Pacifica Radio is a small network of independent, listener-supported radio stations in the United States.
For most of its history, the organization was very loose, consisting mostly of arrangements to share programs with each other, but with no requirements that the stations use each other's material. During the 1990s, the Pacifica board attempted to centralize control. This led to years of conflict, including court cases, firings of station staff, and demonstrations. Many people who listened to the individual stations--especially KPFA in Berkeley, California and WBAI in New York City--felt a strong attachment to their stations, and objected to what they saw as an attempt to turn the stations into a copy of National Public Radio. The board eventually backed down.
The micronation of Pacifica was created by a small group of high school students living in the Portuguese city of Porto on June 12, 1998. Its effectiveness in the achievement of its main alleged objective - the promotion of Portuguese culture - remains unclear, as the only manifestation of Pacifica's existence to date is a website.
The Empire of Pacifica claims to be a "State of the World seeking recognition from the International Community". Its web page describes it as "primarily non-territorial", although there is no evidence to suggest that it possesses any territory at all. This specific point prevents Pacifica from being considered a state according to the generally accepted definition outlined in the Montevideo Convention. It is also not a state according to the constitutive theory of statehood, as it has not been recognised by other states.
Like other micronations, Pacifica has several ancillary features of a state, including a flag, a coat-of-arms, a national anthem, a constitution, a "declaration of independence", a motto ("By Serving Each Other and God...We Shall Be Free"), and a currency. The micronation was originally ruled by Manuel Correia da Fonseca as "His Magnanimous Imperial Majesty Dom Manuel I", and is Eduardo de Lagrenge as "His Imperial Majesty Dom Eduardo I."