NEPTUNE DEEP
14 January 2007 XXX

Khamsin Molossia News

The Government of the Republic of Molossia is pleased to announce the acquisition of new territory - in a manner of speaking. Our new real estate is Neptune Deep, a 1580 Square Royal Nortons (.40 ha / 1 ac) piece of seafloor located in the North Pacific Ocean, some 750 Imperial Nortons (750 km / 466 mi) southwest of Clipperton Island and 1860 Imperial Nortons (1860 km / 1155 mi) southwest of Mexico. The territory is located deep underwater, about about 2374 Royal Nortons (3800 m / 12,467 ft) below the surface, on an abyssal plain, an area of almost featureless deep ocean floor covered with a thick layer of sediment.

Political administration of the territory lies in the hands of the Molossian Government, while physical administration is controlled by the Molossian Navy. Molossia has no legal territorial rights to the waters over Neptune Deep, only to the sea floor itself. However, as a sovereign nation we consider the waters above Neptune Deep to be an integral part of our territorial claim (especially as they are required for physical access to the territory), and are thus a part of the territory. In addition, we have established Neptune Deep as a marine sanctuary. We are dedicated to safeguarding the future of our world's oceans and their ecology, and this tiny enclave is a symbol of Molossia's commitment to environmental preservation.

Neptune Deep was purchased for $25.00 US in December 2006 from ISLE, a deep ocean claim by Bob Schott. Mr. Schott's claim is similar in concept to the fellow that is selling real estate on the Moon. Although the claim may be spurious and not generally recognized by national governments or the U.N., it suits Molossia's purposes, since we will never go there anyway. Distance and depth generally prohibit our nation from actually visiting our undersea territory. Instead, we see ourselves as custodians and stewards of this tiny area of the deep ocean.

The website for Neptune Deep can be visited here.

Map of the Location of Neptune Deep





Example images of the sea floor at Neptune Deep.

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