Flag Coat of Arms Official languages English Membership 30 (2006) Founded 16 August 2005 | Status Current Demonym Lagoan(s) Area 4 ha | |
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Organizational structure Constitutional monarchy | ||
The Grand Duchy of the Lagoan Isles is a micronation based in Britain. It was created in 2005 by school teacher Louis Robert Harold Stephens ("Grand Duke Louis", born 1985) as a class project, and claims as its territory Baffins Pond, in Portsmouth, along with the three tiny islands located within the pond. However, the Grand Duchy does not have a physical presence in, or exercise any authority over the area, and its operations are largely limited to the Internet.
History
Records of Baffins Farm (including the pond) date back to 1194. Since then it has changed hands several times. In the 19th century it was used by local farmers, and in 1912 it became a public park. In 1938 it was saved from demolition, and sold to the City of Portsmouth. Stephens established the Grand Duchy's putative claim to the pond islands on August 16, 2005, after noticing that they were not specifically mentioned in the 1938 land sale contract. He subsequently sent a letter announcing his claim to Portsmouth council, and released a series of banknotes with an ornithological theme.