Conch Republic

The Conch Republic is a micronation declared as a tongue-in-cheek protest secession of the city of Key West from the United States on April 23, 1982. It has been maintained as a tourism booster for the city since. Since then, the term Conch Republic has been expanded to refer to "all of the Florida Keys, or, that geographic apportionment of land that falls within the legally defined boundaries of Monroe County Florida, northward to 'Skeeter's Last Chance Saloon' in Florida City, Dade County Florida, with Key West as the nation's capital and all territories north of Key West being referred to as 'The Northern Territories'."[4]

While the protest that sparked its creation, and others which have occurred periodically since then have been described by some as "tongue-in-cheek", they were motivated by frustrations over genuine concerns. The original protest event was motivated by a U.S. Border Patrol roadblock and checkpoint which greatly inconvenienced residents and was detrimental to tourism in the area.

Although the Conch Republic is not, and never was, a real secessionist movement, many in Key West continue to identify with the concerns that motivated the original protest against what they view as an "unresponsive" central government taking action without considering all of the implications. At least three related protests have taken place subsequent to the original incident.

The Conch Republic celebrates Independence Day every April 23 as part of a week-long festival of activities involving numerous businesses in Key West. The organization - a "Sovereign State of Mind," seeking only to bring more "Humor, Warmth, and Respect" to a world in sore need of all three according to its Secretary General, Peter Anderson - is a key tourism booster for the area.
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