10 of the worlds smallest countries

Believe it or not, most of these countries boast a population of 900-1000 people. In this article we'll be measuring the smallest countries in the world by their square miles and population.

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1. State of the Vatican City, Size - 0.17 Square Miles

The Vatican City in Rome, Italy is the home of the Pope and 450 citizens. With a population of just 800, its sovereignty was recognized by Italian government under Lateran Treaty on 11th February 1929. The Vatican prints its own stamps, issues passports and number plates, mints its own euros and has its own flag and anthem.

The Swiss Guard protects the Vatican City, its main purpose is to protect the Pope and has been since 1506 when the then-Pope Julius II hired the Swiss as his own protectors.

2. Monaco, Size – 0.75 Square Mile

Monaco is a wealthy country bordered by France and its flag is very similar to that of Indonesia. Their stadium is able to fit over half of the country’s population, which as of January 1, 2016, was over 37,500.

This beautiful coastal country is known for its upscale casinos, yacht-lined harbour and prestigious Grand Prix motor race, which runs through Monaco’s streets once a year.

Monte-Carlo is home to an elegant belle-époque casino complex and ornate Salle Garnier opera house.

3. Nauru, Size – 8 Square Mile

Nauru is the smallest island country east of Australia with a population of around 10,200 people as of January 1, 2016.

The country has a real issue with unemployment, only 10% of the residents are apparently employed, all of them are by the government. The island also has a serious problem with obesity and is often categorized as the most obese island nation.

4. Tuvalu, Size – 10 Square Mile

Tuvalu was previously known as the Ellice Islands. Due to its tiny population of 9,000 people, there is just one hospital on the island. Tuvalu is a secluded nation with only 2,000 visitors in 2010 and 65% of those were for business.

5. San Marino, Size - 23.5 Square Mile

San Marino has a population of around 32,000 people as of January 1, 2016, and is a small country densely populated when compared to Saint Kitts and Nevis which has an extra 77.5 square miles and only 13,000 more people.

6. Liechtenstein, Size – 62 Square Mile

As of January 2016, the population of Liechtenstein was just 37,000, that’s 10 times smaller than the Maldives.

Located between Switzerland and Austria the country is safe, the crime rate is very low with the last murder occurring in 1997.

7. Saint Kitts and Nevis, Size – 101 Square Mile

This two-island country is located in the Eastern Caribbean and has a population 6 times less than the Maldives at 55,000. Alexander Hamilton one of the founding fathers of the US was born here.

8. The Maldives, Size 116 Square Mile

The Maldives is an island of 1,192 coral islands of which 200 are inhabited, this makes it the most dispersed country in Asia. The Maldives became an independent country in 1965 and as of the January 2016, the population was just under 367,000.

9. Malta, Size – 122 Square Mile

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Malta has a population of over 419,500 people as of January 2016, this makes it one of Europe’s less populated countries. The Republic of Malta is made of 3 separate parts; Gozo, Comino and Malta. Malta is home to Calypso cave, a cave that overlooks Sandy Beach, Ramla Bay.

10. Grenada, Size – 133 Square Mile

Grenada is the tenth smallest country in the world. As of January 2016, Grenada had a population of over 107,000 and is a lower populated location measuring 133 sq. mile (344 sq. km). Grenada is known as the Spice of the Caribbean as its one of the largest producers of nutmeg and mace in the world.