Top 10 Smallest Countries in the World

There are many countries in the world, but we list the smallest countries here. Our source on these comes from the published by the Countryaah. Please note half of these countries are from Europe. The other half are from Oceania, Asia, and America as listed on Abbreviationfinder.

  1. Malta

Malta is located in southern Europe, and is Europe’s southernmost country. The capital is Valletta. Malta consists of seven islands, of which the three largest are populated: Malta, Gozo and Comino. The country is located 333 km northeast of Tunisia and 93 km south of Sicily.

Malta

In 1921, Malta gained limited autonomy. In 2004, Malta became a member of the European Union. Malta is a parliamentary republic and the current president, since April 4, 2014, is Marie Louise Coleiro Preca. Coleiro Preca is the youngest president Malta has ever had and she belongs to the Social Democratic Party Partit Laburista.

The country has two national languages ​​English and Maltese. 98% of the country’s population is Roman Catholic. The entire area of ​​the country is a total of 316 km² and the population is approximately 430,000.

  1. Maldives

The Maldives is an island nation in the northern Indian Ocean that consists of 26 atolls. Of which 200 of the entire 1152 islands are inhabited. Located 700 km south-west of Sri Lanka and 400 km south-west of India. The capital Malé is located on the main island of the same name.

The country is a popular destination thanks to its chalk-white beaches, turquoise waters and relaxing environment. The Maldives is also a popular destination for many couples who choose to travel here on their honeymoon.

Maldives

From 1887 the country was a British protectorate but in 1965 the country became an autonomy. The Maldives is a republic where the president is also the head of government, the president is elected for five-year terms.

The official language of the country is dhivehi but English is used more and more in school and trade. The state religion of the Maldives is Sunni Muslim and no other religions are allowed. The population is approximately 390,000 and the country’s area is 298 km².

  1. Saint Kitts and Nevis / Saint Christopher and Nevis

The country is located in the Caribbean, North America and consists of two volcanic islands. The main island of Saint Kitts with its 168 km² and Nevis of 93 km². The islands are separated by a 3km wide strait called The Narrows. The capital Basseterre is located on the largest island of Saint Kitts.

The British settled on the islands as early as 1423 and in 1967 the country gained autonomy. The country is an autonomous state since 1983 and in 1998 a referendum was held on Nevis to become independent from Saint Kitts, which did not happen. The country is a British Commonwealth and Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state in the country.

Saint Kitts and Nevis

English is spoken here as the official language and only about 52,000 live in the country at 261 km².

  1. Marshall Islands

In the micronesia in the Pacific Ocean are the approximately 1152 islands that make up the Marshall Islands, the 1152 islands are distributed over 29 atolls and 2 archipelagos, the Ralik Islands in the west with 15 atolls and the Ratak islands with 14 atolls. The islands consist of coral lime and sand. The largest main islands have all been formed from coral reefs that grew up under underwater volcanoes, and no point on the islands is higher than 10m above sea level. The islands are often hit by hurricanes and tidal waves.

Marshall Islands

On two of the larger atolls, Bikini and Enewatak, the United States carried out nuclear tests in 1946-1958, which suffered enormous damage, and the clearing work in the Bikini Atoll Lagoon is still ongoing after these nuclear tests. Even today, the residents demand compensation after the 66 test explosions that were made on the atolls.

The islands have been populated since about 2000 BC, but the islands were named in 1788 by the British explorer John Marshall. The country gained its autonomy in 1979, and in 1986 it became an independent state after being ruled by the United States for over 40 years. The Marshall Islands is a parliamentary presidential system where all citizens over the age of 18 can vote and the president is elected for four-year terms.

Here, agriculture and fishing are two important sources of income, but the tourism industry, with which 10% of the population works, is the country’s largest source of income.

The country has two official languages, English and Marshallese. The entire country’s area is 181 km², and today about 73,000 people live here.

  1. Liechtenstein

The constitutional monarchy (monarchy with very limited powers, like Sweden) Liechtenstein is located in the Alps between Switzerland and Austria and is one of the smallest countries in Europe. The official language is German. The banking and finance sector is of great importance to the country, as is neighboring Switzerland. It has long been a popular tax haven thanks to the low tax and in 2011 an information exchange agreement was signed with Sweden.

Liechtenstein

The country was neutral during both the First and Second World Wars and disarmed the military as early as 1868. Female suffrage was introduced in 1984. The Liechtenstein Parliament, made up of 25 representatives, is elected by the people every four years. It is a Council of Ministers of 5 people who are responsible for daily political events. The country is a so-called constitutional monarchy with a head of state (prince). The prince still has a lot of power in the country and can, among other things, veto new laws, ie stop laws.

The country has a total area of ​​160 km², and the country’s population is estimated at about 37,600 people.

