Waikiki is one of the first micronations in southern Europe, founded in 1928. A micronation is an entity whose members claim that they belong to an independent nation, but which is not legally recognized by any world governments.
Dictator Franco’s victory in the Spanish Civil War and the imposition of a fierce fascist dictatorship also led to the cessation of public activities in the Great Republic of Waikiki, founded in Catalonia by people with advanced ideas and a lot of humor in this hidden beach in the western Mediterranean, surrounded by cliffs and trees. The first Waikiki government approved a constitution, published a magazine, and had his own flag. They went to this beach to make government decisions and especially to eat rice and have fun.
Read Also: Author of the Liberland Anthem Wins Award
According to historian Eduard Boada i Aragonès, who is currently writing a book on Waikiki, to be published in 2023: “the people who founded the Great Republic of Waikiki were predecessors of micronationalism and can be equated in importance with one of the fathers of world micronationalism, the emperor Joshua Abraham Norton, who in 1859 proclaimed himself emperor of the United States of America.” The Catalan historian also points out that “the memory of the Great Republic of Waikiki has not been lost as the place name Waikiki is the one that has become popular and today still gives its name to the beach, a beach that has become nudist beach ».
The sons of members of the first Waikiki government have now a lot of years, has told the Catalan historian. He meets with some of them and also visit the archives to reconstructed the history of this unknown catalan micronation. Waikiki beach is currently part of Spanish state, but as a micronation it has never ceased to exist, in the minds of the family founders who have kept the memory and hope of being able to see a utopian republic, integrated into a splendid nature setting.
Photo: Promotional image of the Great Waikiki Republic, showing the hidden catalan that has become micronation since 1928.
Waikiki can only be reached on foot, and there is a significant difference in level that does not make it accessible to everyone. Its natural environment is that of a Mediterranean forest protected by Catalan legislation since 1992. Pines predominate in this forest, which must be crossed on foot before accessing the beach. Although it is not the first European micronation, what is clear is that it is one of the oldest in Southern Europe, where an Italian micronation with ancient roots is currently in full health:
Seborga, which nevertheless functions as a micronation since of the last century, it has its roots in the Middle Ages, and is at the level of popularity of other veteran micronations, such as Sealand or Liberland. The founders of Waikiki, beyond the borders of its micronation were they spend some jokes, so they were well known in neighboring towns, especially in the city of Tarragona, on which Waikiki depends.
