[JoeAltmaier]

Its exists, and has something to do with who 'recognizes' a country's claim to exist. There's a cool case in Australia where a guy with a large ranch wrote a letter to the territorial governor, styling himself as the leader of his fictitious nation. The governor responded in kind, maybe tongue in cheek, but using the same title. That meant, as Queen's representative, that the Queen had recognized him. Now he has a post office, currency, stamps etc, and Australia has to deal with him on that basis.