  1. San Marino

The Republic of San Marino is located on the Apennine Peninsula in southern Europe and is completely surrounded by Italy. The country belongs to one of the smallest countries in Europe and the residents are called sanmarinier. The capital has the same name as the country of San Marino and here is the official Italian language.

San Marino

San Marino was founded in 300 when Saint Marinus of Rab fled from the Roman emperor. During the Middle Ages in Italy there were many city-states and San Marino is the only one left today. The country is still in monetary union with Italy and therefore has the euro as its currency. There are no railways or airports here, but the country has a helicopter pad.

The state of San Marino is unique in its kind, two heads of state are in office at the same time and the two are elected by the government for 6-month periods. These elections for the post of Head of State take place on 1 April and 1 October each year.

The country is incredibly small at only 61 km², and about 33,000 live in the country.

  1. Tuvalu

Is a small country in Polynesia in the southwest Pacific. Here the official languages ​​are English and Tuvalu, and the country is a parliamentary monarchy within the British Commonwealth and thus has the same queen as Britain, Elizabeth II. The country has been discussing since 1992 to become a rebate.

Tuvalu

The country consists of 6 coral atolls and 3 coral islands, the 3 largest being Vaitupu, Nanumea and Nukufetau. The main customs is called Funafuti and here is the capital of the same name. The name Tuvalu comes from the word Tuvalu which means group of eight and refers to the fact that 8 of the 9 atolls were originally inhabited.

In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract in which it leased its.tv top-level domain for $ 50 million for 12 years.

The country is home to about 11,000 people and the entire area of ​​the country is 26 km².

  1. Nauru

The Republic of Nauru is the world’s smallest independent republic and consists of an island in the Pacific Ocean, it is the world’s third smallest country, and the country outside Europe that is the smallest. Nauru is a coral island of volcanic origin, the coral base on which Nauru is located runs about 2000 meters below sea level and the highest point Command Ridge today reaches about 71 m above sea level. The capital is called Yaren and the country has two official languages, English and Naurian.

Nauru

The country has previously been rich thanks to its phosphate deposits that were exported around the world as fertilizer. Now, however, these resources are almost depleted and the future is uncertain. During the 1990s, the country tried to act as a tax haven to attract revenue, but the attempts were stopped in July 2004.

The country has the highest number of overweight people in the world, as many as 97% of men and 93% of women are overweight or morbidly obese and 40% of the population suffers from diabetes, even the highest in the world.

In 1968, Nauru became independent from Australia and in 1999 a member of the United Nations.

The country is the third smallest in the world and only 21 km² large but has a population of about 9500.

  1. Monaco

Located in the south of France, Europe, is the small constitutional monarchy of Monaco. Monaco is located right on the French Riviera, the Mediterranean and the general prosperity of the country is good. The country is the most densely populated country in the world with an area of ​​2.02 km² and about 37,000 residents. The country is the world’s second smallest in area.

The Grimaldi family has ruled here since 1297 and the current prince is named Albert II. The country has been ruled as a constitutional monarchy since 1911 where the prince is head of state. The Legislative Council is governed by a Prime Minister who governs a government of 4 people.

Monaco

The official language is French but Italian, English and Monegasque are also spoken. The currency in the country is the euro but the country is not in the EU.

The country has no income tax, low taxes for companies and is known for being a tax haven. The capital is named just like the country, Monaco.

One of Monaco’s main industries is tourism, the country is known for its beautiful weather, its casino (Monte Carlo) and the lifestyle and aura that surrounds the country. The prestigious Monte Carlo Rally race has also been held here since 1911, long known for being one of the most prestigious and toughest races. Monaco is also known for its Formula 1 race Monaco Grand Prix which today is the only race that is run entirely on public roads.

  1. Vatican City State

Vatican City is an independent city-state located in Rome, Italy. The name comes from the Vatican Mountains in Rome and in 1984 the Vatican City, the country’s capital, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Here the official languages ​​are Italian and Latin.

Vatican City

The country was established in 1929 by the Lateran Treaty, which gave the pope and the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church independence from the Italian kingdom after many years of conflict. The pope is the supreme leader of the Church and represents the Holy See, a legal entity separate from the Vatican City State. Through the Holy See, the Church establishes its diplomatic relations with other states and international organizations.

The country is an absolute monarchy and is ruled by the pope, the supreme leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The country’s income comes from sales to tourists, admission to the Vatican Museum and sales of various writings. The country is not a member of the EU but has the euro as its currency.

The country is by far the smallest in the world with an area of ​​only 0.44 km² and here live about 800 people of which 450 are citizens. The number of residents per km 18 is 1818, which makes the country the seventh most densely populated in the world.

European Political System by Country

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