Montage space: Borderlands, micronations, terra nullius, and the imperialism of the geographical imagination

This article extends work in human geography on thinking space relationally and topological space, arguing for a relational conceptualization of that employs montage small seemingly confined spaces to tell big stories. Empirically it explores micronation projected onto watery western Balkan no-man's [sic] land reveals an exploitation history underpins perceptions the southeast European peninsula. Liberland is new right-libertarian unofficial country claims disputed tract middle Danube riverbank contested riverine borderscape between Croatia Serbia, where fantasy emptiness terra nullius reappears imperial present. The hackneyed performances self-proclaimed micronations undertake legitimize themselves are placed alongside story regional cultural landscape more-than-human geographies this fluvial political–ecological borderland order undermine alt-right libertarianism, Balkanism, imperialism.