A 20-year-old man has declared himself president of a self-proclaimed country created in a disputed area between Croatia and Serbia.
According to the New York Post, Daniel Jackson established the Free Republic of Verdis in a forest area of approximately 50.59 hectares located along the Danube River.
The country allegedly has a flag, cabinet of ministers, currency and more than 400 individuals recognized as citizens and declared independence on May 30, 2019.
Jackson also established English, Croatian and Serbian as official languages and uses the euro as its currency.
The action was taken after he discovered that the area was not claimed by any neighboring country due to a long-running border dispute.
Verdis can only be accessed by boat from the Croatian city of Osijek, but attempts to settle there have met with fierce resistance.
In October 2023, Croatian police arrested Jackson and several other individuals before deporting them and banning Jackson from entering the country for life.
