Sovereign Municipality of Ameristralia

Sovereign Municipality of Ameristralia
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Aequalitas et Libertas" Equality and Freedom
Anthem: "Oh, Ameristralia"
Light blue - Countries where Ameristralia is located Blue - location of Ameristralian wards within countries
Capital	Grosvenor
Largest Ward	Hubourne
Recognised national languages	English
Ethnic groups (2023)Census	By country: 33% Australian 21% American 9% British 5% Canadian Indian 2% Bengali Greek Hungarian Italian Mexican New Zealander Paraguayan Filipino Swiss
Demonym(s)	Ameristralian
Government	Constitutional monarchy
• Sovereign Prince	David
• Chief Minister	Kyson Brooke
Legislature	Municipal Assembly
Independence from Australia
• Constituted	13 August 2021
• Declared	3 September 2021
Area
•	0.00874779 km2 (0.00337754 sq mi)
Population
• 2023 census	43
HDI (2021)	0.948 very high
Currency	Ameristralian Dollar (AMRD)
Time zone	UTC+10 (Ameristralian Eastern Standard Time)
Driving side	left in Australia right in United States
ISA0001 code	AMR
Website www.ameristraliagov.com

The Sovereign Municipality of Ameristralia, commonly referred to as Ameristralia (/əˈmɛr.ɪ.stræljə/ ( (listen)) or Ah-mare-ah-stral-eea), is an independent exclave primarily situated in Victoria, Australia. It was founded on Friday, August 13, 2021, by David Brooke to instill civic values, fostering community, and promote accountability, particularly among his children. The Act of the People's Right to Self Govern, signed on September 3, 2021, by then Chief Minister Greg Matthews and Brooke, marked the official declaration of independence from the Commonwealth of Australia.

Operating as a constitutional monarchy, Ameristralia follows a mayorship-style governance system. The sovereign, now styled as a sovereign prince and bearing the title of His Sovereign Highness, serves as the Head of State, fount of honours, and sovereign. David Brooke has assumed this title since the municipality's inception. Ameristralia boasts an estimated population of 43 citizens, previously divided into four Council regions. Each Council had a flag but lacks jurisdiction over local laws and citizens. The Councils primarily serve as divisions for electoral voting. The Council of Dabad, currently comprising the Sovereign Family of Ameristralia, holds the largest population, consisting of eight citizens. The remaining Councils are Grosvenor, Holland, and Philadelphia. In 2022, Ameristralia annexed four additional parcels of land. Within Australia, Ameristralia administers four wards: Harkfield, Hillover, Horgrave, and Terrasen. Additionally, Ameristralia maintains two overseas territories named Herrisford and Hubourne.

Ameristralia stands as one of the original signatories to the Citadel Accords, a comprehensive mutual economic and defence cooperation pact. Together with the State of Norton, Ameristralia signed and ratified the agreement on August 29, 2021. Over time, the pact expanded to include five more signatories. Ameristralia operates embassies in each of the participating states to assist travellers and offers government services abroad.

Etymology

The origin of the name "The Sovereign Municipality of Ameristralia" is derived from Brooke's dual citizenship, encompassing both American and Australian nationalities. Initially, Ameristralia staked a claim to a modest expanse of land measuring just over 1200 m², all of which belonged to Brooke and his family as personal property. The limited size of the land claim and the relatively small number of citizens influenced the choice to use the term "municipality" in the name, as opposed to other alternatives.

From its establishment on August 13, 2021, until June 4, 2023, Ameristralia held the official designation of "The Sovereign Municipality of Ameristralia." However, through a Royal Decree, His Sovereign Highness David announced a change to the name, omitting the word "The" from the beginning. This alteration aligned the official name with the customary conventions of state nomenclature..

General

Ameristralia was initially established to provide Brooke's homeschooling children with an immersive educational experience encompassing geography, civics, public speaking, and organizational skills within a simulated environment. The municipality created a Discord server to foster a sense of global citizenship. By the time of the 2022 Census, Ameristralia had grown to include thirty citizens from eight macronations, with two foreign consulates and five foreign embassies. This growth led to the implementation of a division of citizens into "councils." Four councils were formed: Dabad, Grosvenor, Holland, and Philadelphia. However, it is important to note that these councils did not function as separate or semi-autonomous regions but served the purpose of dividing citizens for electoral processes.

In March 2022, Ameristralia annexed an island from the Ostton Republic, which became the municipality's first territory known as the Ward of Harkfield Island. Wards were granted the authority to establish local governments and are administered by a Ward Mayor. The landowners who ceded these regions to Ameristralia were granted citizenship, bestowed with the title of Ward Mayor, and received a Patent as a noble of the municipality.

