
The 30 smallest countries
With only 0.44 km², the Vatican in the heart of Rome is by far the smallest country in the world. In second place is the city-state of Monaco on the French Mediterranean coast with 2.0 km².With third place it will be more difficult, because Gibraltar, which is also located in southern Europe, is a "country", depending on the definition, but not a sovereign state. If one only takes the sovereign states, Nauru and Tuvalu would follow next.
▼ Smallest countries by area
▼ Smallest countries by population
► List of the largest countries
The smallest countries by area
We have marked with an asterisk (explanation at the end of the page) all those countries that are not independent and sovereign states. In this table it is clearly noticeable that a significant part of the smallest "countries" is dependent on other states. A full 21 out of 30 countries are not independent states. After all, 7 of them are in Europe, 8 in the Caribbean. A full 21 are small island states.Rank | Country | Area | Population | Population per km² |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Holy See (Vatican City) | 0.4 km² | 1,000 | 2,272.73 |
2 | Monaco | 2.0 km² | 39,244 | 19,427.72 |
3 | Gibraltar * | 6.8 km² | 33,691 | 4,954.56 |
4 | Tokelau * | 12.2 km² | 1,647 | 135.00 |
5 | Cocos Islands * | 14.2 km² | 596 | 41.97 |
6 | Saint Barthelemy * | 21.0 km² | 7,116 | 338.86 |
7 | Nauru | 21.1 km² | 10,834 | 513.46 |
8 | Tuvalu | 26.0 km² | 11,792 | 453.54 |
9 | Macao * | 30.4 km² | 649,342 | 21,359.93 |
10 | Saint Martin * | 34.0 km² | 40,812 | 1,200.35 |
11 | Norfolk Island * | 34.6 km² | 1,748 | 50.52 |
12 | Pitcairn Islands * | 49.0 km² | 50 | 1.02 |
13 | Bermuda * | 53.2 km² | 63,903 | 1,201.18 |
14 | St. Martin * | 53.2 km² | 38,659 | 726.67 |
15 | San Marino | 61.2 km² | 33,938 | 554.63 |
16 | British Indian Ocean Territory * | 63.2 km² | 3,500 | 55.41 |
17 | Guernsey * | 78.0 km² | 67,334 | 863.26 |
18 | Anguilla * | 96.0 km² | 18,403 | 191.70 |
19 | Montserrat * | 102.0 km² | 5,387 | 52.81 |
20 | Jersey * | 119.6 km² | 101,476 | 848.46 |
21 | Christmas Island * | 135.0 km² | 2,205 | 16.33 |
22 | Wallis and Futuna * | 142.0 km² | 15,851 | 111.63 |
23 | British Virgin Islands * | 150.0 km² | 30,237 | 201.58 |
24 | Liechtenstein | 160.5 km² | 38,137 | 237.61 |
25 | Aruba * | 178.9 km² | 106,766 | 596.76 |
26 | Marshall Islands | 181.4 km² | 59,194 | 326.28 |
27 | American Samoa * | 199.0 km² | 55,197 | 277.37 |
28 | Cook Islands | 241.7 km² | 8,327 | 34.45 |
29 | Saint Pierre and Miquelon * | 242.0 km² | 5,321 | 21.99 |
30 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 260.0 km² | 53,192 | 204.58 |
The smallest countries by population
A somewhat different picture emerges when the smallest countries in the world are calculated according to their number of inhabitants. Many of the small island states reappear. In addition, there are countries with a large surface area, but which are only extremely sparsely populated. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands lie deep in the south near Antarctica and are largely covered with ice. The Falkland Islands lie only a little further north. Svalbard (Spitsbergen) and Jan Mayen lie high in the north and are sparsely inhabited due to their proximity to the Arctic for the same reasons. Only 2,926 people share an area of over 62,000 km² here.
