Moosylvania is a

fictional island Below is a list of islands that have been invented for films, literature, television, or other media. A * The Abarat: 25 islands in an archipelago, one for each hour and one for all the hours, from the series '' The Books of Abarat'' by Clive ...

located in the Lake of the Woods along the Canada–United States border that served as a plot device in ''

The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show ''The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends'' (commonly referred to as simply ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'') is an American animated television series that originally aired from November 19, 1959, to June 27, 1964, on the ABC and NBC te ...

''. The island has no permanent population, and conditions are said to be harsh and unpleasant. The island is in a state of ''

terra nullius ''Terra nullius'' (, plural ''terrae nullius'') is a Latin expression meaning " nobody's land". It was a principle sometimes used in international law to justify claims that territory may be acquired by a state's occupation of it. : : ...

'', since neither

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

nor the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

wants to claim the land and each country says it belongs to the other. (See

Bir Tawil ( arz, بير طويل, translit=Bīr Ṭawīl, lit=tall water well, ) is a area of land along the border between Egypt and Sudan, which is uninhabited and claimed by neither country. When spoken of in association with the neighbouring Halaib ...

for a similar real-life example of this.) Bullwinkle J. Moose serves as Moosylvania's presumed namesake and its governor but only stays two weeks at a time, since (according to Bullwinkle) "after two weeks here, anyplace else in the ''world'' feels like Heaven!" In the series finale "Moosylvania Saved,"

Fearless Leader Fearless Leader is the main antagonist in the 1959–1964 animated television series '' Rocky and His Friends'' and ''The Bullwinkle Show'', both shows often collectively referred to as ''The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show''. He is the employer of ...

, the head of state of the Eastern European state of Pottsylvania, attempts to destroy Moosylvania. The plot is foiled when Bullwinkle, who was going to go down with his sinking country, asked Rocky for a stick of gum, which inspired

Rocky the Flying Squirrel Rocket "Rocky" J. Squirrel, also known as Rocky the Flying Squirrel, is a fictional character and one of the two male protagonists of the 1959–1964 animated series ''Rocky and His Friends'' and ''The Bullwinkle Show'' (both shows often referr ...

to raise up Moosylvania with bubble gum balloons. The plan worked and Moosylvania was saved, giving the series a happy ending. In the fall of 1962,

Jay Ward Joseph Ward Cohen Jr. (September 20, 1920 – October 12, 1989), also known as Jay Ward, was an American creator and producer of animated TV cartoon shows. He produced animated series based on such characters as Crusader Rabbit, Rocky & Bu ...

, producer of the ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'' show, decided to campaign for statehood for Moosylvania. Ward sent Skip Craig to

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

to buy an island in Lake of the Woods. Craig wasn't able to find one for sale on the U.S. side of the lake (most of the islands in that lake belong to Canada), but managed to lease one for three years. Ward and publicist Howard Brandy conducted a cross-country tour in a decorated van, gathering signatures on a petition for statehood for Moosylvania. While in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, they sought an audience with President

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...

. However, they arrived at the White House on the very day the Cuban Missile Crisis broke, and were ordered to leave. A national anthem for Moosylvania was included on the mini-album ''A Salute to Moosylvania!! Recorded Live at the Moosylvania Jazz Festival'', self-released by Jay Ward in 1962.Listen to the entire album o
The Moosylvania Jazz Festival
(a Jay Ward production)

References

{{The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends Fictional locations in North America Fictional islands The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends Micronations in the United States Lake of the Woods