Republic of Slowjamastan

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

33°07′33″N115°57′31″W / 33.12590°N 115.95862°W / 33.12590; -115.95862

Contents

Slowjamastan
Micronation (unrecognized entity)
Flag slowjamastan.webp
Flag
Area claimed Imperial County, Southern California, United States
Claimed by Randy Williams (as Sultan)
Dates claimedDecember 1, 2021–present

The Republic of Slowjamastan (officially the United Territories of the Sovereign Nation of the People's Republic of Slowjamastan) is a micronation in Imperial County, Southern California, United States. Founded on December 1, 2021, by slow jam DJ Randy Williams, Slowjamastan is located on an empty plot of desert land along State Route 78. A micronation is a political entity that claims independence and mimics acts of sovereignty as if it were a sovereign state, but lacks any legal recognition. Although Slowjamastan has no structures, located on the plot of land is a large border sign by the highway, a border control post and an open desk that serves as the Williams' office—the self-proclaimed sultan of the micronation. He founded Slowjamastan following a visit to Molossia, another micronation located in Dayton, Nevada, in August 2021, and purchased the plot of land in October for US$19,000. [1]

Location

The Republic of Slowjamastan is located on an empty, 11.07-acre (4.48 ha) plot of desert land in Imperial County, Southern California. [1] [2] [3] It follows California State Route 78, and is located between Ocotillo Wells in San Diego County and Westmorland, 14 miles (23 km) southwest of the Salton Sea, about 100 miles (160 km) from San Diego, and 36.8 miles (59.2 km) north of the US–Mexico border. [4] [5] [6] [7] Although Slowjamastan has no structures, on the plot of land is a large border sign by the highway, a border control post and an open desk that serves as the sultan's office. [3] There are plans for expanding the territory. [8]

History

Slowjamastan was declared independent on December 1, 2021, by slow jam DJ Randy Williams, also known by his stage name R Dub!, who presents the Sunday Night Slow Jams radio show. Williams, who had visited all United Nations member states except for Turkmenistan, became inspired to create a micronation after visiting the Republic of Molossia—a micronation located in Dayton, Nevada—in August 2021. [3] [5] When Williams returned to his residence in San Diego, he immediately began working on plans for his own micronation and in October 2021 purchased the land. [3] [5]

A micronation is a political entity that claims independence and mimics acts of sovereignty as if it were a sovereign state, but lacks any legal recognition. Micronations are classified separately from states with limited recognition or quasi-states, as they lack the legal basis in international law for their existence. [9] However, Williams bases Slowjamastan's legitimacy on meeting the criteria of the Montevideo Convention. [3]

Plans envisioned by Williams for tourist attractions in Slowjamastan include a bowling alley, interactive armadillo farm, hot dog emporium, restaurant and a lazy river, pending the configuration of a working water system in the desert. [5] [10] Upon declaring independence, Williams sent postcards to nearby residents and businesses. While local business owners declared the idea of Slowjamastan as bizarre and eccentric, they were open to the project possibly bringing tourists and increased attention to the area. [5]

Slowjamastan was represented at MicroCon 2022 held in Las Vegas, [11] MicroCon 2023 held in Joliet, Illinois [12] and at MicroCon EU 2023 held in Ypres, Belgium. [13]

In 2024, Slowjamastan was a guest at the NATO Summit in Washington DC. [14] [15]

Governance and citizenship

Slowjamastan is run by Williams, who ostensibly rules as the sultan of the micronation. He asserts that Slowjamastan is both a dictatorship and "occasional democracy" as he allows input from citizens. Slowjamastan also has a virtual parliament. [6] The laws of Slowjamastan are based on the "everyday annoyances" experienced by Williams while growing up in the United States. [2] Some prohibitions include Crocs, mumble rap, people who put their feet up on the dashboard, and eating string cheese by biting directly into it. [3] [6] People can apply for citizenship and cabinet positions online via Slowjamastan's website. As of July 2024, the number of citizens was more than 19,000. [16] Slowjamastan issues passports with quotations on them from hip hop artists. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Micronation</span> Self-proclaimed political entity

A micronation is a political entity whose representatives claim that they belong to an independent nation or sovereign state, but which lacks legal recognition by any sovereign state. Micronations are classified separately from de facto states and quasi-states; they are also not considered to be autonomous or self-governing as they lack the legal basis in international law for their existence. The activities of micronations are almost always trivial enough to be ignored rather than disputed by the established nations whose territory they claim—referred to in micronationalism as macronations. Several micronations have issued coins, flags, postage stamps, passports, medals and other state-related items, some as a source of revenue. Motivations for the creation of micronations include theoretical experimentation, political protest, artistic expression, personal entertainment and the conduct of criminal activity. The study of micronationalism is known as micropatriology or micropatrology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dayton, Nevada</span> Census-designated place in Nevada, United States

Dayton is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lyon County, Nevada, United States. The population was 15,153 at the 2020 census. Dayton is the second oldest Nevada settlement. It is home to the oldest hotel in Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ladonia (micronation)</span> Micronation art project

Ladonia is a micronation, proclaimed in 1996 as the result of a years-long court battle between artist Lars Vilks and local authorities over two sculptures. The claimed territory is part of the natural reserve of Kullaberg in southern Sweden.

