list of the smallest countries by area

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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: Media

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.

What's the smallest country in the world?

Vatican City, which has an area of just 0.17 square mile (0.44 square km).

© Zoja/Adobe Stock

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.

Vatican City

Vatican City, designated a World Heritage site in 1984.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

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.

Monaco

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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.

Naoero

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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.

Tuvalu

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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.

San Marino

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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.

Liechtenstein

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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.

Marshall Islands

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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.

Saint Kitts and Nevis

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Map showing the location of the Maldives as a chain of islands in the Indian Ocean, southwest of India and Sri Lanka, with surrounding countries including India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, and Iran labeled for regional context. The Maldives is outlined in orange.

Maldives

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Map showing the location of Malta, a small island nation in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of Italy and north of Libya and Tunisia. The map highlights Malta and its capital, Valletta, in relation to surrounding countries including Italy, Greece, Algeria, and Tunisia.

Malta

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Map showing the location of Grenada in the southeastern Caribbean Sea, just north of Venezuela and South America. Grenada is highlighted with its capital, St. George's, labeled, and nearby countries and islands such as Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Suriname are also marked for regional context.

Grenada

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Map of the Caribbean region highlighting the location of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, with its capital Kingstown labeled. Surrounding countries and islands such as the United States, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela are also shown for geographic context.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

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Map showing the location of Barbados in the eastern Caribbean Sea, east of the islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and north of South America. Barbados and its capital, Bridgetown, are labeled, along with surrounding countries and territories including Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil.

Barbados

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Map of the Caribbean region highlighting the location of Antigua and Barbuda, with the capital St. John's marked. Surrounding countries and islands such as Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela are also labeled, with the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean shown.

Antigua and Barbuda

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Map showing the location of Seychelles as a small island nation in the western Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar and east of mainland Africa, with a box highlighting Seychelles and its capital, Victoria. Surrounding countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, Comoros, and Mozambique are also labeled.

Seychelles

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Map showing the location of Andorra in southwestern Europe, situated between France and Spain, with Andorra la Vella marked as the capital. Surrounding countries including Switzerland and Italy, as well as the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, are also labeled.

Andorra

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Map of the western Pacific Ocean highlighting Palau in orange near the equator, just east of the Philippines and north of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The map shows surrounding island nations and territories, including Guam, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and other Pacific islands, with country and territory names and boundaries labeled.

Palau

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Map of the Caribbean region highlighting the location of Saint Lucia, with its capital Castries marked. Surrounding countries and islands such as Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and the United States are also labeled.

Saint Lucia

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Locator map of the South Pacific Ocean highlighting Tonga with an orange border. Surrounding island nations and territories, including Fiji, Samoa, American Samoa, Tokelau, Niue, Cook Islands, Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and New Zealand, are labeled. Nuku'alofa, the capital of Tonga, is marked within the highlighted area.

Tonga

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Map showing the location of the Federated States of Micronesia in the western Pacific Ocean, outlined in orange. Neighboring countries and territories labeled include Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and Australia. The capital, Palikir, is marked within the outlined area.

Federated States of Micronesia

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Map of Southeast Asia highlighting the location of Singapore with an orange circle and label. Surrounding countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and others are labeled, along with major bodies of water including the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean. An inset globe in the top right shows the region's position in the world.

Singapore

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Map of the Caribbean region highlighting the location of Dominica, with surrounding countries labeled, including Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Colombia, and Guyana. The capital city, Roseau, is marked on Dominica.

Dominica

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Map of the Middle East highlighting the location of Bahrain, an island nation in the Persian Gulf near the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia and west of Qatar. Neighboring countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates are labeled, with Bahrain and its capital Manama marked for emphasis.

Bahrain

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Map showing the location of Kiribati in the central Pacific Ocean, outlined in orange, with nearby countries and islands labeled, including Australia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Fiji, Tuvalu, Samoa, Marshall Islands, and New Zealand. The capital, Bairiki, is marked within Kiribati's territory.

Kiribati

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Map showing the location of Sao Tome and Principe as a small island nation off the west coast of Central Africa in the Gulf of Guinea, with nearby mainland countries labeled, including Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Benin, and Togo.

Sao Tome and Principe

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Interactives

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.

Smallest countries and dependencies by area

An interactive chart comparing the world's smallest countries and dependencies by...

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

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