Principality of Outer Baldonia
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| Principality of Outer Baldonia | |
 Flag |  Seal |
| Motto: ? (English: ?) Musical Anthem: ?, by ? | |
| |
| Location: | Outer Bald Tusket Island, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Co-ordinates: | 43°36′N 66°01.5′W |
| Area: | 0.02 km2 |
| Capital: | Royal Palace |
| Membership: | 70 (approx) |
| Date of foundation: | ? 1948 |
| Leadership: | Prince of Princes Russell Arundel |
| Organisational structure: | Constitutional monarchy |
| Language: | English |
| Currency: | Tunar |
The Principality of Outer Baldonia was an absurdist micronation with territorial pretensions encompassing the island of Outer Bald Tusket, near the southernmost extremity of Nova Scotia, Canada.
It was created by business magnate and Washington lobbyist Russell M Arundel (d 1978).[1] Arundel was the owner of the Pepsi-Cola bottling plant on Long Island, New York. He was also an associate of Senator Joe McCarthy.[2] After getting into financial difficulties in 1947, McCarthy accepted a US $20,000 surety[3] from Arundel at a time when the businessman was actively lobbying for an end to WW2 US sugar rationing; the episode resulted in McCarthy being pilloried as "the Pepsi-Cola Kid" [4]
Arundel purchased Outer Bald Tusket for US $750 and constructed a stone cabin there in the mid 1940s as a base for his recreational tuna fishing expeditions. According to popular legend and Arundel's own later accounts, Outer Baldonia was conceived after a late-night drinking bout with friends on the island.
Tuna fish stocks in southern Nova Scotia declined from the late 1960s, and Arundel's visits to the area and interest in Outer Baldonia followed a similar downward trajectory. On 28 December 1973 he sold Outer Bald Tusket for the nominal price of one Canadian Dollar to the Nature Conservancy of Canada for use as a sanctuary. However, the "embassy" of Outer Baldonia reportedly continued to occupy the penthouse of Arundel's son's radio network headquarters in northern Virgina as late as 1975.
As at October 2011 Outer Bald Tusket is maintained by the Nova Scotia Bird Society as the Earle E Arundel Breeding Bird Sanctuary. Video footage published by a visiting Society member in 2010 shows that the walls of Russell Arundel's stone cabin remain intact, however the remainder of the building is in a ruinous condition.
A stage play based on the story of Outer Baldonia - The Whimsy State or the Principality of Outer Baldonia, by A J Demers - is scheduled to premiere during the 2012 season of the Lunchbox Theatre, in Calgary, Canada.[5]
References
- ↑ Marjorie Arundel, 104; Conservationist Fought Illegal Bulb Harvesting, by Adam Bernstein, The Washington Post, 22 Dec 2006 Access date: 28 October 2011
- ↑ Reds: McCarthyism in twentieth-century America, by Ted Morgan, p 353 Access date: 28 October 2011
- ↑ The Life and Times of Joe McCarthy, by Thomas C Reeves, p 121 Access date: 28 October 2011
- ↑ Ibid., p 123 Access date: 28 October 2011
- ↑ The Whimsy State or the Principality of Outer Baldonia, by A J Demers, Lunchbox Theatre Access date: 28 October 2011
External links
- Outer Bald Tusket Island - a short film of a 2010 visit to the island, including extensive footage of Russell Arundel's cabin.
Gallery
 View of Outer Bald Tusket Island. |
 Outer Baldonian sterling silver coin minted in 1948. |
 Document issued by Outer Baldonia, signed by Russell Aundel. |
