The Aerican Empire (conventionally referred to in short form as Aerica) is a micronation founded in May 1987, which has no sovereign territory of its own and has never been recognized by any other sovereign state as existing. The name is cultured from the term "American Empire". In 2000 The New York Times described its website as "one of the more imaginative" micronation sites. As with most micronations, the number of members (citizens) has fluctuated wildly with time. In May 2009, it was reported to exceed 400 people.