Micronations – an abstract concept or a challenge for contemporary international law?

Abstract

Everyone feels the need to have both a specific identity: the ability to identify with a given country and have a piece of land that one can call his home, a place on earth where one can pursue his life plans. The development of modern technologies brought about the occurrence of the more and more frequent phenomenon of „escape into virtual reality”, characteristic of modern people. The Internet is becoming a tool that, to some extent, allows us to fulfil a vision of creating a state that would function in a manner that meets our expectations. The development of modern technology has made these utopian visions possible. The article attempts to construct a definition of micronations, considering as many aspects of their functioning as possible. The author analyses the triad of state components: population – territory – power to answer the question posed in the introduction: can micronations be called states? In conclusion, the author analyzes the problem of whether micronations meet (or may soon meet) the criteria for being called subjects of international law.