What is the smallest country in the world?
Quick answer
Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, covering about 0.44 km² (109 acres). It sits entirely inside the city of Rome, Italy, and is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, led by the Pope. It’s also the smallest country by population, with around 800 residents.
Vatican City is so small you can walk across it in about 20 minutes. It became an independent state in 1929 under the Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and Italy.
The 10 smallest countries
| Rank | Country | Area | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vatican City | 0.44 km² | Europe |
| 2 | Monaco | 2.02 km² | Europe |
| 3 | Nauru | 21 km² | Oceania |
| 4 | Tuvalu | 26 km² | Oceania |
| 5 | San Marino | 61 km² | Europe |
| 6 | Liechtenstein | 160 km² | Europe |
| 7 | Marshall Islands | 181 km² | Oceania |
| 8 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 261 km² | Caribbean |
| 9 | Maldives | 300 km² | Asia |
| 10 | Malta | 316 km² | Europe |
Monaco is the most densely populated country on Earth: about 38,000 people in just 2 km².
What’s inside Vatican City?
- St. Peter’s Basilica, one of the largest churches in the world
- The Sistine Chapel, with Michelangelo’s famous ceiling
- The Vatican Museums, among the most visited museums anywhere
- Its own post office, radio station, bank and railway station
Fun facts
- It’s protected by the Swiss Guard, founded in 1506, whose members must be Catholic Swiss men.
- Vatican City has no airport, so the Pope flies from Rome’s airports.
- It mints its own euro coins, which are popular with collectors.
Two of the smallest countries, San Marino and the Vatican, are enclaves completely surrounded by Italy. Another country fully surrounded by a single neighbor is Lesotho. For the opposite extreme, see the largest island in the world.
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