A slow jam is music with rhythm and blues and soul influences. Slow jams are commonly R&B ballads or downtempo songs, and are mostly soft-sounding with heavily emotional or romantic lyrical content. The earliest known use of the term is from a July 1, 1961, article in The Chicago Defender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic of Molossia</span> Micronation in the United States

Molossia, officially the Republic of Molossia, is a micronation claiming de facto independence, claims sovereignty over 11.3 acres of land near Dayton, Nevada. The micronation has not received recognition from any of the 193 member states of the United Nations. It was founded by Kevin Baugh in 1977. He continues to pay property taxes on the land to Storey County, the recognized local government, although he calls it "foreign aid". He has stated, "We all want to think we have our own country, but you know the United States is a lot bigger".

<i>Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations</i> 2006 book about micronations

Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations is an Australian gazetteer about micronations, published in September 2006 by Lonely Planet. It was written by John Ryan, George Dunford and Simon Sellars. Self-described as a humorous guidebook and written in a light-hearted tone, the book's profile of micronations offers information on their flags, leaders, currencies, maps and other facts. It was re-subtitled Guide to Self-Proclaimed Nations in later publications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Duchy of Flandrensis</span> Micronation in The Antarctic Region

The Grand Duchy of Flandrensis is a micronation with claims over some territories of Antarctica, which was founded in 2008 by the Belgian Niels Vermeersch. Flandrensis is not recognised by any country or government, nor is it their intention to get diplomatic recognition. Since 2021 the micronation is registered in Belgium as the environmental non-profit organization “vzw Groothertogdom Flandrensis”.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murrawarri Republic</span> Micronation

The Murrawarri Republic is a micronation that declared its independence from Australia in 2013, that claims territory and sovereignty over an area straddling the border of the states of New South Wales and Queensland within Australia. The territory is the traditional homeland of the Murrawarri people, an Aboriginal people, but the population of the territory claimed now comprises mostly non-Indigenous Australians. The Government of Australia has not acknowledged the declaration of independence, and their independence has been wholly unrecognised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberland</span> Unrecognized micronation in Europe

Liberland, also known as the Free Republic of Liberland, is a micronation promoted by Czech right-libertarian politician and activist Vít Jedlička, who began claiming in 2015 that an uninhabited stretch of floodplain on the Croatian bank of the Danube, is the territory of a new independent country. Not recognized by any country, it has since become an example of a micronation. Jedlička was inspired by classical liberal thinkers such as Ludwig von Mises and Ayn Rand, and he envisioned a political system characterised by laissez-faire capitalism, minimal government, and an economy based on cryptocurrency.

MicroCon is a biennial summit or conference of micronationalists held in every other year since April 11, 2015. The event was created by Kevin Baugh of the Republic of Molossia, and every summit since has been hosted by a different micronation. MicroCon is a significant event in the micronational community, serving as a venue for exchanging ideas between micronationalists. The event has also been compared to the micronational equivalent of a session of the United Nations General Assembly. The largest edition, MicroCon 2019 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, had 113 attendees from 43 micronations. MicroCon 2023 was the first edition to consist of two separate events: an American summit in Joliet, Illinois, and a European summit in Ypres, Belgium.

Zaqistan, officially the Republic of Zaqistan, is a micronation in Box Elder County, Utah, created in 2005 by self-declared president Zaq Landsberg. The land has no residents or buildings on it, although Landsberg and volunteers have installed monuments and a border patrol gate, and he refers to the money sent yearly to the State of Utah for the property not as taxes but instead a "tribute" which he pays to maintain peaceful foreign relations. Its state department does not accept applications for citizenship, though previously it was granted for free to anyone who asked, with the option of a passport for a suggested fee of US$50.

Travis McHenry is an American-born micronationalist and occultist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westarctica</span> Micronation in Antarctica

Westarctica, officially the Grand Duchy of Westarctica and formerly the Protectorate of Westarctica, is a micronation in Antarctica, founded in 2001 by Travis McHenry, who styles himself as Grand Duke Travis. It claims a region of West Antarctica that has not been claimed by any nation state, comprising most of Marie Byrd Land. This wedge is located between the Ross Dependency claimed by New Zealand, and the Chilean Antarctic Territory, between 90 degrees and 150 degrees west longitude and south of the 60th parallel. The region includes 1,600,000 square kilometres (620,000 sq mi) of land, making it the largest territory not claimed by any recognized nation. Westarctica claims over 2,000 citizens, but none of them reside within the claimed territory, which has no permanent settlements or research stations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MicroWiki</span> Online encyclopedia for micronations

MicroWiki is a free online encyclopedia about micronations launched in 2005. It has since become the principal way in which Internet users document micronational matters, as most do not meet Wikipedia's notability requirements. It is maintained by volunteers using the same MediaWiki software as Wikipedia. MicroWiki describes itself as "the largest encyclopedia about micronations".