In July 2022, after acquiring numerous lands, Ameristralia abandoned the council system entirely in favour of wards. The wards included Harkfield Island, Herrisford, Hillover, Horgrave, Hubourne, and Terrasen. Citizens were allowed to select a ward for electoral purposes upon receiving citizenship.

On May 24, 2023, the Ameristralian Government Twitter account attained verified account status, denoted by a grey checkmark, as it was recognized as a government or multilateral organization account. Ameristralia became the first micronation to receive this status.

Image showing @AmeristraliaGov received a grey checkmark and what it means

Law and order

The Constitution of the People of the Sovereign Municipality of Ameristralia serves as the highest legal authority within the municipality. It establishes and safeguards the rights of individuals, defines the responsibilities and functions of the government, and outlines the structure of the court system. This fundamental law was formally ratified through a citizen referendum on March 1, 2022.

In addition to the Constitution, the municipality has enacted five municipal laws that have received assent. These laws address various aspects of governance and civic life within Ameristralia. To ensure transparency and accessibility, the Library of the Assembly serves as a repository for all legislation, municipal laws, and ward ordinances. These documents are made publicly accessible, allowing citizens to access and review them as needed.

Foreign relations

The Sovereign Prince holds the position of Head of State and serves as the official representative of Ameristralia on the international stage. They possess the authority to accredit and dispatch delegates for international missions, engage in foreign treaties and organizations, establish consulates and embassies, receive diplomatic guests, participate in and host state events, and conduct treaty negotiations. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade serves as the government's representative in matters of foreign relations. The Ministry and the Head of State work in tandem to ensure mutually beneficial foreign relations for Ameristralia.

Previously, Ameristralia was a member of the Alliance of Unified Democratic Independent Micronations and held a position as an Executive Council member state until its decommissioning by the Founder. It was also a full member of the Micronational Community of Australia, with David Brooke serving as both the Minister of Culture and the organization's Safety Officer.

From April 8, 2022, until its dissolution in early 2023, Ameristralia was a member state of the United Sovereignties intermicronational organization. Additionally, Ameristralia played a significant role as a founding member of the Intermicronational Standards Administration, an organization dedicated to developing intermicronational standards.

Ameristralia entered into the Citadel Accords with The State of Norton on August 29, 2021. Initially focusing on economic and military cooperation, visa-free travel, and the establishment of embassies, the accord evolved to include amendments concerning climate policy, addressing bullying and hate speech, intellectual property rights, and micronational warfare. The Citadel Accords were signed by seven states, including Ameristralia, the State of Norton, Kingdom of Blazdonia, United Kingdom of Great Realeza, Begley Democratic Republic and Commonwealth, Empire of Liberstien, and the Pinangese Republic.

Ameristralia maintains diplomatic relations with various individual micronations. It officially recognizes the majority of United Nations member states, including the Republic of Taiwan and Palestine. However, Ameristralia does not recognize the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the Islamic Caliphate of Afghanistan, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade advises citizens against travelling to these nations, along with several others, due to ongoing internal conflicts and human rights violations perpetrated by the regimes in power.

Ameristralia has established two consulates in foreign nations, namely Australia and New Zealand.

Military

Main article: Sovereign Ameristralian Defence Forces

The Sovereign Ameristralian Defence Forces was the military force of Ameristralia. It was comprised of the Sovereign Ameristralian Army and the Sovereign Ameristralian Navy, which served as the defence forces of the nation.

Geography and climate

Ameristralia is located northwest of the Victorian capital city of Melbourne, at an elevation of three metres above sea level. It has warm, dry summers and mildly cold, dry winters.

