Between the date farms of California’s Coachela Valley and the Mexican border, a strip of sunburned desert the color of spent khakis stretches as far as the eye can see. This arid no man’s land is dotted with two-foot tall bushes and spiky branches. The air vibrates with the constant hissing of insects. And shining in the distance, there is a submarine.
It is the Republic of Slowjamastan, the newest micronation in the world. Scattered across four and a half acres that unspool like a long ballad, this wasteland occupies territory that drivers would typically pass by without a second glance.
However, just enter and the real world disappears. In this “country”, Crocs (popular plastic sneakers) are constitutionally banned. It is prohibited by law to send an email to multiple recipients. Speeding is allowed, but only if you are in a hurry to get tacos home. The national animal is the raccoon.
At the center of it all is Randy Williams, also known as the “Sultan of Slowjamastan.” When he’s not exerting his dominion over coyotes, iguanas and the approximately 25,000 “citizens” who call this desert dictatorship their home, he is the programming director of San Diego radio stations Z90 and Magic 92.5, where he is known by his airwaves nickname “R Dub.”
Since 1994, he has also been the host of the Sunday Night Slow Jams radio show (music with rhythm and blues and soul influences), which is broadcast on more than 250 stations worldwide.
Williams, a passionate traveler, spent years on a mission to visit every country recognized by the United Nations. By 2020, he only had one left. It was when the world went into lockdown.
Locked down, like everyone else during the global pandemic, Williams was restless. There was too much time and nowhere to go, but his mind continued to fly at jet speed. That’s when it occurred to him: “If I can’t visit another country, why not create one?”
How to become a fake dictator
“As a child, I liked doing creative things, whether it was writing or drawing or taking photos or school projects. So this seemed like the best thing to me,” the sultan told me during a visit to the consulate (his office at the radio station), where he has a collection of propaganda from current dictatorships around the world. “I could focus all my creative energy on it.”
He called his best friend, Mark Corona, to explain what he had in mind. Corona simply laughed. “The only thing I could think of was an episode of Family Guy (a satirical animated series) where Peter (the protagonist) creates his own country, Petoria,” Corona said. “I rolled my eyes, like, ‘Well, buddy. Where will this country be? In your house?'”
Williams persisted, doing a search on a real estate site with a list of requirements. The territory needed to be larger than 5 acres, accessible by a paved road and within easy driving distance of their home in San Diego. A single batch appeared. It was an undeveloped sandy plot of bushes and rocks listed for $19,500.
“It was love at first sight,” Williams said. He bought the land in 2021.
Williams commissioned Corona to pick up a presidential-looking desk and transport it to Southern California.
They unloaded it in the middle of the desert property and began demarcating their territory, posting signs on California State Highway 78 proclaiming their new nation: “Republic of Slowjamastan,” a name William initially proposed as a joke and which stuck.
It didn’t take the authorities long to catch on. The signs received a fine for being too close to the road. Williams relocated them slightly to comply with county rules while still proudly proclaiming their new micronation.
“People were driving by wondering what the hell was going on,” Corona said. “They probably thought we were terrorists, and I think that added fuel to the fire. It brought us a lot more attention.”
But the road signs were just the beginning. First came a makeshift border post. Then flags and passports. Before long, the Republic of Slowjamastan began to look like a real country.
“I suddenly found myself buying a police cruiser and coins and immigration booths,” Williams said.
Williams proclaimed himself sultan and began dressing accordingly, with sunglasses, pressed uniforms and detailed ornamentation that he acknowledges is similar to the histrionic military style of totalitarian leader Muammar Gaddafi.
In that role, the sultan’s voice changes to what he calls “AGE” – the accent of a foreign general – complete with elongated vowels, the “th” of English replaced by “z” and the “r” as if they were double R’s.
Five years later, Slowjamastan issues passports for travelers interested in becoming unofficial citizens, issues its own currency, and holds flag-raising.
