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{{Infobox Micronation
| fullName = Crown Dependency of Forvik
| shortName = Forvik
| status = Current
| flagImage = ]
| secondImage =
| secondImageType =
| motto =
| englishMotto =
| capital =
| anthemName =
| anthemComposer =
| location =
| areaClaimed = {{convert|2.5|acre|m2}}
| ethnicgroups =
| purpOrgStruct =
| leadership = Stuart Hill
| foundationDate = ], ]
| membership =
| language =
| purpCurrency = Forvik Gulde
| currencycode =
| footnotes =
| demonym =
| gdp =
| time_zone = GMT
| utc_offset = 0
| time_zone_DST = BST
| DST_note =
| utc_offset_DST = +1
}}
The '''Crown Dependency of Forvik''' is a ] located on the {{convert|2.5|acre|m2|sing=on}} island of ] in the ].


]
It was created by the island's owner and sole occupant, ], in June 2008. Hill is an Englishman who settled in the Shetlands after being shipwrecked there in 2001 during a failed attempt to circumnavigate the British Isles. This earnt him the nickname "Captain Calamity".

==Name==
The name '''Forvik Island''' was coined by Hill who asserts that it means "island of the bay of sheep".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shetlopedia.com/Forvik_Island|title=Forvik Island|publisher=shetlopedia.com|accessdate=2008-06-22}}</ref> ''Wick'' is an anglicisation of ''vik'', a ] word for ''bay''. '']'' is a common name in the ] and Shetland islands for a small, rounded island.

"Forvik" is not a recorded historical form, but a pseudo-Norse version of "Forewick", which is the name of a headland on the adjacent island of ].

==Declaration of Dependence==
On ] ], Hill, unilaterally declared Forvik to be a British ], and thus not a part of the ] or of the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2157245/Captain-Calamity-to-create-new-state-in-Shetland-islands.html|title=Captain Calamity to create new state in Shetland islands|publisher=telegraph.co.uk|accessdate=2008-06-22|date=2008-06-19|last=Khan|first=Urmee}}</ref>

Hill's declaration of dependence is founded on an arrangement struck in 1468 between King Christian I of Denmark/Norway and Scotland's James III, whereby Christian ] to James in order to raise money for his daughter's dowry.<ref>http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page130.asp</ref>

Hill contends that as the loan was never repaid, and no other legal agreement ever put in place, the Shetlands remain in a constitutional limbo, and should properly enjoy the status of crown dependencies such as the ] or the ].

Hill's announcement coincided with an actual legal challenge by ] to the British Crown Estate's control over the seabed surrounding the islands. {{Or|date=June 2008}}

Hill is quoted in one British media report as saying "''It's all jolly good fun,''" and that, "''Every pensioner should do something like this.''"<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2157245/Captain-Calamity-to-create-new-state-in-Shetland-islands.html</ref>.

However, he has also stated that, "''People have to realise that this is not just a whim, something I am doing to amuse myself. This is a serious endeavour to change things here in Shetland, to have a better democracy which will ripple out to the rest of the world, because it is sorely needed. There has been absolutely no response from the authorities so far. It has to come to a confrontation at some point, whether that be physical or in the courts. I am ready when they are.''"<ref>http://www.shetland-news.co.uk/news_06_2008/Hill%20Im%20ready%20when%20they%20are.htm</ref>

== Letter to Queen Elizabeth II ==

On ] ] Hill wrote a letter<ref>http://www.forvik.co.uk/080623lettertoqueen.doc</ref> to ] recognizing her as Forvik's ], with the same powers as assigned to ] of Scotland at the time of the pawning of Shetland in 1469, and explaining the constitutional basis for his doing so.

Hill further stated that, "''As absolute owner of Forvik and as provided for in the ], I humbly offer my services to your Majesty as Steward of this, probably the smallest of your territories outside the United Kingdom.''"

To date Hill has not reported a response from Her Majesty.

== Response from United Kingdom Government ==

On ] ] a United Kingdom ] spokeswoman in London when asked about Mr Hill's forthcoming Declaration of Dependence, replied that, "''Under the UK constitution, Forvik is part of the Shetland Islands, which is subject to UK legislation. The people of Shetland pay taxes to the United Kingdom exchequer and elect MPs to the UK parliament. Forvik is an integral part of the UK.''"<ref>http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2008/06/20/captain-calamity/</ref>

== Response from Shetland Islands Government ==

] Convenor Sandy Cluness, who has been active in promoting greater local autonomy for Shetland, has not dismissed Mr Hill's actions out of hand, being quoted as saying on ] ] that official bodies would, "''wait and see how this one goes.''"

