The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-19
MANY TINY
REPUBLICS
Europe is Dotted With Little
Baby States That Cali Them
selves Free.
ONE is ONLY A MILE SQUARE 4
Nearly All Owe Their Existence
to Jealousy Of Powers or to
Their Inacccssibility.

f1tro1,, London .l,ld yIaits.l

(From London TId-I3its.)
\, TO many people tho fact thnt there arc
Il number Of flourishlng independent re'
p,ibllcs In existence ut present which nro
practically unknown to the outside world
viii saern almost Incredible. There arc,
however tiny States In various parts OF
europe so completely from the rest OF
the world thut fow maps show any trace
If them. But, In spite Of this, they ar1
very important communities IN them
solves, and cnn bonst OF q. prosperous cx-
!stencc which would BIO q credit to any
state,
ono of the most interesting Of these
Tom Thumb republics Is Andorra, III,
almost inaccessible State Jof about $500
Inhabitants, situated III the eastern Py-
rennes. Andorrn was declared free
State MS long ago as tho nintil century
by .Charlomagnc. and ut The present tlmn
';olds kind OF serLi.independcnt posi-
ton between France and Spain. The
-epublIc. however, Is governed by It's
jwn representatives, who constitute
sovereign council OF twenly-four mem
,ers, which council elects president
every four years.
MAINTAIN AN ARMY.
The chief occupations Of tho Andor-
ramos arc agriculture. cattle breeding.
trade IN wood charcoal and wool, and cs-
peclnlly smuggling. At the same time
.hey arc good-natured. hard working,
tospitable people, and, needless TO say.
arc devoted TO liberty, which they are
prepared to defend with n standing army
of5 1,10o men.
About 100 miles from Andorra In tf'.
T.nsses Pyrennes. is to be found another
miniature republic, which, SO far as
,rea is con cerned. has the distinction Of
,eing the smallest self-governed State In
no world. 1t Is called st. Goust and Is
inrdly square mile In area. The popu-
:tion numbers about 100 souls, who rule
themselves. mainly owing TO the fact
hat the littLs State is SO hard to get at
| hat no one will take the trouble 10 alter
| IS constitution.
| ST. Goust Is situated on n rocky noun
| ain top. which Is so steep TINT when
anybody dies It is quite impossible, to
| AYE an ordinary funeral. a CONN could
| ,ot be carried down tho mountain side,
| md consequently the inhabitants have
! ut a groove into tho face OF the rock,
,,d the coffin is made fast to a rope
| md allowed to slid, down to the ccme-
! Try in Ossan Valley below, where al
! baptIsns and marriages are performed.
| The president Of st. Goust, who Is also
| FAX collector, assessor and judge. Is
elected by Il council Of twelve which Is
,hosen for five years by the people. IT,,
/ title republic having been ruled for
nore than two thousand years through
| Council of elders"
TIAs SEVENTY INHABITANTS 4
The smallest Republican State In! re-
l gard to population Is Favolnrn, u little
krown island about five miles long, with
i an average width of half mile. situated
i or tho north coast of Sardinia. Many
j maps and geography books totally Ignore
4 the existence OF this State. Yet 1t is
free and independent republic OF about
seventy inhabitants. who are their own
| rulers.
The people OF Tavolara declared their
Independence az recently as 1885. the Is
i land having previously been made over
in 1896 H King Charles Albert OF Ser
dinia to the Bartoleoni family E6nnc
OF the great powers objected whom the IS
land threw off the yoke OF monarGhy,
ard during tho last seventeen years. the
INHABITANTS have lived at peace With, me
world. They elect president every Sly
years and n council OF six members, a.
OF whom serve the state without pay
ment.
Jealousy between Belgium and Prussia
has enabled the inhabitants of tiny
territory, called Moresnet. near AiS-im'
Chapello, to enjoy the rights OF Replihll-
can citizenship for the last two centuries
4 The two countries mentioned could not
agree as to who Should own Noresnet
ana consequently they decided 10 make
4 it neutral country. There are a bout 3O0s
rcople In Moresnet. who elect their owr
(. president and council of five. In whom
4 the government Of tho republio is vested
4 ON &NOBODY'S ISLAND. Y
It is also owing 70 asa Eree'ntssmt to az
tween Austria and Seryia tnat a me IL to'f
who have aksn G ne the pnnn6e pa,
mobodv. The ISLAND which has very
appropriately been called Nobody's lslal.d
was formed many years ago ny tne accu
mutation Of mud ana san oad caE snee o the,
Austria and Servla have been quarrellnt
i about its possession.
AT low water the island Is almost con
neoted with the Servlan shore by na a.
it lies nearer the Austrian island Of Osz
trovaer Consequently no ono can DEF. q
a to whom IL really belongs, and us IN
island Is not worth enough to MAKE. i!
advisable for the serylq h1 Or me e, n nos
session, the inhabitants arc left entlrel!
e San 'Marino, a queer little italian r., re-
public, situated among the eastern 81 r gp
than any Of the aforementioned States
This republic has an area Of thirty-three
square miles, and q population OF neal,
5000 people. San Marlno H. governed D;
q grand COUNCIL OF SHY ii. frd h en- no
S SIes From th Ri humber arc seleoed II
c culture, a and. With the assistance Of tw
foreign lawyers, fern the np s9 pny .
Gourt 81 The stafei Whose ehiot EN-
ployment, however. Is that Of acllng .
policemen, "
Cotton Statistics.