Did you know that a small island off the coast of Yarmouth County once declared itself its own country!?
Back in 1949, Outer Bald Tusket Island (a flat, four-acre island) was bought by an American businessman, Russell Arundel. He decided to create a micronation with its own charter, currency, and even government officials.
He named it The Principality of Outer Baldonia, made up of friends and neighbours, some of whom were tuna fishermen. You could even be given the title of Prince if you caught a bluefin tuna and paid the $50 fee!
Their currency was called a “Tunar” and looked something like this.
Russell Arundel, calling himself the Prince of Princes, was, as I said, a well-known businessman in the States and even owned a Pepsi bottling company on Long Island.
His little nation side venture did raise some eyebrows and got international attention! There were articles about his charter, basically outlining Russell and his friends’ rights to drink, gamble, and do whatever they wanted without women being there.
When a Soviet Union newspaper criticised this, they decided to declare war on the Soviet Union.
Most of this was just tongue-in-cheek, but it’s interesting how much time and effort was put into this weird little micronation!
The island today has literally gone to the birds! Russell sold his little nation for a buck to the Nova Scotia Bird Society. It’s actually a well-known nesting area for rare birds, thus closing a strange chapter in Nova Scotia history.
