The states of the world are incredibly diverse. Each of them is unique in its own way. However, we are used to the fact that the word "country" means a vast territory, hundreds of cities and villages. Nevertheless, in the world there are powers with a record small area. Today we will find out which countries are the smallest in size and what features they have.
Heart of catholicism
The smallest country in the world by area, known to all, is the Vatican. A small but incredibly strong state is located in the western part of Rome. Since the residence of the Pope is located in the Vatican, this mini-country is the spiritual center of the whole Catholic world.
The area of the Vatican is only 44 hectares. However, he owns objects (universities, museums, libraries) throughout Italy and land in Spain. The population is 451 (according to some sources, more than 800). There are only two official languages - Italian and Latin. It is noteworthy that the approval of any order comes into force only after its publication in one of these languages.
The Vatican was built on the hill of the same name. There is no permanent population here, people are changing with amazing speed. In fact, the Vatican is the residence of the Pope and his entourage. This state with its own sovereignty is considered one of the most famous sights of Italy. The main sources of his income are tourism and donations from believers from around the world. Surprisingly, the crime rate here is incredibly high at 133%. The bulk of the criminals are hired personnel and tourists.
Monaco - the country of the rich and famous
The list of the smallest countries in the world by area continues to Monaco. A dwarf state spreads out on the shores of the Ligurian Sea. Borders on France. You can come here from Nice by bus for just a few euros. Monaco became especially famous thanks to the Oscar-winning actress Grace Kelly, who in the mid-50s married Prince Renee. With her appearance, the little principality interested many Hollywood celebrities.
Today, apartments and offices in Monaco are being built at an amazing speed, despite the limited area of 2 square meters. km Each of them has about 24,000 inhabitants. This makes its population density the highest in the world. But at the same time, in many luxury apartments in Monaco, no one lives all year round.
Most of the inhabitants of the principality are visitors. Only one in four is Monegasque. Monaco has an incredibly low crime rate. Almost all of its small territory is viewed by video cameras.
Interesting fact! In Monaco, locals are not allowed to visit the casino. This is a privilege for visitors.
Nauru is an impoverished state
The state of Nauru is located on a coral island in the western Pacific Ocean. Its area is only 21, 3 square meters. km It is the smallest country in the world by area among the island powers.
In addition, Nauru is also deprived of the capital. In fact, there are not even villages and streets. The local population is located along the coast. The address is the number of the house or mailbox. The population is more than 10,000 people.
State revenues were very high earlier due to the extraction of phosphates (the entire island consists of volcanic formations, in which phosphates are present). Today, their deposits are almost exhausted. However, while they allow you to have a small income. Money also brings UN membership. Today, Nauru looks quite unsightly - mountains of broken equipment, dilapidated houses and two-star hotels (the best on the island!) Without hot water and internet.
Interesting fact! A favorite pastime of locals is to sit in the water right in their clothes and eat small raw fish. The charm of such an activity can only be understood by those who have lived here for at least 15 years.
Tuvalu
Polynesian island with a small area - only 26 square meters. km The population is not more than eleven thousand inhabitants. Tuvalu consists of two atolls, one of which is the capital. People live in small houses, ride mainly on scooters. There is no fresh water, because they use rainwater, which is collected in tanks. If necessary, neighboring states are asked to share water.
Despite the fact that this place can safely claim the title of a paradise, Tuvalu is practically turned into a landfill by the local population. Only in the center you can find a couple of garbage cans. However, on an uninhabited corner of Tuvalu, the landscapes are simply fabulous.
Republic of San Marino
This is one of the 5 smallest countries in the world in area (total 60 sq km). San Marino is the oldest state in Europe. The date of its foundation is September 1, 301. The picturesque state is spread on the mountain of Monte Titano. The population does not exceed 30,000 souls. At the same time, the government is doing everything to ensure that this figure does not increase. Therefore, obtaining San Marino citizenship is almost impossible. However, if you still manage to do this, you can visit 140 countries without a visa.
Neat streets, colorful roofs of houses and incredible cheapness in stores (including alcohol, jewelry and furs) make San Marino incredibly popular with tourists. And now, having examined the five smallest countries of the world by area, we will move on to larger states, which, however, also have very modest sizes.
Liechtenstein - Dwarf Principality
A dwarf, but influential and prosperous state in Western Europe, whose area is only 160 km. sq. Liechtenstein, associated with Switzerland, is named after the ruling dynasty of the princes of Liechtenstein here.
Catholics prevail in the country. The official language is German, but most residents speak its Alemanic dialect. The local population is about 37,000. The crime rate is surprisingly low. The last premeditated murder was committed more than 10 years ago. This fact explains the carelessness of the local population - the entrance doors, even at night, are never locked.
The Principality is leading among other European countries in income. The main areas of activity are tourism, mechanical engineering, instrument making and finance.
East and Sunset
Marshall Islands - an archipelago in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. It consists of two parallel chains (one in translation means "East", the other - "Sunset"). The archipelago is created by 29 atolls. They, in turn, divide 1225 islets. 5 of them are uninhabited.
A population today reaching 55,000 souls appeared here about 4,000 years ago. But the ancestors of the current Marshalls settled on the islands 2,000 years later. They moved here from Southeast Asia. Residents of some islands (for example, Majuro) are visually similar to blacks, but in reality they have nothing to do with them.
Area - 181 square meters km
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is an archipelago located in the South Pacific. Consists of 15 islands. The population is about 11,000 souls. Most of the population lives on the island of Rarotonga. On it is the administrative center - Avarua.
The official languages are English and Cook. On the islands, the Queen of Great Britain is considered the head of the territory. But there is also a representative of New Zealand, with which the Cook Islands are associated.
It is believed that the settlement of the island began 1,500 years ago. But the most ancient find of archaeologists (dog skull) dates back to 300 A.D. It was probably in those times that the initial settlement of the island began. Scientists believe that these were the ancient peoples of the sea.
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis are a pair of islands in the Caribbean that are combined into one republic. They are of volcanic origin. The coastline is 135 km long. The islands are separated by the The Narrows Strait and are surrounded by coral reefs.
The power here belongs to the British monarch, whom the governor general represents on the island. The official language is English. The total area is 261 square meters. km
The population is more than 50,000 people. Negroes dominate, whose descendants were brought as slaves to the islands. The indigenous inhabitants of the republic were the Caribbean Indians, but in the 17th century they were supplanted by the British. The latter soon had to give up the rights to the islands to the French. In the 80s, St. Kitts and Nevis gained the possibility of internal self-government. Status - "a state associated with the UK."
Maldives - Paradise
This paradise in the Indian Ocean is also included in the 10 smallest countries in the world in area. 1192 coral islets located near Sri Lanka have beautiful landscapes and provide all the necessary attributes of relaxation. Today, a tour to the Maldives is not so expensive - about $ 1,000.
The islands are combined into a target of 26 atolls. Area - only 300 square meters. m, which housed about 400,000 inhabitants. Religion is Islam. It is noteworthy that out of 1,192 islands, only 202 of them are inhabited. The rest are incredibly beautiful, uninhabited corners of the tropics. Scientists suggest that they are all of volcanic origin. The Maldives is Asia's smallest country by area.
The indigenous people are Dravids (immigrants from India). In the V-VII centuries, Persians and Arabs appeared on the islands.
The official language is Dehevi. However, in the tourist centers there is also enough knowledge of English.
Conclusion
So, we found out which country has the smallest area and which powers are among the ten most modest in size. The remaining small states of the world, including island ones, have an area of 400 square meters. km and more.