What are the smallest countries in the world by population and land area? We are used to taking and hearing about large countries all the time, and that’s why this time we decided to deal with the smallest countries you have possibly never heard of.
Do you know what the smallest country in the world by area is? If you don’t, it is not surprising, because no one ever talks about these countries in the news. The smallest countries n the world are unlikely to start wars and they are not very present on TV and in the newspaper. Some of them are so small that they make our hometown appear large in comparison, but these countries are usually very popular tourist destinations as they often have beautiful beaches and wonderful nature. Being so small, they offer peace and tranquility you are not likely to find in the most densely populated countries in the world. As opposed to these most populated countries such as China and India whose population reaches more than one billion people (and continue to grow) the least populated countries are often home to only several thousand people. Other most populous countries include Brazil, Indonesia, and the USA, with several hundred million people living there. You can read more in our article about 11 Fastest Growing Countries in The World by Population.
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Compared to these countries, the small countries we are talking about today appear tiny but that does not make them uninteresting. Speaking of population, we recently wrote about the 15 Countries With the Oldest Population in the World, so check it out to learn more.
Some of the world’s most famous tourist destinations, often for rich people, are in fact these small countries such as the Maldives and Monaco. The Maldives is the smallest country in Asia, while Monaco is a popular destination for rich tourists on the French Riviere. Both countries belong to 50 smallest countries in the world.
Vatican or Holy See is the smallest country in the world and one of the most visited ones, while Vatican City population counts only about 800 people.
While researching the smallest countries in the world, we were quite surprised with some findings. For example, some countries which are much smaller than others, have more inhabitants such as Monaco, with over 38 thousand people spread across the total area of 2 square km, while Nauru with 21 square km only has 10 thousand people. This is what made determining the countries that should fit this list quite difficult. We needed to find countries with the smallest population and with the smallest area as well, so we compared countries first by population and then by area separately in order to come up with this list. We compared the data found on Worldometers and Countries of the World, and we made a list of 15 smallest countries in the world by population and land area.
15. Liechtenstein
Population: 38,022
Land area: 160 square km
With just 160 square kilometers, Liechtenstein, officially the Principality of Liechtenstein is one of the smallest countries in the world and is surrounded by Switzerland and Austria. This beautiful little country is located in the heart of Europe in the Alps.
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14. Monaco
Population: 38,010
Land area: 2.02 square km.
We are continuing our list of smallest countries in the world by population and land area with Monaco, the favorite vacation spot for many wealthy tourists and it is located on the French Riviera. For such a small country, its population is quite large. Monaco is famous as a country that poses no taxes on its citizens.
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13. San Marino
Population: 32,104
Land area: 61 square km.
San Marino is the third smallest country in Europe and it is also a country with a very low unemployment rate, therefore, it is no surprise that San Marino is one of the wealthiest countries in terms of GDP per capita.
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12. The British Virgin Islands
Population: 31,200
Land area: 150 square km
The British Virgin Islands are self-governing British territories in the Carribean and home to 31,200 people. They are known for beautiful beaches and unspoiled nature.
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11. Cook Islands
Population: 21,069
Land area: 240 square km.
The Cook Islands are a self-governing island country in association with New Zealand. This island country is made of 15 small islands, and together they occupy 240 square km of land.
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10. Anguilla
Population: 14,906
Land area: 90 square km.
Anguilla is another British territory in the Carribean which is also famous for its beautiful beaches and other attractions. Anguilla is populated by 14,906 people which make it one of the smallest countries in the world by population and land area.
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9. Wallis And Futuna
Population: 13,090
Land area: 142.42 square km.
Wallis and Futuna is an overseas community of France and it consists of two small groups of islands. It is located in the South Pacific Ocean and its total population is about 13 thousand people.
8. Nauru
Population: 10,301
Land area: 21 square km.
Nauru is one of the smallest countries in the world by population and land area as well. This small island country is located in Micronesia in the Central Pacific.
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7. Tuvalu
Population: 9,975
Land area: 26 square km.
Tuvalu was formerly known as the Ellice Islands, and this small country is located in the Pacific Ocean. It’s a Polynesian island nation with 9,975 inhabitants.
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6. Saint Pierre And Miquelon
Population: 6,319
Land area: 242 square km.
The official name is the Overseas Collectivity of Sait Pierre and Miquelon. It’s a small group of islands, with Saint-Pierre as the capital city.
5. Montserrat
Population: 5,179
Land area: 104 square km.
Montserrat is a Carribean island, and it is nicknamed The Emerald Island of the Carribean because of the Irish ancestry of a great part of its population.
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4. Saint Helena
Population: 3,970
Land area: 122 square km.
Saint Helena is a tropical island with only 3,970 people. The island is located in the Atlantic ocean and it is one of the most isolated islands in the world.
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3. Niue
Population: 1,614
Land area: 261 square km.
An island country in the South Pacific Ocean, Niue has only 1,614 inhabitants, and it’s on the third spot on our list of smallest countries in the world by population and land area. The island is known as paradise island due to the beautiful scenery.
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2. Tokelau
Population: 1,300
Land area: 12 square km.
Tokelau is also called Union Group or Tokelau Islands, and it is an island territory of New Zealand. Tokelauan is the official language, but English is widely used.
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1. Vatican City State
Population: 801
Land area: 0.44 square km.
The smallest country in the world by population and land area is definitely Vatican City State. It is a sovereign city-state located in Rome, Italy, and it is home to the Pope, who is also the head of legislative, executive, and judicial power.
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