User:Phoenix B 1of3/Travis McHenry

Travis McHenry (born June 4, 1980) is famous for his micronational claim in the Marie Byrd Land region of Antarctica.

Family History
McHenry decended from many High Kings of Ireland, but also had many ancestors from Scotland. McHenry is also a direct descendant of the 17th Century Baron of Dunluce, Patrick McHenry.

Grand Duchy of Westarctica


In August 2001 McHenry, a Irish-American proud of his "royal" heritage searched the worlds maps for unclaimed territory. McHenry quickly found that only two remained, Bir Tawil and Marie Byrd Land. Bir Tawil was effectively under defacto Egyptian Authority, Marie Byrd Land was claimed by no Nation, however the reason for this was a freeze of claims by the Antarctic Treaty preventing new claims from being made. McHenry's plan for evading the treaty was that it plainly stated, no existing nation can make a new claim, so McHenry decided he would make his own nation. McHenry sent letters to the governments of Russia, France, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, the United States, and the United Kingdom to inform them of his claim, these letters were promptly ignored and dismissed, nonetheless McHenry crowned himself Grand Duke of "Achaean Territory", latter renamed "Westarctica". Travis's claim sparked no immediate controversy however it did unintentionaly spark several other micronations throughout the rest of Antarctica, these would eventually form the Antarctic Micronational Union (AMU). In 2004, McHenry decided to take his claim a step forward by determining exact boundries of 90° W and 150° W, 60° S and 90° S, conflicting Norway's claim of Peter I Island, New Zealand's claim of the Balleny Islands as well as several AMU micronational claims.

Baron of Dunluce


In 2006 McHenry abdicated his throne to become the new Baron of Dunluce, making Philip Karns, "former Duke of Ravencoat", the new Grand Duke of Westarctica.

Return to Westarctica
Karns steped down from his position as Grand Duke due to health complications in 2008, he was replaced by Jon-Lawrence Langer, the "Duke of Moulton-Berlin". In June 2010 McHenry removed Langer from "power" and abolished the Grand Duchy, replacing it with a protectorate, reducing its claim and joining the Antarctic MicroNational Union.