Lakeland
Lakeland | |
|---|---|
 Flag | |
| Motto: "Don't Poke the Bear" | |
| Anthem: Donnie Dumphy - Cold Beer | |
 | |
| Official languages | English |
| Religion | N/A |
| Demonym(s) | Lakelander |
| Government | Libertarian Despotism |
• President | President Pederson |
| Legislature | N/A |
| Independence | |
• Formation | 6 February 2021 |
| Currency | Aluminum Certificates |
| Date format | mm-dd-yyyy |
| Driving side | middle |
| |
Lakeland is a micronation located within the US state of Minnesota consisting of privately owned land connected to thousands of acres of public land. The nation was founded on the ideas of Liberty and Freedom. The main goals of the government are to maintain the natural habitat of wildlife in the territories and keep any public land open to the people for future generations.
Etymology
The region has many people with Scandanavian ancestors, so the territory of Lakeland was named in the tradition of other Viking settlements such as Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland.
History
The nation was formed by five friends (the President and four Governors) while they were ice fishing and drinking beer on Lake Mille Lacs. The five founders all signed The Declaration Of The Nation to have independence and sovereignty for the Lakeland territory. The initial citizens were the founders, their wives, and kids, but citizenship has been granted to many more friends and family since the founding. As of now, no citizens live in Lakeland full time, only staying for a week or weekend at a time.
The President decided to form an online presence shortly after the founding to establish informal diplomatic relations with leaders of other micronations, and Lakeland joined the Micronational assembly. He also recruited a C.I.O. and created the Central Intelligence Office for online security and information gathering.
Currency
The currency of Lakeland was originally physical aluminum cans and caps until the creation of the Bank of Lakeland. They made a paper currency (aluminum certificates) that was backed by aluminum ingots. The exchange rate is somewhere from 30 to 60 CANS = 1 USD, depending on aluminum stock and scrap metal prices, making the CAN more valuable than the Russian Ruble, the Indian Rupee and the Japanese Yen to name a few.
Government and politics
Lakeland maintains a fusion of libertarianism and despotism, with citizens free to do most things but unable to elect or remove the current leaders. There is a lack of police officers in Lakeland, and the constitution has yet to be ratified.
The President is the Chief Executive Officer and it's a lifetime position, he appoints his own successor and his own Governers, who also have their positions for life. Other official positions are the Secretary and Treasurer. The governors can vote on new policies but the President has veto power, and the President can make executive orders but the Governers can block it with a majority vote. The President also has advisors and officers, including but not limited to Security, Intelligence, Human Resources, Financial, Legal, Marketing and Technology.
The positions of Vice President and Mayors may be added upon ratification of the constitution.
Diplomacy
Lakeland is a member of the Micronational Assembly. It joined the organization on 12 February 2021 but has not yet signed any Mutual Recognition Treaties. The President regularly has informal conversations with other micronational leaders, believing that is more important than a legal document.
Culture
Notable pastimes in Lakeland include fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, etc. Drinking beer is also a very important aspect in the culture of Lakeland.