Conch Republic
The Conch Republic (/ˈkɒŋk/) is a micronation declared as a sarcastic secession of the city of Key West, Florida, from the United States on April 23, 1982. It has been maintained as a tourism booster for the city. Since then, the term "Conch Republic" has been expanded to refer to "all of the Florida Keys, or, that geographic apportionment of land that falls within the legally defined boundaries of Monroe County, Florida, northward to 'Skeeter's Last Chance Saloon' in Florida City, Dade County, Florida, with Key West as the micronation's capital and all territories north of Key West being referred to as 'The Northern Territories'".
Conch Republic Micronation | |
|---|---|
Flag | |
| Motto: "We Seceded Where Others Failed" (also: "The Mitigation of World Tension Through the Exercise of Humor") | |
| Anthem: Working in the Conch Republic | |
Location in Monroe County and the state of Florida | |
| Status | Integrated into the United States |
| Capital | Key West 24°33′33″N 81°47′3″W |
| Official languages | English |
| Organizational structure | Republic |
• Prime Minister | Dennis Wardlow (founder) |
• Speaker of the House | Paul Joseph Menta |
• Secretary of State | James R. Gilleran |
| Establishment | |
• Declared | April 23, 1982 |
| Area claimed | |
• Total | 15.4 km2 (5.9 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• Census | 68,071 (est. by adding the total population of all of its claimed land) |
| Purported currency | Conch dollar (US dollar de facto) |
| Time zone | (EST) (UTC-5) |
While the protests that sparked the creation of the Conch Republic (and others since then) have been described by some as "tongue-in-cheek", they were motivated by frustrations over genuine concerns. The original protest event was motivated by a U.S. Border Patrol roadblock and checkpoint that greatly inconvenienced residents and tourists.
The Conch Republic celebrates Independence Day every April 23 as part of a week-long festival of activities involving numerous businesses in Key West including local rum distilleries like Chef Distilled. The organization—a "Sovereign State of Mind", seeking only to bring more "humor, warmth and respect" to a world in sore need of all three according to its late secretary general, Peter Anderson—is a key tourism booster for the area.