Rank | Country | Population | Area | Population per km² |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands * | 30 | 3,903.0 km² | 0.01 |
2 | Pitcairn Islands * | 50 | 49.0 km² | 1.02 |
3 | Cocos Islands * | 596 | 14.2 km² | 41.97 |
4 | Holy See (Vatican City) | 1,000 | 0.4 km² | 2,272.73 |
5 | Tokelau * | 1,647 | 12.2 km² | 135.00 |
6 | Norfolk Island * | 1,748 | 34.6 km² | 50.52 |
7 | Niue | 2,000 | 261.5 km² | 7.65 |
8 | Christmas Island * | 2,205 | 135.0 km² | 16.33 |
9 | Svalbard * | 2,926 | 62,045.0 km² | 0.05 |
10 | Falkland Islands * | 3,198 | 12,173.0 km² | 0.26 |
11 | British Indian Ocean Territory * | 3,500 | 63.2 km² | 55.41 |
12 | Saint Pierre and Miquelon * | 5,321 | 242.0 km² | 21.99 |
13 | Montserrat * | 5,387 | 102.0 km² | 52.81 |
14 | Saint Barthelemy * | 7,116 | 21.0 km² | 338.86 |
15 | Saint Helena * | 7,915 | 391.0 km² | 20.24 |
16 | Cook Islands | 8,327 | 241.7 km² | 34.45 |
17 | Nauru | 10,834 | 21.1 km² | 513.46 |
18 | Tuvalu | 11,792 | 26.0 km² | 453.54 |
19 | Wallis and Futuna * | 15,851 | 142.0 km² | 111.63 |
20 | Palau | 18,092 | 460.0 km² | 39.33 |
21 | Anguilla * | 18,403 | 96.0 km² | 191.70 |
22 | Bonaire * | 24,548 | 322.0 km² | 76.24 |
23 | Åland * | 29,013 | 1,580.0 km² | 18.36 |
24 | British Virgin Islands * | 30,237 | 150.0 km² | 201.58 |
25 | Gibraltar * | 33,691 | 6.8 km² | 4,954.56 |
26 | San Marino | 33,938 | 61.2 km² | 554.63 |
27 | Liechtenstein | 38,137 | 160.5 km² | 237.61 |
28 | St. Martin * | 38,659 | 53.2 km² | 726.67 |
29 | Turks and Caicos Islands * | 38,718 | 950.0 km² | 40.76 |
30 | Monaco | 39,244 | 2.0 km² | 19,427.72 |
Dwarf states are often former colonies
It is not only striking that the smallest countries are often (still) dependent foreign territories. The microstates that are considered sovereign are also often former colonies of other countries. Far ahead are the external territories of France and the British Empire. As a rule, these were small islands that could be captured without much military effort and were simply overrun by large colonial powers hundreds of years ago. However, over time, in most cases within the last 50 to 100 years, they were given back their independence.* Dependent territories
The following countries are not sovereign states, but dependent countries of other states:- Åland Islands: Autonomous region of Finland
- American Samoa: self-governing territory of the US
- Anguilla: self-governing territory of the UK
- Aruba: territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Bermuda: self-governing territory of the UK
- Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba: Special municipalities of the Netherlands
- British Indian Ocean Territory: British overseas territory
- British Virgin Islands: self-governing territory of the UK
- Christmas Island: non-self-governing territory of Australia
- Cocos (Keeling) Islands: non-self-governing territory of Australia
- Falkland Islands: self-governing territory of the UK
- Gibraltar: self-governing territory of the UK
- Guernsey: autonomous Crown dependency of the UK
- Jersey: autonomous Crown dependency of the UK
- Macao: special administrative region of China
- Montserrat: self-governing territory of the UK
- Norfolk Island: territory of Australia
- Pitcairn Islands: British overseas territory
- Saint Barthelemy: Corporation of France
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha: limited self-governing territory of the UK
- Saint Martin: French overseas territory
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon: territory of France
- Sint Maarten: autonomous territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
- South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands: British overseas territory
- Svalbard: Territory of Norway
- Tokelau: territory of New Zealand
- Turks and Caicos Islands: self-governing territory of the UK
- Wallis and Futuna: territory of France