Editing Microstate (section)

== Historical anomalies and aspirant states ==
A small number of tiny sovereign political units have been founded on historic anomalies or eccentric interpretations of law. Those types of states, often labelled as "microstates," are usually located on small (usually disputed) territorial enclaves, generate limited economic activity founded on [[tourism]] and [[philatelic]] and [[numismatic]] sales, and are tolerated or ignored by the nations from which they claim to have seceded.

The [[Republic of Indian Stream]], now the town of [[Pittsburg, New Hampshire]], was a geographic anomaly that had been left unresolved by the [[Treaty of Paris (1783)|Treaty of Paris]], which ended the [[American Revolutionary War]], and was claimed by both the [[United States]] and [[Canada]]. Between 1832 and 1835, the area's residents refused to acknowledge either claimant.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Doan |first1=Daniel |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/35651345 |title=Indian Stream Republic: settling a New England frontier, 1785-1842 |last2=Daniell |first2=Jere R. |last3=MacDougall |first3=Ruth Doan |date=1997 |publisher=University Press of New England |others=Jere R. Daniell, Ruth Doan MacDougall |isbn=978-0-87451-767-5 |series=Library of New England |location=Hanover, NH |oclc=35651345}}</ref>

The [[Cospaia Republic]] became independent by a treaty error and survived from 1440 to 1826.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jepson |first=Tim |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/743223039 |title=The rough guide to Tuscany & Umbria |date=2009 |publisher=Rough Guides |others=Jonathan Buckley, Mark Ellingham, Rough Guides |isbn=978-1-4053-8529-9 |edition=7th |location=New York |oclc=743223039}}</ref> Its independence made it important in the introduction of tobacco cultivation to [[Italy]].
[[File:Malediven Atoll Luftbild (28800485916).jpg|upright=1.15|thumb|[[Maldives]] in the [[Indian Ocean]], the smallest independent country in [[Asia]] with an area of {{convert|298|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}]]

[[Couto Misto]] was disputed by [[Spain]] and [[Portugal]] and operated as a [[sovereign state]] until the [[Treaty of Lisbon (1864)|1864 Treaty of Lisbon]] partitioned the territory, with the larger part becoming part of Spain.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=United Nations |date=2001-02-14 |title=Treaty Series 1889 |series=United Nations Treaty Series |language=en |publisher=UN |doi=10.18356/a43b73bc-en-fr |isbn=978-92-1-045419-3 |issn=2412-1495}}</ref>

[[Jaxa (state)|Jaxa]] was a small state that existed during the 17th century at the border between [[Tsardom of Russia]] and [[Qing dynasty|Qing China]]. Despite its location in East Asia, the state's primary language was [[Polish language|Polish]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sulewski |first=Wojciech |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/69483582 |title=Konterfekty dziwnych Polaków |date=1973 |publisher=Iskry |oclc=69483582}}</ref>