Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
list of the smallest countries by area
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
St. Peter's Basilica with its large dome rises above surrounding buildings in Vatican City, viewed from the rooftop of Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome, Italy. Interactive treemap ranking the smallest countries and dependencies by area in square kilometers, from Vatican City at 0.44 to Sao Tome and Principe at 387. Map of southern Europe highlighting Italy and surrounding countries, with a red star marking the location of Vatican City within Rome as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The map shows major seas, neighboring nations, and provides geographic context for Vatican City's position in central Italy. Map of Western Europe highlighting the location of Monaco on the northern Mediterranean coast, bordered by France and near Italy, with surrounding countries and major islands labeled for context. Map of the central Pacific Ocean highlighting the location of Naoero, with nearby countries and islands labeled, including Papua New Guinea, Australia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia. Nauru is marked with a square and its capital, Yaren, is indicated. Map of the central Pacific Ocean highlighting Tuvalu with a bold outline. Neighboring countries and territories such as Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand are labeled, along with smaller territories including Tokelau, Wallis and Futuna, and American Samoa. The capital, Vaiaku, is marked within Tuvalu. Map showing the location of San Marino in southern Europe, surrounded by Italy and near the Adriatic Sea, with neighboring countries such as France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Albania labeled. Major surrounding bodies of water include the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Map of central Europe highlighting the location of Liechtenstein, a small country bordered by Switzerland and Austria, with its capital Vaduz marked. Surrounding countries including Germany, France, Belgium, Czech Republic, Italy, and Slovenia are also labeled. Map showing the location of the Marshall Islands in the central Pacific Ocean, outlined in orange, with nearby countries and territories labeled, including the Federated States of Micronesia, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Nauru, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Australia. The capital, Majuro, is marked within the Marshall Islands. Map showing the location of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the eastern Caribbean Sea, east of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, with its capital Basseterre labeled. Surrounding countries and islands, including Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Venezuela, and the United States, are also indicated for regional context.

list of the smallest countries by area: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

  • World Data Editors
    Britannica's World Data editors help provide a statistical portrait of some 220 countries and dependencies of the world, at a level appropriate to the significance of each.
  • Amy Tikkanen
    Amy Tikkanen is Managing Editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Added media. Oct 22, 2026
Changed country name from “Nauru” to “Naoero.” Aug 09, 2026
Corrected display issue. Jun 27, 2025
Added slideshow of maps. Jun 17, 2025
Revised media. Jun 16, 2025
Media added and updated table functionality. Jun 13, 2025
Added a “Do you know…?” section. Jun 02, 2025
Media added. May 30, 2025
New article added. Mar 25, 2024
View Changes:
Article History
Revised:
By: