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Smallest countries by area | Top 20
There are many small independent states; along with the big countries. But there are some that are so tiny that they are called microstates.
The smallest country in the world is the Vatican City (Holy See). it occupies only an old quarter with a few buildings and parks in Rome (Italy). Perhaps it is the most unusual country with their own government. This includes army, diplomatic missions, but without permanent native population. (Note: The citizenship is granted only to persons who work in the Vatican and its missions abroad).
Many countries ranked in the top 20 have some similar attributes. Most of them are either European microstates or the tiny islands in the Caribbean, the South Pacific or Indian Ocean. Further, in the list below you can find some known nations ranked by total area.
List of top 20 smallest countries by total area (land and water surface)
Rank Area (km2)
- Vatican City 0.44
- Monaco 2.02
- Nauru 21
- Tuvalu 26
- San Marino 61
- Liechtenstein 160
- Marshall Islands 181
8 Saint Kitts and Nevis 269
9 Maldives 300
10 Malta 316
11 Grenada 344
12 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 389
13 Barbados 430
14 Antigua and Barbuda 442
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15 Seychelles 455
16 Palau 460
17 Andorra 468
18 Saint Lucia 616
19 Micronesia 702
20 Singapore 719.1
Note that the list includes only officially recognized independent states, and excludes dependent territories. For example, Puerto Rico is not included (it is a part of the USA), and also the Bermuda (it is the overseas territory of the British).
