Empire of Atlantium

The Empire of Atlantium is a micronation and secular, pluralist progressive lobby group based in New South Wales, Australia.

Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations describes Atlantium as "a refreshing antidote to the reactionary self-aggrandisement of so many micronations", and "an extremely sophisticated nation-state experiment, as well as an entirely serious claimant to legitimate statehood". The book's entry on Atlantium notes its espousal of "progressive, liberal policies" and characterizes it as a "secular humanist utopia".

Among the causes Atlantium supports are the right to unrestricted international freedom of movement, the right to abortion, the right to assisted suicide and decimal calendar reform.

History
Atlantium was established in 1981 by three Sydney teenagers – George Francis Cruickshank, Geoffrey John Duggan and Claire Marie Coulter (née Duggan). The three claimed a 10 m2 Provisional Territory in the southern suburb of Narwee as Atlantium's first capital, and declared Cruickshank to be Sovereign Head of State, with the title "Emperor George II". Geoffrey Duggan (1982–1986) was elected as prime minister. Damian Scott (1986–1988), and Kevin Fanucchi (1988–1990) also served as prime ministers, but by 1990, when the original group members had graduated from university and moved to different locations, the group ceased to be active.

In 1999 Cruickshank purchased an apartment in the inner Sydney suburb of Potts Point, and soon after revived Atlantium, launching a website, which was instrumental in attracting new members. The 61 m2 apartment, known as the Imperium Proper, became the second capital of Atlantium. Concordia became the third capital of Atlantium on 12 January 2008, when the rural 0.76 km2 Province of Aurora, approximately 350 km southwest of Sydney, was created. The Atlantium website describes Aurora as Atlantium's "global administrative capital, ceremonial focal point and spiritual homeland".

Aurora
The Province of Aurora covers 0.76 km2 and has a fenced 4.5 km long perimeter. It is divided into four "administrative divisions", known as the District of Hickey (which occupies approximately half of Aurora's total area), the District of Duggan (which occupies the southern third of the province), Concordia Capital District (the only administrative division in which permanent human occupancy and development is permitted) and the Prefecture of Idalia (the re-named former Imperium Proper). The latter is the current permanent residence of Emperor George II.

Concordia is the intended location of facilities to house Atlantium's legislature, government offices, museum, throne hall and commemorative monuments. Currently it is the location of a single-storey residential and administrative building, several service structures, and two small man-made lakes. Aurora is also the site of an historic gold processing facility built and operated in the 1860s by Chinese immigrant miners.

Status and operations
The Atlantium website uses several different self-descriptions, including "self-declared state", "aspirant microstate" and "global sovereign state". In line with its claim to be a "primarily non-territorial" state Atlantium does not maintain any formal territorial claims; however, it does promote the idea that Cruickshank's apartment, and the Province of Aurora, have extraterritorial status; in practice these properties remain under Australian jurisdiction.

No established nation has recognised Atlantium's sovereignty claims, and it has no reciprocal diplomatic relations. Atlantium has appointed "unaccredited diplomatic representatives" called "Imperial Legates" in the United States, Pakistan, Poland, Brazil, India, Italy, Iran, Singapore, Serbia and Switzerland. The group has awarded "Imperial Honours" to various recipients, generally in recognition of political activism or for service to local communities.

Stamps, coins and banknotes
Stamps, coins and banknotes are sold by Atlantium, which utilises a decimal currency system of 100 Imperial Centi to the Imperial Solidus. Atlantium's website claims that the profits from those sales are used for "the Empire's ongoing operations" as well as charitable causes.

Stamps
The earliest documented media report referring to Atlantium is a 1984 philatelic magazine article about its cinderella stamp releases. There are currently 12 issues of Atlantian stamps, and a monthly postal service between Concordia and Idalia will commence in the second half of 2008.

Coins
Atlantium mints coins, though the levels of Atlantian economic activity remain low. Only the 20th anniversary 10 Solidi coin has been minted in the past, which has a likeness of Emperor George II as the obverse and the Imperial Eagle as the reverse.

Banknotes
Banknotes of Atlantium are denominated in Imperial Solidi and are currently divided into a 2006 series and a 2007 series.

Membership
As of 2006, the group reportedly had 903 "citizens" in over 90 countries. The website names just over 20 individuals holding such functions as minister, director, magister and imperial legate. Atlantium says its citizenship does not supersede previously existing citizenships. Atlantians contend that they are all dual-citizens, and that Atlantium actively encourages its members to participate in the political processes of their resident countries. While the group uses the words "citizenship" and "diplomatic" idiosyncratically, supporters note that Atlantium has made no secret of its attempts at redefining existing paradigms, and claim that doing so is a fundamental motivation for the group's existence.