Man Creates His Own Country and Declares Himself the Sultan After Visiting Every Other Country in the World 

A California man has spent years trying to visit every country in the world. Once he ran out of countries, he decided to create his own. Randy "R Dub" Williams is a San Diego slow-jams DJ who styles himself the sultan of "Slowjamistan," which is what he calls the 11.07-acre plot of land he purchased in the arid California desert. Read on to learn how he got the idea, the political system of the country, bizarre laws, and its diplomatic implications.

Williams purchased the land when he realized he only had one more country left to visit, CNN reported. He officially declared the area's independence from the United States on December 1, 2021, broadcasting the secession live from Dublândia, the capital of the Republic of Slowjamastan.

​​Williams was inspired to create his own country after visiting various "micronations"—self-declared territories—while traveling. In August 2021, Williams visited the Republic of Molossia, an 11.3-acre micronation in Nevada that declared independence from U.S. in 1998.

He was given a tour by "His Excellency President Kevin Baugh." He learned about Molossia's ongoing "war" with now-defunct East Germany and how the local currency (the "valora") is backed by chocolate chip cookie dough instead of gold.

In October 2021, Williams purchased a plot of land for $19,000 and, by December, had declared Slowjamastan's independence. "We're a dictatorship most of the time," Williams told CNN.

"On occasion, we'll hold special voting ceremonies and referendums. Recently, I allowed citizens to vote on what should be our national fruit, sport, and even what our national animal should be named."  

There is also a random list of prohibitions visitors must follow or risk banishment from Slowjamastan. They include Crocs sandals, "mumble rap," and "people who put their feet on the dashboard." 

Williams is known to pose for photos wearing his green sultan's uniform, which is laden with fake military medals. People can apply for citizenship and cabinet positions on the Slowjamistan website. Thousands of applications have been submitted.

Tourists take selfies in front of the Slowjamastan sign, visit Independence Square, and search for the elusive Slowjamastan raccoon, the national animal, CNN reports. Williams says the whole venture is his way of spotlighting the absurdities found in politics and dictatorships. 

Williams says he is working to establish diplomatic relations with other countries. He's had his Slowjamastan passport stamped by 16 countries while traveling, including South Africa, New Zealand, Vanuatu, and the U.S.

He said he's still waiting to hear back from the White House about his declaration of independence. "I'm a little frustrated to admit that, despite emails and DMs to President Biden on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and MySpace, our messages have all been left unread," Williams told CNN. "Perhaps they are stuck in his spam folder. We're going with that."