The International Micropatrological Society (IMS) was an American learned society and research institute dedicated to the study of micronations. Founded in 1973 by Frederick W. Lehmann IV of St. Louis, Missouri, the IMS coined micropatrology as the study of micronations and micronationalism. It had documented 128 micronations and similar political entities by 1976.

<i>How to Rule Your Own Country: The Weird and Wonderful World of Micronations</i> 2022 book by Harry Hobbs and George Williams

How to Rule Your Own Country: The Weird and Wonderful World of Micronations is a 2022 book by Australian lawyers and legal academics Harry Hobbs and George Williams about micronationalism—exploring several micronations and their motivations for declaring independence. The book gives an overview on the topic of micronationalism and explores numerous micronations, extant and defunct, as well as their motivations for declaring sovereignty. An overarching theme is the disproportionate number of micronations located within Australia. How to Rule Your Own Country is a follow-up to Hobbs' and Williams' more academic 2021 work Micronations and the Search for Sovereignty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">R Dub!</span> American DJ and radio host

Randy Williams, better known by the stage name R Dub!, is an American DJ and radio host. He is the sultan of the micronation of Slowjamastan. He is best known as the host and creator of Sunday Night Slow Jams, which he created on 24 July 1994. A program director of XHRM-FM and XHITZ-FM, Sunday Night Slow Jams is broadcast on more than 200 radio stations. Williams also serves as the self-proclaimed sultan of his own micronation, the Republic of Slowjamastan, located in Imperial County, Southern California, which he founded on 1 December 2021. Additionally, he is also noted to have visited all 193 United Nations member states, making him one of at least 250 people to do so.

Sunday Night Slow Jams is an American weekly syndicated radio program dedicated to slow jams music. Created on 24 July 1994, it is directed and presented by creator R Dub!, and broadcast on more than 200 radio stations in 17 countries as of May 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 Yagya Sharma (June 9, 2023). "Meet 'Sultan of Slowjamastan', who created a 'country' in the US where Crocs are banned". Hindustan Times .
  2. 1 2 Radin, Danielle (July 5, 2023). "Man creates own 'micronation' in Southern California: Slowjamastan". CBS News . Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Collett, Richard (June 21, 2023). "He ran out of countries to visit, so he created his own". CNN . Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Name a State - The Republic of Slowjamastan". Slowjamastan. November 13, 2021.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Cutchin, James B. (February 3, 2022). "New micronation 'Slowjamastan' rises from the desert … sort of". The Desert Sun . Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Dawson, Danielle (June 11, 2023). "Welcome to Slowjamastan, a 'micronation' hidden in California". WPRI . Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  7. ↑ Southern, Keiran (June 16, 2023). "Inside Slowjamastan, where a DJ sultan declared independence from US" . The Times . Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  8. ↑ Landecker, John (June 21, 2023). "Meet the benevolent dictator of the Republic of Slowjamastan: Sultan Randy 'R Dub!' Williams". WGN Radio . Event occurs at 02:40–03:03. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  9. ↑ Hobbs, Harry; Williams, George (2021). Micronations and the Search for Sovereignty . Cambridge Studies in Constitutional Law. Cambridge University Press. pp. 76–78. ISBN   978-1-009-15013-2. Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  10. ↑ Teh, Cheryl (June 12, 2023). "A San Diego man got sick of living in a regular country so he founded a nation of his own called Slowjamastan and crowned himself its sultan". Insider . Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Welcome to Slowjamastan". Alta Online. October 21, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2024.
  12. ↑ Ulrich, Amanda (July 23, 2023). "Welcome to Slowjamastan! The desert micronation with no Crocs and no taxes". The Guardian . Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  13. ↑ "Registered Delegations for Ypres MircoCon". MicroCon 2023 Chicago & Ypres. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Matt About Town: Slow jams and no Crocs — The lore behind the world's newest 'nation,' Slowjamastan!". WTOP News. July 16, 2024. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  15. ↑ Nova, Redazione Agenzia (July 11, 2024). "Born: the sultan of Slowjamastan arrives at the top, the dictatorship founded in California by DJ Randy Williams". Agenzia Nova. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  16. ↑ "7/26/24 Blog: The Last Two Weeks Have Been the Longest Year". iHeart. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  17. ↑ Brett, Sarah; Buckler, Chris (June 16, 2023). Welcome to Slowjamastan: US DJ's new Micronation. Good Morning Ulster . BBC Radio Ulster. Event occurs at 03:56–04:35. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.