The territory is divided into states, which include Dublândia, Bucksylvania and Kingdom of Hotdamnastan. The sultan even wrote a national anthem: Slowjamastan (I Think It’s Going to Be an Awesome Place)which translates “Slowjamastan: I think it’s going to be a great place”, and is sung to the rhythm of the Elton John song rocket man.
For those who want to formalize their ties, there are honorary titles available.
“Maybe you’re a guy in North Carolina and you want to give your LinkedIn a lot more power,” Williams explained. “You can make up a title, pay a small fee and – presto! – you’re a member of Parliament.”
Although positions within the dictatorship have a price – ambassadors pay US$10-25 a month – citizenship is open and free for all. Currently, the micronation has 25,000 “citizens” from 120 countries, which is much more than some recognized nations, including Vatican City, Tuvalu and Palau.
While many only engage with Slowjamastan from afar through their sarcastic posts on the micronation’s social media, the community also gathers in person.
Ceremonies, such as the launching of the nation’s first sea vessel, a decommissioned submarine called the SS Badassin designed to “protect the territory from any piracy,” are open to all. However, full citizenship – acquired through a simple online application – connects people to the broader experience.
The ultimate escape
According to the sultan, people choose to be Slowjamistans for different reasons. Some out of curiosity. Others have fun. Some are simply looking for a respite from the rest of the world.
“I don’t have to remind you how divisive everything is,” the sultan said. “Every time you open Facebook, people are losing friends and family over politics. It’s gotten very bad. Slowjamastan offers an escape from all that. Aside from our politics, we ban all discussion of politics.”
At a time when a growing number of Americans are becoming increasingly frustrated by their nation’s politics and exploring other passports, Williams points out that American citizens make up almost 50% of the people of Slowjamastan.
The sultan framed the country’s growth in global rather than political terms; A recent surge in applications from Bangladesh is evidence that Slowjamastan’s appeal “knows no boundaries,” he declared.
Stephanies Heddon first heard about Slowjamastan when a contestant on the TV game show Jeopardy! mentioned the country. He then sought out Williams at The Long Beach Travel and Adventure Show.
“I just wanted to thank the sultan for the joy he has brought to my life,” said Heddon, who is now a citizen.
For her, that joy comes from interacting with the micronation’s frequent social media posts, ranging from humorous reminders of the country’s unique laws to new citizens proudly displaying their Slowjamastan passports.
“Everything about that makes me happy. And I think the thousands upon thousands of SlowJamastans would agree. This is a very difficult time for all of us (in the US), but here’s something to be happy about.”
From the desert to the world stage
It is estimated that there are hundreds of micronations in the world. Some are perched in the middle of international waters, others are located in quiet suburbs.
Next year, Slowjamastan will host MicroCon2027, a congregation of micronations.
Delegates from more than 43 self-proclaimed states, from the Bomber Republic to Dragon Island, will meet to discuss topics ranging from geopolitical sovereignty to the creation of a national shield.
As the event’s website details: “It’s ‘cosplay’ meets statecraft.”
While the sultan claims that visitors are welcome to the desert territory of Slowjamastan, it currently has no places to provide overnight accommodations (although it does have an advertisement of a jet on a runway with Williams waving with this message: “Randy Williams International Airport is almost there”).
Because of this, MicroCon2027 will be held on the top floor of a skyscraper in San Diego.
For Williams, the micronation has always been about travel. Highlighted a recent message from a citizen in Uzbekistan. “I told him, ‘Hey, I’ve been to your country,’ and I showed him a photo. Just like that, I connect instantly,” he said.
He hopes Slowjamastan will build on that same feeling, a place that, however unconventional, people from all over the world can interact with and eventually visit.
In May 2023, Williams was finally able to go to the last country he was missing, Turkmenistan, completing the mission he had started years ago. By then, Solwjamastan was no longer a substitute to fill that void, but something that began to take shape at the same time, another way to connect with people across cultures and borders.
“Slowjamastan does not belong to me,” he said, before pausing and correcting himself. “Well, yes I am a dictator. But it really belongs to everyone. It means something different to each individual.”
