If you live somewhere like Nigeria or the United States, you’re probably used to thinking of your country as being pretty big. Many Americans can’t comprehend being able to end up in another country just by taking a wrong turn!
The world is so huge and diverse, that there are countries so small that you probably didn’t even know they existed. By both square kilometers and population, here is a list of the world’s smallest countries. Some of these you might not even know existed!
1. The Republic of Malta
Malta is an island country that is located in the Mediterranean sea. The Republic of Malta consists of three different islands that make up the country: Malta, Gozo, and Comino.
While the country is only 116 square kilometers, Malta is pretty tightly packed with 450,000 people who live on the Malta island alone.
It’s a pretty packed country, but still beautiful and worthy of a visit. The three islands together make up closer to 316 square kilometers. Still, it’s pretty small and probably not on your radar.
2. San Marino
With only 61 square kilometers, San Marino is entirely surrounded by the rest of Italy. In fact, San Marino is so small that it can claim both the title of the 3rd smallest country in all of Europe and the 5th smallest country in the entire world.
Not many small countries are able to say that! There are only 30,000 people who live in San Marino. Turns out, they’re also one of the wealthiest countries. Blink and you’ll miss it, though!
3. Monaco
If you want to find out where all the millionaires hang out, look no further than the tiny country of Monaco. Monaco has the highest number of millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the world.
And for good reason: surrounded on three sides by France, Monaco is a stunningly beautiful little country. And we mean really little: Monaco is only 2 square kilometers in size. It is one of the smallest countries in the entire world.
4. Maldives
You have probably heard of the Maldives at least once in your life, especially if you’re big on island vacations. The Maldives is an increasingly popular destination for travelers and tourists, because of its beautiful location on the Indian Ocean.
While all the islands that make up the Maldives spread over 90,000 square kilometers, when you get down to actual land size, the Maldives only cover about 300 square kilometers. Now that’s a small country!
5. Niue
Located in Oceania, Niue is a tiny, island country that’s too small for even the tourists to realize that it’s there. But maybe there for the better!
There are only 1,200 people who live in Niue, and the country itself has just over 250 square kilometers of space. Despite its small size, Niue does have its own airport – always waiting for guests to come and check out this beautiful island country.
6. Tuvalu
Tuvalu is an interesting country. It’s incredibly poor, small, and densely populated. There are only 26 square kilometers of space for people to live on, but the population is booming at just over 10,000 residents.
Located in the South Pacific, Tuvalu was formerly known as Ellice Islands. The country is comprised of many different low-lying islands.
7. Palau
With 300 different islands, the country of Palau boasts 460 square kilometers of land area. It’s one of the smallest countries in the entire world but still manages to make itself seem big and sprawling with all of its islands.
There are just over 21,000 people living on the islands of Palau. It’s a beautiful place to visit with oceans, lakes, and rainforests to explore. Not to mention, the wild-life is one of a kind.
8. Nauru
Coming in with another island country, Nauru is actually the most unique when it comes to countries surrounded by water. There are plenty of small, island countries but Nauru takes the gold as the smallest island state in the entire world.
With only 21 square kilometers of space, Nauru has a population of 9,600 people. It isn’t a popular tourist destination, but locals seem to love their little island well enough.
9. Gibraltar
At a tiny 6 square kilometers, Gibraltar isn’t just one of the smallest countries in the entire world. It’s also one of the most densely populated countries as well. There’s a population of 30,000 people. However, all of the locals seem content to stay in their small country because of the nice weather and tourist economy.
10. Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein is located between Switzerland and Austria, which are two people well-known countries in their own right. So no wonder that most people don’t even realize that Liechtenstein is there.
This country has 160 square kilometers, along with a population of about 37,000 people. Liechtenstein is a beautiful country with forests and mountains that anyone would be in awe of seeing.
11. Grenada
Located in the Caribbean, Grenada is another island country that makes the list of incredibly small countries. Due to its location, Grenada is a well-loved tourist destination.
However, it’s pretty small. Grenada boasts about 350 square kilometers and a population of 110,000. The size of the country and the number of people who live there make Grenada pretty densely populated, but living in the Caribbean makes it all worth it.
12. Seychelles
Off the coast of Africa, Seychelles is an archipelago made up of 115 difference islands. Seychelles is a beautiful home to reefs, forests, and beautiful animals.
Most people don’t even know that Seychelles exists just off East Africa. While it’s not the smallest on the list, it is one of the smallest in the world, with 454 square kilometers and a population of 94,000 people across all 115 islands.