Westarctica

English

Flag

Coat of arms

Location

Etymology

Blend of west +‎ Antarctica. Chosen to evoke images of Western Antarctica, and also, as an homage to the Napoleonic Kingdom of Westphalia.

Proper noun

Westarctica

1. An unrecognized micronation in Antarctica, founded in 2001 by Travis McHenry, who styles himself as Grand Duke Travis, claiming a region of West Antarctica which has not been claimed by any nation state, comprising most of Marie Byrd Land.
   • 2005, Jim Taylor, “Antarctica”, in Space Race: An Inside View of the Future of Communications Planning, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, page 181:

     There has even been a claim from the unrecognised state of Westarctica, whatever that might be.

   • 2006 September, Lonely Planet:

     Westarctica is moving steadily to establish a frozen foothold in the large unclaimed portion of the frozen continent.

   • 2011, George S. Cuhaj, Thomas Michael, editors, Unusual World Coins (companion volume to the Standard Catalog of World Coins), 6th edition, Krause Publications:

     X # 2 25 WESTARCTICAN DOLLARS Copper-Nickel, 39 mm. Ruler: Grand Duke Travis I Obv: Arms Rev: Crown and rearing horse on quartered flag background Rev. Legend: Treaty of Friendship between Westarctica and Molossia Edge: Reeded

   • 2020, Dylan Taylor-Lehman, Sealand: The True Story of the World’s Most Stubborn Micronation, Icon Books, →ISBN:

     The most established attendees were by far the long-standing Republic of Molossia, whose President Kevin Baugh is one of the go-to interviewees for features on micronations, and the Grand Duchy of Westarctica, a territory claimed on an unclaimed piece of land on Antarctica whose Grand Duke Travis McHenry is fundraising for an expedition to the actual Westarctican territory.

   • 2021, Harry Hobbs, George Williams, “Performing Sovereignty”, in Micronations and the Search for Sovereignty, →ISBN:

     On 2 November 2001, McHenry wrote letters to each of the twelve original signatories of the Antarctic Treaty announcing his formal claim and the creation of the Grand Duchy of Westarctica.

   • 2022, Ryan North, How to Take Over the World: Practical Schemes and Scientific Solutions for the Aspiring Supervillain, Riverhead Books, →ISBN, page 78:

     Where is Westarctica’s claimed territory located?

Synonyms

• Grand Duchy of Westarctica (official name)

Derived terms

• Westarctican

Further reading

• Westarctica on Wikipedia.Wikipedia