Top 10 Smallest Countries

Published in Entertainment at April 13th, 2017 at 6:34 AM

When you hear the word country, it immediately brings to mind huge spans of land mass and sprawling cities. The population of these places reaching millions and their economies in the billions. But there are a lot of places the exact opposite, some of them are smaller and have a population lower than most major cities. This video runs down the top 10 smallest countries.


The Vatican

The world's smallest country is the Vatican, also known as the Holy See. This country fits within the Italian capital city of Rome, and is the center of the Catholic Church. It is also home to the biggest church in the world – St. Peter's Basilica, and holds some of the most significant art works of the Renaissance such as The Pieta and the Creation of Adam. Its income comes from the voluntary contributions of over 1 billion members of the Roman Catholic Church around the world. The remainder of its economy comes from the sales of postage stamps, tourist mementos, and admission fees of museums.


Monaco

Monaco is home to the largest number of millionaires and billionaires in the world. Known for its gambling and luxury goods and services industry, Monaco is a favourite playground of the rich and famous. Bordered by France on 3 sides and one side by the Mediterranean Sea, the residents of Monaco are mostly French-speaking. With a population of over 36,000, Monaco is the world's most densely populated country. The most popular annual event is the Formula 1 race, with tracks passing through the city streets.


Nauru

Nauru is the smallest island country in the world. It was known in the 1980's for a booming phosphate mining but is now a quiet island off the radar of tourists. Nauru is also known as the country with the most obese people in the world, with 97% of its men and 93% of women being obese or overweight. Because of this, Nauru is also home to the world's highest level of type 2 diabetes, with 40% of its population suffering from the ailment.


Tuvalu

Tuvalu is probably the least known of the places on this list, its formerly known as the Ellice Islands, and located in the Pacific Ocean. There are about 10,000 inhabitants, with 8km of roads, and only 1 hospital present on the main island. The country was once a British territory but became independent in 1978. It is notoriously difficult to get to and its tourism is very low which also makes it different from the others on this list.


San Marino

San Marino is completely surrounded by Italy and is nicknamed the Most Serene Republic of San Marino. Claiming to be the oldest surviving sovereign state in the world and the 3rd smallest country in Europe, it has a population of only 30,000.


Lichenstein

Lichenstein is a German-speaking country, this is the only nation in the world to be completely located in the Alps. Located between Switzerland and Austria, Liechtenstein is the richest country in the world by GDP per capita, with the lowest unemployment rate of 1.5%. It doesn't actually have an airport and visitors must go through switzerland before more travel to get there.


St Kitts and Nevis

St Kitts and Nevis are known as The Mother Colony of the West Indies,and the 2 islands in the Caribbean were some of the first islands to be occupied by Europeans. Its economy is dependent on tourism and some small manufacturing industries. The islands also provide fantastic diving sites due to abundant marine life. A major sugar exporter for centuries, the large plantations are now beautiful estates that have been converted into hotels and resorts.


The Maldives

The Maldives is the smallest country in Asia in terms of area and population. There are over 1000 coral islands in the Maldives, making it one of the world's most dispersed countries. It didn't become an independent country until 1965 after many colonial rules. Today, the Maldives has a vibrant tourism economy due to its famous white sand beaches and crystal blue waters.


Malta

Malta is another island country located in the Med. 3 major islands make up the Republic of Malta: Gozo, Comino, and the largest, Malta. This small country has a population of over 450,000 inhabitants, making it one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Another popular tourist destination, people come to Malta for its sunny weather, attractive beaches, over 7,000 years of intriguing history, and a vibrant nightlife.


Grenada

Grenada is known as “The Island of Spice." The world's largest producer of nutmeg and mace, this nation located near Trinidad and Tobago has a very strong influence of French tradition and culture in the country. A popular tourist destination, you'll find French-influenced architecture and art all around the island, with cricket as the most popular sport.