Climate data for Ameristalia
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	45.6 (114.1)	46.4 (115.5)	41.7 (107.1)	34.9 (94.8)	28.7 (83.7)	22.4 (72.3)	23.3 (73.9)	26.5 (79.7)	31.4 (88.5)	36.9 (98.4)	40.9 (105.6)	43.7 (110.7)	46.4 (115.5)
Average high °C (°F)	27.0 (80.6)	26.9 (80.4)	24.6 (76.3)	21.1 (70.0)	17.6 (63.7)	15.1 (59.2)	14.5 (58.1)	15.9 (60.6)	18.1 (64.6)	20.5 (68.9)	22.9 (73.2)	24.8 (76.6)	20.8 (69.4)
Daily mean °C (°F)	21.6 (70.9)	21.7 (71.1)	19.6 (67.3)	16.5 (61.7)	13.7 (56.7)	11.7 (53.1)	11.0 (51.8)	11.9 (53.4)	13.8 (56.8)	15.7 (60.3)	17.9 (64.2)	19.6 (67.3)	16.2 (61.2)
Average low °C (°F)	16.1 (61.0)	16.4 (61.5)	14.6 (58.3)	11.8 (53.2)	9.8 (49.6)	8.2 (46.8)	7.5 (45.5)	7.9 (46.2)	9.4 (48.9)	10.9 (51.6)	12.8 (55.0)	14.3 (57.7)	11.6 (52.9)
Record low °C (°F)	5.5 (41.9)	4.5 (40.1)	2.8 (37.0)	1.5 (34.7)	−1.1 (30.0)	−2.2 (28.0)	−2.8 (27.0)	−2.1 (28.2)	−0.5 (31.1)	0.1 (32.2)	2.5 (36.5)	4.4 (39.9)	−2.8 (27.0)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	44.2 (1.74)	50.2 (1.98)	39.0 (1.54)	53.2 (2.09)	43.9 (1.73)	49.5 (1.95)	39.8 (1.57)	47.0 (1.85)	54.5 (2.15)	55.8 (2.20)	63.3 (2.49)	60.9 (2.40)	600.9 (23.66)
Average rainy days (≥ 1mm)	5.6	5.0	5.5	7.1	8.1	8.6	8.3	9.4	9.8	9.0	7.7	6.5	90.6
Average afternoon relative humidity (%)	47	47	47	50	57	61	59	53	50	47	47	46	51
Mean monthly sunshine hours	272.8	228.8	226.3	186.0	142.6	123.0	136.4	167.4	186.0	226.3	225.0	263.5	2,384.1
Source: Bureau of Meteorology.

Economy

Symbol of the Ameristralian Dollar

In the Sovereign Municipality of Ameristralia, the official currency is the Ameristralian Dollar (AMRD). Previously, it was known as the Ausican, which was a banknote pegged to the Australian dollar at a rate of §1000 to $1. In addition to the Ameristralian Dollar, fiat Australian and United States Dollars are also accepted as legal tender in Ameristralia.

Before the introduction of the Ausican banknote, the Ameristralian currency existed as a BEP2 token on the Binance test net, referred to as the Ausican. During that time, it was pegged to the price of two four-packs of Four'N Twenty Meat Pies, as determined by Woolworths.

In the past, the Ameristralian Dollar was available on the Stellar Network and accessed through the municipal Discord server. The currency was managed by the specially-created Sovereign Bank of Ameristralia bank Bot, which allows users to deposit, withdraw, pay, or receive funds in Ameristralian Dollars. Similar to a standard fiat bank, users could entrust their funds to the bot. Those who wished to purchase Ameristralian Dollars from a Stellar exchange can deposit the token with the bot, and their account would synchronize with the blockchain. The Sovereign Ameristralian Bank bot is no longer active. Owners of Ameristralian Dollars are able to trade their funds via the Stellar Network.

Currently, there is no legislation in place regarding the collection of taxes in Ameristralia. However, according to Article IIB of the constitution, the government possesses the constitutional authority to levy taxes if required..

Ameristralia currently has a modest economy with no significant exports. According to the Ministry of Treasury and Investment, four registered businesses are operating within the micronation. Recognizing the need for economic development, the government of Ameristralia is actively exploring avenues to cultivate a micronational economy. One approach being considered is the establishment of economic exchanges, involving the exchange of currency and services with other micronations. The goal of these initiatives is to foster economic growth and cooperation within the micronational community.

Municipal Holidays

Ameristralia celebrates the following Municipal holidays

List of Holidays of Ameristralia

Date	Event
1 January	New Year's Day
19 February	Sovereign Prince's Birthday
31 March (in 2024)	Easter Sunday
19 June	Juneteenth
13 August	Ameristralia Day
31 October	Costume Day
24 December	Christmas Eve
25 December	Christmas Day
31 December	New Year's Eve

The wards of Harkfield, Hillover, Horgrave and Terrasen celebrate the following public holidays inclusive of Municipal holidays

List of Holidays of mainland wards

Date	Event
1 April (in 2024)	Easter Monday
25 April	ANZAC Day
12 May (in 2024)	Mother's Day
1 September (in 2024)	Father's Day
24 November (in 2023)	Thanksgiving Friday
26 December	Boxing Day

The wards of Herrisford and Hubourne celebrate the following public holidays inclusive of Municipal holidays

List of Holidays of Ameristralian Overseas Territories

Date	Event
12 May (in 2024)	Mother's Day
16 June (in 2024)	Father's Day
23 November (in 2023)	Thanksgiving Thursday