With several important qualifications, a micronation is any entity which purports to be or has the appearance of being a sovereign state but isn't.

Micronations are typically created and maintained by one person or family. Many exist solely on the internet, or in the imagination of their creators.

Some have a more corporeal existence, making ambit claims over, or occasionally even physically occupying defined geographical locations - albeit often tiny, remote or uninhabitable ones - and producing physical artefacts such as stamps, coins, banknotes, passports, medals and flags.

Micronations are generally viewed as ephemeral, eccentric and somewhat amusing by most external observers.