Liberland.org - News - Visit to Malta

How do *you* define a nation?

Stateless Nations - An example is the gypsy people or Roma people of Europd ( romani-pop.htm). The Kurds, numbering an estimated 20 million Kurds, are commonly seen as the world's largest nation without a state. About 10 million are in Turkey, 4 million in Iraq, 5 million in Iran and a million in Syria.
However in the case of "The Free Republic of Liberland", or 'Liberland' is a micronation claiming an uninhabited parcel of disputed land on the western bank of the Danube It is the result from Croatia–Serbia border dispute which some areas to the east of Danube are claimed by both Serbia and Croatia, while some areas to the west, INCLUDING THE AREA OF LIBERLAND, are considered part of Serbia BY Croatia, BUT Serbia does not claim them.
1. It can't be a Republic - no population lives there as it is unpopulated with not even one structure on the land. A republic which has no voters inhabitation or physically present is not a republic.
2. Neither of the disputing countries want it but has been administered by Croatia since the Croatian War of Independence.
3. It is an island, in the middle of the river, in an isolated area, which has a deterated gravel road leading up to the Croatian side of the river. Tthere is a samll ford through the man-made canal that passes a low series of rapids on the Danube River. The canal has the remains stone tracks where mule-teams once guided small boats, cargo rafts and coal barges along it's lenght. It was last used known to be used in the early 1800s
4. It is located in an area that regularly floods and submerges the island's entire surface. The tallest land feature on the island is .33 meters (approximately 15 inches).
5. On 29 June 2015, the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs the UN desginated protecting country, said that Gornja Siga's (the island's real name) status is undetermined, but it is not terra nullius, and after international arbitration, it will be awarded to Croatia or Serbia, not to a third party.
6. If you declare property as sovereign, you wage war against host country. Now you have to defend yourself and your property by military or political means. Even if you defend your new born nation, you will be declared criminal or foreigner and your exit from AND entry to the property may be barred.
7. In Eurpoe unoccupied property or land reverts to the ruling stae or as in 'Gornja Siga', the land is under the UN adminstration until a rule present the property/land ot Croatia or Serbia. Croatia has the better "un-calim" since the man-made canal was historically part of Croatia's Osijek-Baranja County.

If anything, Liberland might be described as a nation in the making, but until a population actually exists in residence AND can be fully self-supporting of all claimants proponing themselves as denizens - in food stuffs grown, hunted or caught on the less than 3 miles of surface (provided it isn't flooded) there is no claim that can be recognized and Liberland.
Note - See Nomads and Berbers which are self-supporting and use the land they live upon.

I'm glad to hear that you're familiar with the concept of a stateless nation.
I'm also glad you realize that both Croatia and Serbia specifically deny any claim to Liberland's territory.
1. Half a million people have applied for citizenship. According to whose definition does a republic require its citizens to be physically present on its land?
2. Like you said, both Croatia and Serbia specifically deny any claim to the territory. Exactly what administration is Croatia doing, since no one lives there?
3. Like you said, there's hardly anything there. Obviously, that has zero bearing on the statehood of Liberland.
4. Yes, Liberland is flooded sometimes. Venice is flooded all the time, and they do fine. I'd encourage you to check out the architecture competition Liberland ran to find suitable designs for building on Liberland.
5. The Land has never belonged to Croatia, and Serbia has specifically surrendered any claim to it. Croatia said that Liberland is between Croatia and Serbia, and Serbia says that Liberland does not infringe on its territory. If you will check the cadastral map of Croatia, you will see that Liberland falls outside its territory.
6. Liberland is seeking a peaceful resolution regarding the unlawful police action undertaken by Croatian entities, and they have not declared war on anyone, and furthermore they have not infringed on any state's claimed territory. As you know, both Croatia and Serbia have specifically denied aby claim to Liberland's territory.
7. Once again, both Croatia and Serbia have specifically denied any claim to the territory. Even though you may have a personal opinion as to who owns it, if you think either Croatia or Serbia own it, that country would disagree with you. Liberland is the only state claiming the territory.

Liberland already meets all four qualifications of statehood according to the Montevideo convention.