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A man has declared himself president of a self-proclaimed nation on a disputed piece of land between Croatia and Serbia that has its own flag, cabinet, currency and nearly 400 citizens.
Daniel Jackson founded the Free Republic of Verdis, a 0.5 square kilometer (less than 125 acres) patch of forest along the Danube River, after finding that no neighboring country would lay claim to the area due to an ongoing border dispute.
“The idea for Verdis came to me when I was 14 years old,” said Jackson, 20. “At first it was just a little experiment with a few friends. We all wanted to create something different.”
Jackson officially declared the republic's independence on May 30, 2019, SWNS news agency reported.
The territory claimed by the Briton, marked on maps as “pocket three”, has since been named the second smallest country in the world, just after the Vatican.
Pictured above is the Free Republic of Verdis, a strip of forest along the Danube River. “Founder” Daniel Jackson found that the territory was unclaimed by any of the neighboring countries due to an ongoing border dispute. (Daniel Jackson/SWNS)
The digital designer, who makes a living creating virtual worlds on Roblox, began turning Verdis into a functioning government when he was just 18 years old.
“We started making Verdis a reality when I was 18, passing some laws and designing a flag,” he said. “Now we have a government and a great cabinet,” he added.
The official languages of Verdis are English, Croatian and Serbian, and the currency is the euro.
Verdis is only accessible by water from the Croatian city of Osijek, although attempts to establish a settlement there have met with considerable resistance.
He runs what he calls a “government in exile.”
In October 2023, Croatian police detained several settlers, including Jackson himself, before deporting them and giving him a lifetime ban on entering the country.
“They deported us, but they couldn't explain why,” Jackson said. “They said we were a threat to internal security.”
Jackson, who runs what he calls a “government in exile,” accused Croatian authorities of establishing surveillance along his country's coastline to block access from Serbia, SWNS reported.
Daniel Jackson (above) poses with the Verdis flag. The digital designer began transforming Verdis into a functioning government at the age of 18. (Daniel Jackson/SWNS)
“We have had many problems with the Croatian authorities, but we hope to establish good relations in the future,” he added.
“They treated us unkindly and were aggressive,” he said.
According to SWNS, Jackson now travels frequently to Belgrade, Serbia, where he says officials have been more open.
Despite being banned from entering Croatia, he continues to fight for access to Verdis and hopes to one day return to live there.
“When you realize that you are in a country that you created yourself, it is magical.”
“If we succeed, I will step down and call elections,” he said.
“Power has completely overwhelmed me
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