Molossia (/moʊˈlɒsiə/), officially the Republic of Molossia, is a micronation claiming de facto sovereignty over 11.3 acres (4.6 ha; 46,000 m2) of land near Dayton, Nevada, United States.[1] The micronation has not received recognition from any of the 193 member states of the United Nations.[2][3][4][5] It was first conceived by Kevin Baugh in 1977, before its official creation in 1998. He continues to pay property taxes on the land to Storey County, the recognized local government, although he calls it "foreign aid". He has stated that, "We all want to think we have our own country, but you know the United States is a lot bigger".