User:Pacifica

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Pacifica was founded on June 12, 1998 by a group of friends, as a social, political and cultural group, with the objective of promoting the Portuguese historical culture, that assumed the form of a sovereign state.

After the formal reading of the “Declaration of Independence” (as it was called) the people present appointed Manuel Correia da Fonseca as His Magnanimous Imperial Majesty Dom Manuel I, Emperor of Pacifica and in 2000, due to the abdication of D. Manuel, Eduardo de Lagrenge became His Imperial Majesty Dom Eduardo I.

In that declaration, later included in the Constitution, states that the Empire of Pacifica is an Empire of Sovereign Citizens and a Sovereign State of Peace, primarily non-territorial. This specific point still brings a lot of discussions as in some opinions prevents Pacifica from being considered as a state along the definition of the Montevideo Convention of 1933, Article 1.

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.

But the point (b) of this Article has in recent history been ignored in the recognition of some non-territorial States that have observer’s status on the UN.

The other point of discussion is the definition of Statehood. The Constitutive Theory of Recognition states that recognition by other states is a condition for statehood. (not accepted as universal law)

Since Pacifica is not recognized by any of the established nations it can not be considered as State under this Theory

But according to article 3 of the Montevideo Convention it is

Article 3

The political existence of the state is independent of recognition by the other states. Even before recognition the state has the right to defend its integrity and independence, to provide for its conservation and prosperity, and consequently to organize itself as it sees fit, to legislate upon its interests, administer its services, and to define the jurisdiction and competence of its courts.

The exercise of these rights has no other limitation than the exercise of the rights of other states according to international law.

Therefore the Empire of Pacifica can be considered as a state

Pacifica has several ancillary features of a state like a flag, a coat-of-arms, a national anthem, a constitution, a motto ( “By Serving Each Other and God...We Shall Be Free”), currency, among others.

By making Portuguese its official language the Empire of Pacifica accepted the heritage and responsibilities of a secular culture. Pacifica also uses English to better integrate its members spread world wide.

Currently Pacifica is entering into a new phase in its history as it celbrates its fifth anniversery. The Imperial Regent, William R Collier Jr, Duke of Weidenhoff and memebr of the Most Noble Order of Founding, is working to assist the Emperor, Dom Edurardo I in the next phase of development for the Empire.