Introduction
The Northern Forest Archipelago (NFA) is a constitutional monarchy made up of several dozen chunks or "islands" of wilderness existing within the northeastern states of the USA. Due to it's isolation and wild nature, the Northern Forest Archipelago is sparsely peopled, but rich in biodiversity and natural beauty.
The Northern Forest Archipelago is a very small sovereign nation-state and has been since 1998. We are entitled (by international law) to the rights of a sovereign State, which includes participating in all international organizations and maintaining normal diplomatic relations with all other sovereign states. We meet all the criteria set forth in Article 1 of the 1933 Montevideo Convention on Rights and Duties of States. We have a sovereign government exercising effective jurisdiction over well-defined territories with permanent residents, and we have diplomatic relations with several other sovereign states.
The following weather and astronomical data is for
Backwoods, the capital of the NFA.
History
The Great Northern Forest has covered this region since the last ice ice age ended more than 10,000 years ago. Twice pushed to the brink of disappearing completely because of poor management, today the Northern Forest flourishes. The Northern Forest encompasses more than 26 million acres. It boasts a diverse landscape of woodlands, mountains, rivers, streams and lakes. Beginning in the northern woods of Maine, the Northern Forest stretches through New Hampshire and Vermont into the Adirondack Mountains and the Tug Hill region of New York.
The region includes the most remote, pristine lakes in the Northeast; the headwaters of the Hudson, the Connecticut, the Saint John, and other great eastern rivers; and vast tracks of forestland that shelter wild creatures and migratory birds. The remote character of the region is seen in species, such as: bald eagles, loons, lynx, bear, moose, martens and fishers, beavers, belted kingfishers, bobcats, star-nosed moles, wild turkeys, osprey, great blue herons, red-winged blackbirds, pileated woodpeckers, great horned and northern saw-whet owls, red-tailed hawks, painted trilliums, pink lady slippers, northern pitcher plants, red and grey foxes, coyotes, minks, river otters, northern flying squirrels, porcupines, luna moths, spotted salamanders, spring peepers, balsam firs, tamaracks, paper birchs, white pines, sugar maples, and many other incredible species of plants and animals.
The Northern Forest Archipelago (NFA) came into being around the turn of the century when our king, King James III, took note of the fact that scattered chunks or "islands" of wilderness contained within the Great Northern Forest of the United States were ready for a change. He explored the wilderness, purchased the land that would become Backwoods (the capital of the NFA), organized other widely dispersed bits of wilderness under a cohesive system of government, and was declared King. The declaration of the existence of the Northern Forest Archipelago was formalized through the enactment and ratification of our constitution on September 21,1998. The guiding principles of the NFA are simple:
- Protection of the woods, waters, and wildlife of the Northern Forest
- Sustainable use and enjoyment of the woods, waters, and wildlife of the Northern Forest
- Spread the word about the value and beauty of the woods, waters, and wildlife of the Northern Forest, so as to promote and insure their protection over time
FAQ Section
Q: I hear terms like nation, state, nation-state, and sovereign (some or all with "micro" stuck on the front) used a lot in the description of micronations, what do they mean, and where does the NFA fit in?
A:That is a tricky question that covers a lot of territory. Here are a group of definitions used by the NFA, taken from numerous standard reference tools and online forums:
Nation: A group of people who share common customs, culture, physical location or territory, history, and (frequently) language.
State: The government or supreme public power within a sovereign political entity; an institutional structure charged with exercising authority within a definable jurisdiction.
When thinking about states, one should also take note of the 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, which forms the traditional internationally accepted basis for the legal definition of statehood:
Article 1: The state as a person of international law should possess the following qualifications: (a) a permanent population; (b) a defined territory; (c) government; and (d) capacity to enter into relations with the other states.
Nation-state: A group of people who share common customs, culture, physical location or territory, history, and (frequently) language, and the government or supreme public power within a sovereign political entity; an institutional structure charged with exercising authority within a definable jurisdiction.
Sovereign: The right of a political entity to exercise power, free from external compulsion or restraint; self-governing and independent
Micro: Very small.
The Northern Forest Archipelago defines itself as a very small nation-state, by which we mean: A small group of people who share common customs, culture, physical location or territory, history, and (frequently) language, and the government or supreme public power within a sovereign political entity; an institutional structure charged with exercising authority within a definable jurisdiction. We also sometimes use and will answer to the term micronation, as it is commonly used as a sort of umbrella for a wide variety of small nations and/or states and/or simulations.
Q: Are there any other real countries in circumstances similar to the NFA?
A: Let's see...
The NFA has a small amount of territory...so do the Vatican city and the Principality of Monaco.
The NFA exists within another state...so do the Navaho nation and the Channel Islands.
The NFA is not recognized formally by the United States... neither are Taiwan or Tibet.
The NFA is not (yet) a member of the United Nations...neither are the Cayman Islands or Palestine.
Map of the NFA
Much of the Northern forest is beautiful. The Presidential Range in the White Mountains and the Adirondack Mountains contain some of the most rugged topography in the eastern United States. The extensive shoreline thrusts out into the Atlantic and meets the ocean's waves with a heavily indented coast that mixes dramatic headlands with many small coves bordered by rocky beaches. Large empty areas, almost totally lacking in settlement, are only hours away from some of the largest cities on the continent.
The Northern forest is a place where polar, continental, and maritime weather systems meet, and the result is a climate that is seldom hot, often cold, and usually damp. Because of its location on the eastern side of America, the wind systems tend to push continental conditions into the area and to limit the maritime impact on the location. The substantial climatic difference between coast and interior is further increased by higher inland elevations.
Links & News Section