11 of the Smallest Countries in the World

You can travel the world for years at a time and never really see everything there is to offer. For many people, some places never even make it onto the radar. We decided to dig deep and look for the smallest countries on the entire planet for you to consider visiting. Some of these countries are set in gorgeous locations and have low travel expenses so you should be able to easily grab a cheap ticket for a flight as well as hotel reservations. Keep on reading to dig into 11 of the smallest countries in the world!

Antigua and Barbuda

The national motto of Antigua and Barbuda is “Each Endeavouring, All Achieving” and that is probably easy to follow through with when you are one of the smallest countries on the planet. If you were to book a cheap flight and a hotel reservation then you would see a country with a population smaller than Ann Arbor, Michigan. There are roughly 70,000 people in the entire country itself but don’t let that slow you down. There are beautiful sights to see here and its relative lack of exposure means that you should be able to book something affordable and quality.

Malta

Next up on our list is the Republic of Malta. Malta is located the Mediterranean Sea in Southern Europe. South of Italy and North of Libya, the country of Malta occupies just under 122 square miles. With a population under 450,000 people you can find cities all across American that are more densely populated and wider in terms of their suburban metro. Malta is hugely popular for people who want to take a dip into a warmer climate without the price needed to hit some of the more well known hot spots. Architecture fiends will also get to see the Megalithic Temples which stand among the oldest structures in the world. Malta has a long Christian lineage and you can see it in the various buildings and structures left over from history.

Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands are located in the Pacific Ocean, near the equator, and they are considered part of a bigger group of islands collectively called ‘Micronesia’. The Marshall Islands has roughly 175 square miles of land but has a sitting residence of just 53,158 people as of their latest census. The Marshall Islands actually border Nauru, one of the other countries on or list, and they are within spitting distance of one another. Europeans first came to the Marshall Islands back in the 1520s. Since then the Marshall Islands have past through the hands of Germany, Spain, Japan, and now they are finally ‘supported’ by the United States. The USA provides the Marshall Islands with defense and monetary subsidies to help keep the country going due to its lack of resources. The country utilizes the USD and has a large portion of ex-pats from the USA, as well.

Maldives

The Republic of Maldives is an island and archipelago located in the Indian Ocean. Maldives is southwest of both India and Sri Lanka and its capital city is Male, also called ‘Kings Island’. Maldives has a country coverage of 125 square miles and a population of around 390,000 people. Maldives is a progressive nation with the government pledging to phase out their carbon footprint. Maldives is one of the lowest countries on the planet, in relation to sea level, and thus they are much more prone to suffer from rising sea levels.

Tuvalu

Now we set our eyes on Tuvalu which is a tin Polynesian Island located out in the Pacific Ocean. Tuvalu is in between Australia and Hawaii and it is made up of three reef islands a collection of atolls. This islan country is almost absurdly small with a square mile coverage of just 10 miles. There are only 10,800 residents of the country as of a 2012 Housing Report though that number has not likely gone up in the intervening years. Tuvalu is considered a stepping stone for those making their way out to Micronesia, which we have already talked about on this list. Tuvalu was initially part of the United Kingdom but they gained independence in 1978.

Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein is a tiny land locked country located in Central Europe. Liechtenstein is in between Switzerland and Austria and it covers just under 62 square miles of land. Liechtenstein is run by a monarchy with the Prince running the country. The latest census, conducted in 2014, put the population of Liechtenstein at around 37,000 people. The country is filled with mountains and is commonly sought after for people who want to engage in various winter sports at the highest level. You’ll also find that Liechtenstein has one of the lowest rates of unemployment in the entire world with 98.5% of the population happily in the work force.

Nauru

We briefly spoke about Nauru earlier when talking about the Marshall Islands and now we are going to dive fully in. Nauru is a short country as well as a thin one, covering around eight square miles. Nauru is located to the northeast point of Australia and it sits in the Pacific Ocean. In Nauru you have 14 districts with each district containing a handful of villages whose populations range anywhere from 150 people to 3,000 people per individual district. The last census that was taken had a population count of under 15,000 total people in Nauru. If you come to visit this island then you should know that you aren’t going to be stuck in a crowd anywhere you go. Still, the sights are beautiful and the location is perfect for hopping to other islands in the area for a wild ocean tour.

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis is located in the West Indies and it is considered the smallest sovereign state in all of the Americas in both size and population. Elizabeth II of the British Monarch is considered the head of state of the country due to their inclusion in the Commonwealth. Saint Kitts and Nevis has a population of 54,000 people and a land area of 104 square miles. The major spoken language for the country is English and it is considered the “Mother Colony of the West Indies” and has been considered that for the longest time.

Palau

Palau makes our list as one of the smallest countries in the world. Palau is a third the size of the aforementioned Marshall Islands but it still covers 175 square miles. Though Palau is sizable in terms of its land the population is impressively small, housing just 20,000 people. Palau is all on its own in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and any attempt to reach the country can be considered quite the journey. There’s definitely elbow room and Palau if you end up making it out there. Palau had initially been under the thumb of the United States but it gained its independence in 1947 before becoming a full blown, recognized, country in 1994. Palau voted to opt out of being included in the Federated States of Micronesia.

Monaco

Monaco is a hugely popular travel destination but it isn’t due to their size. The country of Monaco is smaller than Liechtenstein and the latest census has the population sitting around 32,000 people. Located in West Europe, near France, Monaco is right off of the Mediterranean Sea. Monaco offers a host of beautiful vistas to its residence with an ocean view that could leave the most hardy Midwesterner with their mouth watering. Additional incentives to relocate to the country include the fact that there is no income tax at all. Citizens of the country have excellent tax incentives and have been subsequently profiting as a result. Monaco makes up about 75% of a square mile and though it is so small and lightly populated, it is still one of the most densely populated countries in the world due to its small size. Visitors to this microstate can get to see the whole of the country without breaking a sweat before dippig off to other portions of Europe.

Vatican City

For those of the theological persuasion, the #1 country on our list should be of no surprise. The Vatican City is actually a country and it is the smallest country on the face of the planet. The population of all the Vatican City doesn’t exceed 1,000 people and they all live within an area of half of a square mile. Even though there isn’t much in terms of square footage, Vatican City makes up for its size with a density of must see sights. You’ll see St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museums, and the Sistine Chapel as well if you ever take time to visit. One more odd fact about this country: Vatican City is completely run on the sale of stamps and tourism as there is no other economy!