21-year-old Gen Z creates 'his own country' with a unique flag and passport. You could live here too

"Terra nullius” is a Latin concept translating to "nobody's land" that European powers used to colonize countries like Australia and India. In the new age, 21-year-old Daniel Jackson (@danieljacksonvs) has used the same concept to claim ownership of Verdis, a 0.2-mile-square piece of forested land sandwiched between Croatia and Serbia, nestling along the Danube River in Southeast Europe. Jackson declared independence for this little new country on May 30, 2019, and has now declared himself the president, according to his Instagram and a February 2026 report by ABC News.

A country for Gen Z by Gen Z

Jackson discovered this unclaimed piece of land, nicknamed “Pocket 3,” as a 14-year-old. "This piece of land was unclaimed, as neither Croatia nor Serbia wanted it," he shared. What started as a lighthearted project is now a full-fledged political matter. Jackson now works as the president of this micronation. “To the naked eye, it is just a lot of forest, but when you realize that you are in a country you have created, it is magical,” he described. Verdis, the word comes from the Latin word “viridis” for “green,” and is the world’s smallest country after Vatican City.

'We have to be careful who we let in'

Now, Verdis has its own flag, a government, a constitution, embassies, currency, and nearly 400 citizens, mostly Gen Z. “It is a very small country, so we have to be careful who we let in,” Jackson said, per the New York Post. For those interested in applying for Verdisian citizenship, the best way is to participate in its 11-month E-residency program. “When it comes to approving people, we look for in-demand skill sets such as experience in medicine or policing,” he added. 

Jackson also conducted an art and architecture competition to invite artists to visualize the country in 2D and 3D. The official languages of Verdis are English, Croatian, and Serbian, and the currency is the euro. To date, the Verdisian government includes a foreign minister and an internal affairs minister. Jackson also visited the United Nations headquarters, intending to boost international relations.

Conflict with Croatian authorities

While Croatia didn't claim this piece of land, it considers anyone trying to settle there as illegal and an encroachment on its border security. On 11 October 2023, Jackson and a group of supporters were permanently banned from Croatia. “They said we were a threat to homeland security,” Jackson described. "We have had a lot of problems with Croatian authorities, but we do want a good relationship with them in the future," he said.

Still in its infancy

According to the London School of Economics and Political Science, the four conditions a country needs to achieve statehood are “a settled population, a defined territory, government, and the ability to enter into relations with other states,” originally set out in the 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States. While the Free Republic of Verdis meets three requirements, it still needs to have a permanently settled population. It has citizens, but most of them are online supporters. According to the country’s official website, it currently has 4,000-plus e-residents, eight ministries, and 124 acres of forestland.

President living in exile

At the moment, the Verdisian president is “living in exile” in the UK. He pays himself a wage derived from crowdfunding, income from residency fees, and cryptocurrency meme coin sales. “I am not interested in power at all,” Jackson says, “I just want to be a normal citizen. It has been eye-opening, and I am quite proud of what I have achieved.” The young leader is hopeful that Verdis will be recognized in the years to come. He says, "There are also a number of people who want to start sports teams.”

You can follow Daniel Jackson (@danieljacksonvs) on Instagram for updates and news.

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