As soon as the word state is mentioned, a large area of land that is filled with cities and vast fields, lakes and rivers, flashes to the listener’s mind. While this description fits many countries in the world, it does not fit with some other countries.
There are countries in the world very small, to the extent that they are located on an area of less than a square kilometer, and many of these countries are located in the tropics in atolls, and some of them are swallowed up by the sea because of global warming.
The smallest 10 countries in the world
10- Malta
It is an island country located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, extending over an area of 316 square kilometers, with a population of about 514.6 thousand people, and it is one of the countries with high population density.
Malta is characterized by economic diversity, as its economy depends on shipbuilding and repair, finance, agriculture, fishing and manufacturing, and it joined the European Union in 2004.
9- Maldives
The Maldives is located in the Indian Ocean between Indonesia and Africa, on an area of 297.8 square kilometers, and it consists of 26 coral islands, more than 1100 islands, and a population of more than 500 thousand people.
8- Saint Kitts and Nevis
This small country consists of two islands located in the eastern Caribbean Sea, on an area of 269 square kilometers, and most of its inhabitants are of African origin. Its economy was previously dependent on the sugar cane industry, but now it depends on tourism.
7- Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands is a group of atolls that are located near the equator. The area of these islands is 181 square kilometers, and 58.5 thousand people live in them. The islands face similar challenges to the state of Tuvalu, and its coasts are also eroding.
6- Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein is located between Austria and Switzerland, and extends over an area of 160 square kilometers, and its population ranges between 38 thousand and 39 thousand people, and its economy depends mainly on tourism, as well as providing banking services to foreigners, and banks are famous for maintaining the confidentiality of customer data.
5- San Marino
The state of San Marino is located in the center of Italy, with a population of 33.7 thousand people, and the Italian language is the official language of this landlocked country, and its economy depends on tourism and agriculture, with an area of 61.2 square kilometers, and the state’s social programs ensure that all its citizens receive high-quality medical care, Free education until the age of 16.
4- Tuvalu
Tuvalu is named after the flooded country, and it is an island nation made up of a small archipelago of atolls in the western central Pacific Ocean, with an area of 25.9 km.
Scientists expect Tuvalu to be uninhabitable for the next 50 to 100 years. Because of global warming, which causes sea level rise and coastal erosion, the country also suffers from drought on the other hand, and is no longer able to meet its needs of crops grown on its land due to the high temperature, and many of its population of about 11.5 thousand choose People migrate to neighboring countries like New Zealand for a safer future.
3- Nauru
The atoll of Nauru is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, with an area of 20 square kilometers, and a population ranging between 12 thousand and 13 thousand people, and its economy depends mainly on phosphate mining, and Nauru imports all manufactured goods, foodstuffs and even water. To export them.
2- Monaco
Monaco, a sovereign principality, is located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in the French Riviera, surrounded by France by land, while the Mediterranean is surrounded by its eastern coast, and Monaco is famous as a tax haven for the wealthy.
Monaco comes second in the list of the smallest countries in the world, with an area of 2.02 square kilometers. The country relies mainly on tourism as a source of income. Tourists visit it in order to go to its luxurious beaches, ride boats, and watch car races such as the “Monaco Grand Prix”.
1- The Vatican
The Vatican City is located in the center of the Italian city of Rome, and it is also called the Vatican City, and it is the smallest sovereign country in the world, with an area of 0.49 square kilometers, and a population of between 800 and 900.
The Vatican has its own post office, telephone system, banking system, radio station, and it also has its own currency, the Vatican Euro, which is now accepted throughout the Eurozone.