Further Cluness stated that, "'' raises interest in the question of what Shetland's status should be, as is his intention. Many Shetlanders would be quite interested to see whether this has any impact on views in relation to greater autonomy for the isles. From time to time, it has been the council's policy that we could provide a better service if we had greater control of our own resources. From that point of view he is spot on.''"<ref>http://www.shetland-news.co.uk/news_06_2008/Hill%20Im%20ready%20when%20they%20are.htm</ref>

On ] ] a letter to the ] was published (apparently from ] employee, Guy Nightingale) in which he mocked Mr Hill including the of Mr Hill in ], referred to him as "''a King caught half way between a bucket of ridicule and a bucket of excrement''", and appeared to make a veiled threat regarding debt collection (related to Mr Hill's recent refusal to pay ] to ]<ref>http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2008/07/25/forvik-wins-some-local-backing-as-trio-snap-up-plots-of-land-and-voting-rights/#more-511984</ref>): "''If I see him again I am going to report my sighting to “”, get a cut of his debt collection fee and become a Shetland bounty hunter!''".<ref>http://shetland-news.co.uk/letters_08_2008/The%20King%20spotted%20in%20Sandness.htm</ref>

==Citizenship==
Hill is accepting Forvik citizenship applications; ''land-owning citizenship'' (Shetland Islands residents only) which includes a one square metre plot of land, and ''honorary citizenship'' which doesn't but is open to non-Shetlanders. Both types of citizen will pay an annual skat (tax) of one Forvik ] per year.<ref>http://www.forvik.com</ref>

Land-owning citizens will be entitled to vote and participate in the island's open direct democracy system and will decide how the island's income is spent and what projects are undertaken. For each plot of land sold, Hill states that one Gulde will be placed in a holding account until all 8,000 plots are sold. This money is to be held for a purpose to be disclosed at a later stage, but stated as "''to the benefit of the Shetland Islands population as a whole.''"<ref>http://www.forvik.com</ref>

Local experts speculate that 8,000 plots is a deliberately chosen number, related to the 8,000 Florins of the Rhine for which Shetland was pawned to James III of Scotland by Christian I of Denmark in 1469. Mr Hill has neither confirmed or denied any connection. No person or their immediate family is permitted to own more than twenty plots. Votes are one per person, but shares in future Forvik profits are to be apportioned per plot.

An ''honorary citizen'' is a non-land owning, non-voting citizen, but who is entitled to a share in the island’s future income. Applications are open to "suitable persons" from anywhere in the world.

==Oil Exploration==

On ] ] Hill began inviting companies with a ''"proven track record"'' to bid for oil exploration rights in Forvik Island's territorial waters.

Hill that Forvik's territorial waters cover an area bounded:

{{coor dms|60|19|28|N|01|39|85|W|}}
{{coor dms|60|18|97|N|01|40|4|W|}}
{{coor dms|60|18|80|N|01|39|23|W|}}
{{coor dms|60|19|12|N|01|39|81|W|}}

In an on the same day Hill stated his claim to the seabed while up to the 200-mile limit (or to the median line between Forvik and other states) would likely exclude the corridor 200 miles west of Shetland because Shetland’s rights from Papa Stour and the west of Sandness would occlude Forvik's rights.

''"Even so, the piece of seabed that I am claiming is certainly large enough to put an oil rig on. It has long been rumoured that Shetland is sitting on a basin of oil and as oil discoveries continue to be made ever closer to Shetland’s shores, this would appear to be confirmed,"'' continued Hill.

He elaborated in a that: ''"The waters around Shetland belong to Shetland and I think the British government will find it very difficult to prove that they have any rights which would enable them to licence the oil companies. Making this offer is a direct challenge to the UK government. I will be delighted if and when oil companies contact me for those exploration rights."''

==References==
{{reflist}}
* , by Urmee Khan, The Daily Telegraph, 19 June, 2008
* by Neil Riddell, The Shetland Times, 20 June, 2008
* Satirical site purporting to represent the island's "real owners"

==External links==
* official website

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