CLASSIFICATION OF NATIONS

REALITY AXIS

FIRST TIER - STATES

{0} Supernational entities: comprised of macronations, but which by treaty

assume certain governmental functions ordinarily maintained by macronations [European Community].

{1} Macronations, or Macrostates: Fully sovereign within its own territory, does not

pay taxes or delegate to another nation essential services. [France, USA, Brazil, etc. -- members of the United Nations, by definition].

{2} Recognized Microstates: Sovereignty recognized by macronations, but due to

small size may be dependent on neighboring macronation for services [Andorra, Nauru, Palestine].

{3} Unrecognized Microstates: Nations which physically hold territory, and maintain

some services on it, and are not recognized by macronations as a nation [Hutt River, Republic of Texas (in the territory it actually controls)]; but are actively seeking that recognition.

SECOND TIER - MICRONATIONS

{4} Protonations: Micronations located on the physical territory they claim, but are

not actively working to assert sovereignty against a macronation [Talossa].

{5} Metanations: Micronations having a defined "spiritual homeland" on the Earth's

surface having a defined and working governmental structure involving five or

more people, not necessarily located on the territory claimed [Orange, Penguinea, Réunion].

{6} Aspiring metanations: Micronations (usually newly created) which lack the

organization to qualify as a metanation [Kingdom of Porto Claro].

{7} Pseudonations: Pure fantasy nation or role-playing game [Landreth (albeit with

strong metanational characteristics), Lezaria].

DISPERSION OF POWER AXIS

This axis looks at how widely the power in a macro/micronation is distributed. I am labeling these with the letters A-H, so they can easily be used with the codes for the Reality Axis, and to simplify discussion of points relating to either:

{A} Absolute Monarchy. The nation is the ruler's plantation. No attempt is made to

maintain any appearance of democratic institutions. [Brunei]

{B} Absolute Oligarchy. A nation is ruled by a committee [Libya] or a family [Saudi

Arabia]. No attempt is made to maintain any appearance of democratic institutions.

{C} Autocracy. A nation in fact ruled by one person or a small committee creates

democratic-appearing institutions (for example, a rubber-stamp parliament) to legitimize their rule [Iraq, Réunion].

{D} Single-Party Rule. One political party maintains consistent rule over time by

eliminating opposition parties or through fraudulent elections [China, Kenya, Mexico before 1991]; or by overwhelming influence on public opinion, allowing existence of opposition parties, but those parties have no real influence [Poland under Communism, Talossa].

{E} Representative Government. Functioning institutions with checks and balances,

run by elected representatives of the people, and not directly by the people themselves, based on the principle of majority rule [most Western democracies, Republic of Porto Claro].

{F} Consensus Government. Same as {E} but based on the principle of consensus [no

known macronation, Penguinea].

{G} Direct democracy. Legislative powers are replaced by a direct vote of the people

[Ancient Athens, New England town meetings].

{H} Anarchy [Lebanon during civil war, Somalia; arguably the Mowameddo Régime,

which has a constitution no one appears to be following].

The Tisserand Museum
October, 2000