A boy who saw some unclaimed land – and founded his own country
4 days ago
- #international law
- #micronation
- #activism
- Daniel Jackson, president of the Free Republic of Verdis, lives in Dover, Kent, despite Verdis being located on the Serbian-Croatian border.
- Verdis is a micronation founded by Jackson and friends at age 14, claiming an unclaimed strip of forest between Croatia and Serbia.
- Verdis has a government, laws, a flag, and has received 15,000 citizenship applications, accepting 400.
- Croatian authorities do not recognize Verdis and forcibly removed Jackson and citizens in 2023, issuing lifetime bans.
- Jackson funds Verdis through merchandise sales, donations, and a citizenship-by-investment scheme, recently receiving a $37,000 cryptocurrency donation.
- Verdis aims to be a neutral state and humanitarian hub, with plans for Eurovision participation but not EU membership.
- Jackson plans to step down once Verdis is established, wanting to be a normal citizen and respect democratic elections.