Relevant Organizations:

• Free Nation Foundation Whereas my gut reaction to the difficulty of the problem is to scale down the vision to a size a few people can handle, the FNF's is to spend many years laying groundwork (founding perspectus). I am not that patient, but I certainly applaud their efforts. Their site contains archives of their magazine, and a large number of links to articles on implementing libertarianism, so it is has many interesting and relevant pieces on nation founding. Note: they have spit into two organizations:
  • Libertarian Nation Foundation - LNF holds that a libertarian nation, conceived as such from its beginning, ought to exist and should be created. LNF develops formulations for institutions and social arrangements for a libertarian nation.
  • Free Nation Foundation - Critical Institutions This organization is led by Richard Hammer, founder and past President of the former FNF. For a number of years to come, FNF-CI's focus will be narrow and its program will be modest. FNF-CI focuses on critical institutions affecting the creation and survival of a free nation, such as constitutions, defense, and law. The program consists of maintaining a web presence, maintaining the Foundation through regular but modest mailings, and publishing relevant papers on an ad hoc basis.
• Laissez-Faire City - As detailed above.
• The Republic of Lomar - The largest virtual state, whose eventual goal is to provide non-territorial government like services (citizenship, passport, legal assistance, etc.) worldwide, with no physical presence other than embassies. They are not focused on establishing a sovereign state, but they are into reality rather than fantasy, unlike most micronations.
• Sea Structures Inc. makes SeaCells, which are flotation units.
• Awdal Roads Company - run by libertarians, this is a project to develop and improve the Awdal province of Somalia, which has been considered as a potential site for nation-founding. Unfortunately, the independence of the region is disputed.

Discussion Groups:

• Floating Cities Mailing List (not very active, but perhaps you can change that).

Indices:

• The Micronation and Sovereignty Website Index - Lists many small nations, physical and virtual, recognized and unrecognized. This is the most up-to-date listing of micronations & new country projects.
• Footnotes To History - A webpage which provides "an overview of ephemeral states, micronations, secessionist states, and every other kind of country you never heard of in high school". The visions are wonderful, the results often depressing, but the history is certainly colorful.
• Resources for the Study of Nationalism - Autonomy, Secession, Independence and Nationalist Movements.

Web Texts:

• The Last Free Place On Earth - a well-referenced 1994 Extropy article discussing international sea law and its application to artificial island nations.
• United Nations Law of the Sea - UN page (note that the USA has not signed the UNLOS because they disagree with the idea of an international seabed authority having control of offshore natural resources).
• Proposed Inhabited Artificial Islands in International Waters : International Law Analysis in Regards to Resource Use, Law of the Sea and Norms of Self-Determination and State Recognition. A 1999 masters thesis discussing a hypothetical island project, with detail to technical and legal aspects.
• Legal Issues of Ocean Cities, an overview of relevant international law from the Ocean Cities website.
• Legal Status of Islands.
• The Legal Regime of Islands in the South China Sea . A Masters thesis. Note: Documnt is a 1.5MB PDF.
• Practical Liberty 101: Suggestions on How to Form a Free Land Now - by Richard Rieben, a Libertarian author.
• Observations about Operation Atlantis : Operation Atlantis was a fairly famous failed nation founding attempt in the late 60's/early 70's, and this is an article about it from a participant.

Physical Texts:

• The Sovereign Individual: Mastering the Transition to the Information Age - A book by some of the original Laissez-Faire City founders, predicting a transition to an information economy which will reduce the power of governments.
• The international legal regime of artificial islands - A law text on the subject.
• How To Start Your Own Country - by Erwin C. Strauss. Much of this book is a sordid history of failures, which is somewhat amusing and serves as a warning.
• The Last Frontiers On Earth - Strange Places Where You Can Live Free. A number of reasonably well-thought out ideas for pushing the boundaries of where people can currently live. Speculative but grounded in reality.
• BLUEPRINT FOR PARADISE - How to Live on a Tropic Island. Despite the title, a very practial handbook. "Ross Norgrove found land, built a house, and lives quite contentedly on a tropic island, and he tells you how you can do it, too. In Blueprint for Paradise he answers in detail such tough questions as: · How can you, from thousands of miles away, select the island that matches your needs and your hoped-for-lifestyle? · What barriers will the island government place in your path? · What should you look for when you buy property? · What should you consider when you build a house? · What are the up-front costs? · What are the hidden costs? · What about food? Water? Medical Care?" [From the Loompanics website]
• Uninhabited Ocean Islands. Published in 1991, contains an extensive list of islands, with political history.
• Limon Real, by Rigoberto Stewart, which describes his plan to make Costa Rica's Limon project an autonomous libertarian province.

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