Follow us for details on bureaucratic operations, official Passports and our Independence Celebration Festival! The Conch Republic was born on April 23rd of 1982 in response to a United States Border blockade of the Florida Keys. Since the United States Government insisted on treating the Keys like a foreign country; Key West Mayor Dennis Wardlow seceded from the Union, declared war, surrendered,
and demanded foreign aid. never reacted to the secession, thereby establishing sovereignty for the Conch Republic under International Law Governing "adverse possession between sovereign nations". The Conch Republic has it's own Passports, and has had citizens and Diplomats received by thirteen Caribbean countries, Mexico, Sweden, Russia, France, Spain, Ireland and Germany. The Conch Republic has Conch-sulates in Switzerland, Havana, Maine and New Orleans. The Conch Republic has as its stated Foreign Policy, "The Mitigation of World Tension through the Exercise of Humor". As the world's first "Fifth World" country, we exist as a "State of Mind", and aspire only to bring more Warmth, Humor and Respect to a planet we find in sore need of all three. We are the first country in the world to require its citizens to obey local customs as well as laws. The Conch Republic is the world's first functioning Meritocracy whereby anyone that sees a job that needs doing can do it, and be recognized in that position. We are the first country to recognize the conch-cept of the "World Principle of Human Rights and Ambitions", because what are rights without the ability to realize ambitions? We celebrate our Independence annually in a "public and notorious manner" during a ten day Conch Republic Independence Celebration which is held in April of every year.
