September 3

Of the 232 recognized nations on Earth, there are only four countries physically smaller than the Most Serene Republic of San Marino[i]. Marinus of Rab, a Christian stonemason, fled the persecution he encountered and ended up in the Italian town of Monte Titano where he built a church. On the 3rd in 301, this town would become the republic of San Marino. Marinus died in 366 and would be elevated to sainthood shortly after his death. Today, San Marino is the oldest republic in existence, and the nation with one of the oldest constitutions, which was originally adopted in the early seventh century. Its ranking as the fifth smallest nation fails to take into consideration the many micro-nations that have declared their independence. Some of these nations, like Sea-Land, whose dominion is limited to an abandoned offshore drilling platform, take their independence and autonomy quite seriously. They issue passports, postage stamps and put on a very good front of being an actual nation. Nations bearing names like Terre d’Riches and the Commonwealth of Cyberia prove that not everyone has lost their sense of humor. Taking into account the current state of affairs in world travel, I think that you might want to consider not crossing an international border with a passport issued by the Purple Bunny Federation.
[i] They are in ascending order: Vatican City, Monaco, Nauru, and Tuval