Molossia (/moʊˈlɒsiə/), officially the Republic of Molossia, is a micronation claiming sovereignty over 11.3 acres (4.6 ha; 46,000 m2) of land near Dayton, Nevada.[1] The micronation has not received recognition from any of the 193 member states of the United Nations.[2][3][4][5] It was founded by Kevin Baugh. He continues to pay property taxes on the land to Storey County, the recognized local government, although he calls it "foreign aid". He has stated, "We all want to think we have our own country, but you know the United States is a lot bigger".[3]
History
Kevin Baugh, President of the Republic of Molossia.
Molossia started as a teenage dream of Kevin Baugh, and began as the Kingdom of Molossia, in 1998 when he bought land in Nevada.[6][7] Baugh has claimed that he based the idea of Molossia on the film The Mouse That Roared,[8][3] and also claims influence from his time in the military.[4] Earlier, it was known as the Grand Republic of Vuldstein where Kevin Baugh was the Prime Minister and his friend, James Speilam, was declared King James I. It went through several government and name changes, including the People's Democratic Republic of Molossia (Communist), Kingdom of Zaira and the United Provinces of Utopia.
Plastic bags and incandescent lightbulbs are banned in the Republic due to their effect on the environment. Catfish and walruses are also banned due to their non-presence in the micronation whatsoever.[11]
The National Anthem of the Republic of Molossia is "Fair Molossia Is Our Home." The song was written by Simon-Pierre Boka Di Mpasi Londi and lyrics were written by the President of Molossia.[13]
Onions and spinach are banned food items inside of Molossia due to the President disliking it.[11]
In popular culture
In 2010, the Republic of Molossia was featured in a feature-length special by Channel Awesome called Kickassia, with Baugh playing a fictional version of himself. In the film, the Republic undergoes an invasion by the Nostalgia Critic (played by Doug Walker) and his posse of reviewers, who briefly took over Molossia with a dictatorship "Kickassia" before being ousted five days later.[15] The official website for the Republic of Molossia treats the events of the film as factual.
Currency
The Valora (issued by the Bank of Molossia) is divided into 100 Futtrus and denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and coins in 1, 5, 10, 30 (plastic); it has an exchange rate of 0.80.[12] The Valora is also valued to PillsburyChocolate ChipCookie Dough[14] with one tube of cookie dough (13 Ba / 30 oz) being equal to 5 Valora.[12]
^ abc"Molossia and Vikesland? Leaders of (fake) nations gather in L.A."CBS News. April 10, 2015. Retrieved April 14, 2022. The occasion is MicroCon 2015, what organizers say is the first North American gathering of micronations, those itty bitty countries that pretty much nobody but the people who rule them believe really exist... – The Republic of Molossia. Founded by Baugh and a buddy as teenagers in 1977, it existed mainly in Baugh's bedroom until he bought 1.3 acres of property in Northern Nevada in 1998 and built a railroad and private phone company.
^ ab"There's A Tiny Nation In Northern Nevada — Kind Of". Nevada Public Radio. Retrieved April 14, 2022. It was his time in Europe that shaped Baugh's ideas on micronations. He liked the idea of tiny nations like Monaco and Liechtenstein. 'It kind of really stuck with me this is something I would like to do and continue to do and then when I got property in Northern Nevada that became the home for the Republic of Molossia,' he said.
^Baugh, Kevin. "Molossia FAQ". The Official Website of the Republic of Molossia. Retrieved April 12, 2022. Is Molossia a Real Country? Yes. Molossia is as a sovereign, independent nation within the territory of the United States. It exists as a state within a state, much like the Navajo Nation. We exercise sovereignty over our own territory, and have our own laws, customs and land.
