The world in which we live has more than 200 countries and they vary in the number of residents who stay in them and the total area that they cover. Using the word country does not necessarily mean that the place which is referred to is a large place in area and has massive number of residents that are difficult to be counted or estimated. There are small countries that are less than 400 km2 and the total population that they have does not even reach half million people. You may think that these small countries are unknown and are located away from the places in which we live to be hardly visited or reached, but in fact this is not true as some of these small countries are among the most visited countries in the world and have many famous sites and attractions to be visited by tourists. To discover more about these small countries, their total area and the number of residents that they have, let’s take a look at the following top 10 smallest countries in the world which are ranked on the basis of the area that they cover.
10. Malta – 316 km2
It is a European island country that is not just one of the smallest countries in the world, but it is also one of the most densely populated countries since it has a total population of about 446,547 people. The capital city of Malta is Valetta and it is also the smallest capital in the European Union as it covers just 0.8km2.
9. Maldives – 298 km2
It is an island nation that is also called Maldive Islands and its capital city is Malé. It is located in the Indian Ocean-Arabian Sea area and its population is estimated to be approximately 393,500 people. Maldives is considered to be the smallest Asian country not just by land area, but also by population. By 2019, Maldives is going to be a carbon-neutral country.
8. Saint Kitts and Nevis – 261 km2
It is officially called the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis and it is situated in the Leeward Islands. The capital city of Saint Kitts and Nevis is Basseterre and the total population of the country is estimated to be 51,538 people which makes the country the smallest sovereign state in the America not just by population, but also by area.
7. Marshall Islands – 181 km2
It is an island country that is officially known as the Republic of the Marshall Islands and is located in the northern Pacific Ocean. The capital city of the country is Majuro which is the most populous atoll. The total population that the country has is estimated to be nearly 68,400 people.
6. Lichtenstein – 160 km2
It is a doubly landlocked alpine country and microstate that is located in Central Europe. It is officially called the Principality of Liechtenstein and its capital city is Vaduz. The country has a total population of about 37,132 people, has the world’s highest gross domestic product per person which is estimated to be approximately $98,432 and the lowest unemployment rate which is estimated to be just 1.5%.
It is an enclaved microstate that is officially called the Republic of San Marino. It is located on the Italian Peninsula and its capital city is the City of San Marino. The total population of the country is estimated to be around 32,576 people and this is why it is the smallest one among all the members of the Council of Europe in terms of population.
It is a Polynesian island nation that was formerly called the Ellice Islands. It is located in the Pacific Ocean and its capital city is Funafuti. Tuvalu has a total population of about 10,837 people to be ranked as the 3rd least populous sovereign state in the whole world and is also the 4th smallest country in the world as it covers 26 km2.
It is an island country that was formerly known as the Pleasant Island and is officially called the Republic of Nauru. The country is located in Micronesia in the South Pacific and covers 21 km2 area to be the smallest state in the South Pacific. The total population of Nauru is estimated to be around 9,378 residents making the state the 2nd smallest one in the world by population. The capital city of Nauru is Yaren.
It is a sovereign city-state and microstate that is officially known as the Principality of Monaco. It is located on the French Riviera in Western Europe and it has a total population of 36,371 residents to be the most densely populated country in the world. It is also the 2nd smallest country in the world since it covers an area of 2.02 km2.
1. Vatican City – 0.44 km2
It is a walled enclave that is located in the city of Rome and is officially referred to as the Vatican City State. It covers an area of about 0.44 km2 (44 hectares) and has a total population of approximately 842 residents to be the smallest independent city in the world by population and area. Vatican City is ruled by the Bishop of Rome and has several cultural sites such as the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica in addition to some of the most famous sculptures and paintings in the world.
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