Ask any person whether they are interested in power and they are likely to deny it on your face. Many would like to use a politically correct term such as "servant leadership" or sharing their leadership qualities with other people. They will look at others and declare that they are power hungry; they themselves are men and women of noble motives.



There is something especially in men that seeks that top position and they will do anything to make sure they get it. You see it often in the animal kingdom where the stronger one of the any species assumes a leadership position. Talk about top – dogs or alpha males. This is what in our own political systems, where this love for power is often disguised as interest in the electorate's health care, education as well as other numerous responsibilities. None of these leaders will ever say I do this because I love power.

Power is a real hot potato, and those who seek it will always get a fitting terminology which will hide any underlying motives. Power in itself is good and the right use of the same always has many positive outcomes. Men love power so much that they will do anything to get hold of it. You should also see how men reach when they lose power. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein record President Nixon's reaction to his loss of power in the book, the Final Days: "Between sobs, Nixon was plaintive. ... How had a simple burglary ... done all this? ... Nixon got down on his knees. ... [He] leaned over and struck his fist on the carpet, crying, 'What have I done? What has happened?'"

Many times leaders have emerged because a number of people were not satisfied with the status quo. When people are not satisfied with how power is being exercised, there are many things that they can do. Whereas plenty of people support the policies of various governments, there are those who do not and will do anything to see a change of guard. The truth of the matter is that it is virtually impossible to please just about every one in the way power is exercised.

It could be that some people are dissatisfied with certain taxes or laws and when it is election time, they come out looking for leadership positions promising to change the way things are done. It is this desire that has given some people an idea of tailoring a government that could run exactly the way they want things to go. Sometimes the wish to make sure that the justice system, economic structures, national security, education and etc runs just like we want them to. The ability to tailor government structures in a specific unique regime runs in the blood of many people only that they do not know what to do about it.

Some people intent on developing a paradise of sorts look forward to being able to have a strict control on immigration policies, imports and exports, foreign relations, currency, defense programs and just about everything else that will run a government. Suppose you are in a position to plan things in government and they flow just like you desire? Suppose you had your own small country where things are efficient? What if in this imaginary country you would only move in with your closest buddies and close family members – that sounds like a very imaginative mind.

The truth of the matter is that there are people who got dissatisfied with the status quo and decided to take action. Yes! They started their own countries. The entities that are created may not necessarily fit the bill of your ordinary country but all the same they exist. There are several miniature countries around the world which operate like sovereign states. These residents and leaders live as if they were independent and some of them have the faintest hope that order of things will one day be recognized internationally. There are many cases where they even issue stamps, coins, and passports, and have a national anthem.

Of course the ordinary thinker will start contemplating where to find land to start a new political state because according to them all the land the world over has been occupied. Since all land appears to have been taken over any existing country will fight tooth and nail to keep their existing land. Not so for those who are intent on changing the nature of things – there many who have gone as far as declaring any little property they own and independent country.

You will of course have to deal with plenty of challenges on the way in order to make their dreams reality. People will declare private lands, apartments or even some tiny island a new country. You may have to also work hard to convince the jurisdiction from which you are operating that you just need to secede. Many people have created micro nations from artificial islands on any place on the planet or perhaps some floating ship anchored somewhere in international waters. Since such people are generally risk takers they will not worry that there entity may not be recognized by any other state.

How then will work in order to convince a few people you are not out of your mind so that they get to join you in the new country so that it becomes viable? Any republic will need a running government, security forces and not forgetting a system that will ensure the required provisions get to the population. Apart from cultivating the ability to produce enough to satisfy your regime's need, you will need to have an import and expert system which means such a country will need citizen with some income generation activities.

A great deal of thinking will also have gone to creating social systems such as schools, hospitals and many other social amenities or else your people will have to travel abroad to look for the same. Other systems that will need to be in place include police and court systems, infrastructure to do with electricity distribution, water and sewage services, a transport system as well as telephone and other communication services. When people think about these major challenges they almost always give up on the idea of creating a new state.

Even with all those complications, a few people have gone right ahead and founded micro nations, some of which have survived for quite an amount of time. There are those that tried and survived briefly only to shut down by invading bigger neighbors yet others have gone on to survive. There are all reasons why micro nations come up and similarly why some do not get to survive.

Apparently, where there is no land, there are those micro nations that survive only on the internet, this could be as a result of having some comic or artistic reasons, looking for publicity or even a political protest of sorts. You must have heard about virtual real estate where people live in imaginary countries and they survive in a lot of role playing. Whether you are looking at a virtual or real micro nation, this craze satisfies the desire by many people to live a better life, or perhaps one where you live according to your deepest desires and dreams. It may appear that sooner rather than later we will actually be talking about Nanonations

A micro nation can actually be referred to as new country project or a model country. The definition of a micro nation is thus rendered: "An entity that resembles a nation or a state, but which for the most part exists only on paper, on the Internet, or in the mind of its creator."

Also referred to as:

"Model countries and new country projects -- are entities that claim to be independent nations or states but which are unrecognized by world governments or major international organizations."

Different reasons exist why micro nations are created some being extremely serious whereas others are as a result of a hobby. There are however very genuine micro nations which are made of an entire community or tribe. These small entities almost always exist as replicas of real nations as opposed to existing states. We can therefore say that these are small nations with a small geographical area as well as populations.

The term micro nation can also be used synonymously with the term Fifth nation which also refers to social identity groups. Compared to micronations are macronations which are significantly larger and enjoy some territorial recognition and these are referred to as Fourth world nations. You will find many secessionist or self determination groups counted among macronations.

It is also very easy to confuse micronations with those tiny nations that are recognized legitimately. These geographically small counties include countries such as Monaco, Fiji and San Marino. Micronations should not be confused with legitimately recognized, but geographically tiny nations such as Fiji, Monaco, and San Marino, for which the term microstate is more accurate and descriptive.