with the title "Emperor George II"[4], and sybolically laid claim to a 10 m2 so-called "Provisional Territory" located at 83 Mercury Street, Narwee, as Atlantium's 'extraterritorial foundation'. At the time the property was jointly owned by Cruickshank's parents. Geoffrey Duggan (1982–1986) was later elected as prime minister. Damian Scott (1986–1988), and Kevin Fanucchi (1988–1990) also subsequently served in that role, but by 1990, when the original group members had graduated from university and moved to different locations, the group ceased to be active.

In 1999 Cruickshank purchased an apartment in the inner Sydney suburb of Potts Point, and soon afterwards revived Atlantium, launching a website which was instrumental in attracting new members. The 61 m2 apartment, known initially as the Imperium Proper Territory, and later as the Prefecture of Idalia, became the second designated capital of Atlantium.[4] Concordia became the third designated capital on 12 January 2008, when the rural 0.76 km2 Province of Aurora, approximately 310 kilometres southwest of Sydney, was created. The Atlantium website describes Aurora as Atlantium's "administrative capital, ceremonial focal point and spiritual homeland".[5] It also refers to Aurora using the Latin term "caput mundi", which may be translated as "global capital".

Aurora

Situated approximately 10 kilometres south of the township of Reids Flat in the Southwest Slopes region of New South Wales, the Province of Aurora is 0.76 km2 in extent and has a fenced 4.5km long perimeter. It is divided into three "administrative divisions", known as the District of Hickey (which occupies approximately half of Aurora's total area), the District of Duggan (which occupies the southern third of the province) and Concordia Capital District (the only administrative division in which permanent human occupancy and development is permitted).

Concordia is the intended location of facilities to house Atlantium's legislature, government offices, museum, throne hall and commemorative monuments. As at September 2011 it is the location of a single-storey residential and administrative building, a post office and library, a structure identified as Atlantium's Foundation Monument, a partly-completed structure identified as the "Temple of Contemplation", three storage sheds, three unpaved roadways and two man-made lakes. Aurora is also the site of an historic industrial gold processing facility built and operated in the 1860s by Chinese immigrant miners.[6]

Status and operations

The Atlantium website uses several different self-descriptions, including "self-declared state", "aspirant microstate" and "global sovereign state".[7] In line with its claim to be a "primarily non-territorial" state Atlantium does not maintain any formal territorial claims; however, it does promote the idea that the Province of Aurora has extraterritorial status; in practice the property remains under Australian jurisdiction.

Cruickshank has described Atlantium as both an "imperial republic" and "imperial commonwealth", referencing respectively the legal fiction of Rome under the regime of Octavian, and Cromwellian England.

No established nation has recognised Atlantium's sovereignty pretensions, and it has no reciprocal diplomatic relations. Atlantium has appointed "unaccredited diplomatic representatives" called "Imperial Legates" in the United States, Pakistan, Poland, Brazil, India, Italy, Iran, Singapore, Serbia and Switzerland.[8] The group has awarded "Imperial Honours" to recipients in a number of countries, generally in recognition of political activism or for service to local communities.[9]

Coins

Since 2001 Atlantium has issued a series of coins[10] and banknotes denominated in Imperial Solidi.[11]. As at September 2011 Atlantium has no internal economy, so its coins and banknotes are not used as a means of exchange. However, the sale of numismatic, philatelic and other collectable items via its website is thought to constitute Atlantium's chief economic activity.

Membership

As of 2006, the group reportedly had 903 "citizens"[1] in over 90 countries. The website names several dozen individuals holding such functions as minister, director, magister and imperial legate. Atlantium asserts that its citizenship does not supersede previously existing citizenships. Atlantians contend that they are all dual-citizens,[12] and that Atlantium actively encourages its members to participate in the political processes of their resident countries. While the group uses the words "citizenship" and "diplomatic" idiosyncratically, supporters note that Atlantium has made no secret of its attempts at redefining existing paradigms, and claim that doing so is a fundamental motivation for the group's existence.

References

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Bibliography

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Further reading


External links

Gallery

Location map of the Province of Aurora.

Map of the Province of Aurora.

Aurora viewed from the southwest.

Government House, Aurora.

Map of the former Imperium Proper.

Exterior of the former Imperium Proper.

Interior of the former Imperium Proper.

Atlantium banknote and coin montage.

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