Grand Duchy of the Lagoan Isles
Encyclopedia
The Grand Duchy of the Lagoan Isles is a micronation
based in Britain
. It was created in 2005 by school teacher Louis Robert Harold Stephens ("Grand Duke Louis", born 1985) as a class project, and claims as its territory Baffins Pond, near Portsmouth, along with the three tiny island
s located within the pond. However, the Grand Duchy does not have a physical presence in, or exercise any authority over the area, and its operations are largely limited to the Internet
.
theme.
As of May 2011, the Grand Duchy's status is unclear, as its website has not been updated since January 2007.
Micronation
Micronations, sometimes also referred to as model countries and new country projects, are entities that claim to be independent nations or states but which are not recognized by world governments or major international organizations...
based in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It was created in 2005 by school teacher Louis Robert Harold Stephens ("Grand Duke Louis", born 1985) as a class project, and claims as its territory Baffins Pond, near Portsmouth, along with the three tiny island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
s located within the pond. However, the Grand Duchy does not have a physical presence in, or exercise any authority over the area, and its operations are largely limited to the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
.
History
Records of Baffins Farm (including the pond) date back to 1194. Since then it has changed hands several times. In the 19th century it was used by local farmers, and in 1912 it became a public park. In 1938 it was saved from demolition, and sold to the City of Portsmouth. Stephens established the Grand Duchy's putative claim to the pond islands on August 16, 2005, after noticing that they were not specifically mentioned in the 1938 land sale contract. He subsequently sent a letter announcing his claim to Portsmouth council, and released a series of banknotes with an ornithologicalOrnithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds. Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds...
theme.
As of May 2011, the Grand Duchy's status is unclear, as its website has not been updated since January 2007.