Principality of Sabovia | |||
| |||
| Motto Libertas et Spes (English: Freedom and Hope) | |||
 Location of Sabovia (dark green) in Europe (dark grey) | |||
| Capital city | Capital Territory | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Largest city | Capital Territory | ||
| Official language(s) | English, Welsh | ||
| Official religion(s) | Secular | ||
| Demonym | Sabovian | ||
| Government | Absolute Monarchy | ||
| - Prince | Andrew I | ||
| - Regent to the Monarchy | Diana, the Prince Mother | ||
| - Chief Minister of the National Assembly | Mikayla Gatley | ||
| Legislature | National Assembly | ||
| - Type | - Unicameral | ||
| Established | May 22nd, 2012 | ||
| Area claimed | 2.281 km (247th) 154860.822 m² | ||
| Population | 12 (last) | ||
| Currency | Pound sterling (£) (GBP) | ||
| Time zone | GMT (UTC+0) BST (UTC+1) | ||
Sabovia, officially the Principality of Sabovia (Welsh: Tywysogaeth Sabofia) is a landlocked sovereign state with limited recognition (often referred to as a micronation), located in Western Europe and bordered by England, United Kingdom.
Sabovia's capital city is Capital Territory, however, as its name suggests, the "city" is actually a territory.
History
Sabovia was founded on May 22nd, 2012, by David Creed (who would later style himself as "HM Andrew I, Prince of Sabovia & Lord of Wigmore"). Creed claims that the "main purpose of Sabovia's foundation was to preserve a local green belt area near my house after rumours of an unidentified building company requesting planning permission to construct two hundred houses on the land".
The nation was briefly known at that time as the Union of Smallia, originally founded as a self-governing territory of the United Kingdom. However later that month, for unspecified political reasons, the Union of Sabovia was unofficially declared an independent sovereign state and officially renamed the "Principality of Sabovia".
Sabovia officially declared its independence on 1 April, 2013; the declaration was sent to Tetbury Town Council (the local council of which the land Sabovia claims would have been administered by) and signed by HIM Andrew I, however the Imperial Government of Sabovia reported that a reply from the town council was never received, this caused the Imperial Government to assume that the United Kingdom has no problem with Sabovia's foundation or claims. However, Prince Andrew later stated that the "declaration of Independence was sent to the wrong governing body, as the Town Council does not have the legal power to authorise our independence".
In January, 2014, Sabovia became a protected state of the Empire of Austenasia,[1] after Jonathan I, Emperor of Austenasia approached HIM Andrew I; the Imperial Government willingly agreed to be a protected state as long as it wouldn't effect Sabovia's sovereignty.
Politics and Government
The Principality of Sabovia is de jure an absolute monarchy, however the country sometimes is a de facto constitutional monarchy if the reigning monarch is under the age of sixteen.
If the Crown is underage, the legislative power can be exercised by the National Assembly. Executive power, however, is excised by the Regent to the Crown and the Chief Minister of the National Assembly. The National Assembly elects a Chief Minister, who usually serves a term of four years, a Chief Minister's term length depends on the Crown's age at the time of election as the office can only be held until the Crown's sixteen birthday. The Regent to the Monarchy is usually appointed by the legal guardian of the Crown. The National Assembly is elected by a national vote every four years.
If the Crown is of the correct age, the National Assembly becomes an advisory council, rather than the legislative power to the country and the offices of "Chief Minister" and "Regent to the Monarchy" are dissolved.
Political Parties
Sabovia is a de facto single-party state, with the Democratic Party being the sole political party.
| Party | Founded | Ideology | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 2012 | Liberalism | Mikayla Gatley |
Culture
Sabovia, along with the People's Republic of China, celebrates the New Year using the Han calendar instead of the Gregorian calendar, despite the fact that Sabovia has a population of exactly 0% Han Chinese ethnicity. Sabovia also celebrates "Independence Day" on April 1st and "Foundation Day" on May 22nd.
Events in nearby the British town of Tetbury include Woolsack Day, held on the last Bank Holiday in May, famous for the races and street fair. A flower show is held at the recreation ground. The first "Tetbury Fiesta" was held on the recreation ground in July 2008, and has become an annual event. The "Tetbury Music Festival" is held every October.
Geography
Sabovia is a sovereign state, with five territories located north-east of the British township of Tetbury. Sabovia is fully enclaved by the United Kingdom and has an estimated area of 2.281 km (1.41734769 miles), making it the third smallest country in the world.
Sabovia lies within the north temperate zone and has a changeable, maritime climate.
Flag
Main article: Flag of Sabovia
The flag of Sabovia is one of world's newest national flag designs.
==References==
- ↑ HIM Jonathan, Emperor of Austenasia. . http://austenasiantimes.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/new-countries-recognised-by-the-empire/. Retrieved on 28th January 2014.