Many may have thought it was an April Fool’s joke, but the people of Užupis were (somewhat) serious when they declared themselves an independent republic on April 1, 2000. Užupis means “on the other side of a river” which refers to the Vilnia River that borders the district. There are many artists and writers in this area of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, so they may have been tapping into their creative juices when they wrote their constitution.

Some of the more quirkier terms of the document state:

Everyone has the right to live by the River Vilnelė, while the River Vilnelė has the right to flow by everyone.
Everyone has the right to love and take care of a cat.
Everyone has the right to look after a dog till one or the other dies.
A dog has the right to be a dog.
A cat is not obliged to love its master, but it must help him in difficult times.
Everyone has the right to sometimes be unaware of his duties.