Hopeland

Hopeland is a micronation and anarcho-bohemian community located off the coast of southern England comprising of two former Royal Navy sea forts. The micronation was declared in 1985, and set forth a reconstruction process on the three forts, which as of 2015 host a total population of 68 people. The micronation has no official recognition, however the United Kingdom's government recognises Hopeland as a 'special administrative area' under the terms of the Hopeland Act of 1995 which transfers several administrative powers to the Hopelanders.

Hopeland currently occupies two former British Royal Navy Palmerston Forts located in the Solent off the coast of Portsmouth, Southern England. Spitbank Fort and Horse Sands Fort were originally built as a result of the 1859 Royal Commission and sought to protect the British isles from the threat of French attack. Their main purpose being a line of defence for Portsmouth. Both forts were fitted with large armaments. During the Second World War both forts were used by the Ministry of Defence as sea defences against the threat of German invasion. The fort was declared surplus to requirements in 1962 and disposed of by the Ministry of Defence in 1982 and remained abandoned until 1985 when an organised group of anarchists sought to establish an anarchist community on Spitbank Fort. This later spread to Horse Sands Fort in 1987 naming it Project Hopeland. The population had risen to 35 by 1990, attracting anarchists and members of the alternative artistic community for both permanent and short-term habitation.

The forts began to become notorious for their association with parties and the alternative artistic community during the 1990's. This led to the development of a Bohemian culture and society during the 1990's with Hopeland. Hopeland became synonymous with pirate radio, drugs and the artistic community, alongside gay activism, and the queer anarchist movement. A 1992 documentary by the BBC brought the Hopeland Project into British political culture, and pressure began upon the British government to recognise Hopeland which at first the political calss refused to speak on or recognise the matter. This culminated in the Hopeland Act of 1995 which passed by a very slim majority in the House of Commons.

Hopeland is an anarchist community which follows the Anarcho-Bohemian school of anarchist thought. The communities on Spitbank and Horse Sands forts are governed by the Hopeland Common Law, which consists of nine fundamental principles which Hopelanders must abide by.