By area
The smallest countries in the world
Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, at about 0.0 km² (0.0 sq mi). Then come Monaco, Tuvalu, Nauru, San Marino. Every one of them can be crossed in an afternoon, and most have no airport of their own.
The 30 smallest countries
| # | Country | Area | Population | Visitors a year | Continent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Vatican City | 0.0 km² (0.0 sq mi) | 825 | no figure | Europe |
| 2 |  Monaco | 19 km² (7.3 sq mi) | 39,000 | 363,000 (2019) | Europe |
| 3 |  Tuvalu | 23 km² (8.9 sq mi) | 12,000 | 3,600 (2019) | Oceania |
| 4 |  Nauru | 29 km² (11 sq mi) | 13,000 | no figure | Oceania |
| 5 |  San Marino | 60 km² (23 sq mi) | 34,000 | 1.9 million (2019) | Europe |
| 6 |  Maldives | 109 km² (42 sq mi) | 531,000 | 1.7 million (2019) | Asia |
| 7 |  Liechtenstein | 137 km² (53 sq mi) | 38,000 | 98,000 (2019) | Europe |
| 8 |  Marshall Islands | 166 km² (64 sq mi) | 59,000 | 6,100 (2019) | Oceania |
| 9 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | 265 km² (102 sq mi) | 53,000 | 1.1 million (2019) | North America |
| 10 |  Malta | 326 km² (126 sq mi) | 503,000 | 3.5 million (2019) | Europe |
| 11 |  Grenada | 349 km² (135 sq mi) | 112,000 | 526,000 (2019) | North America |
| 12 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 369 km² (143 sq mi) | 111,000 | 392,000 (2019) | North America |
| 13 |  Seychelles | 438 km² (169 sq mi) | 98,000 | 428,000 (2019) | Africa |
| 14 |  Barbados | 446 km² (172 sq mi) | 287,000 | 966,000 (2019) | North America |
| 15 |  Andorra | 452 km² (174 sq mi) | 77,000 | 8.2 million (2019) | Europe |
| 16 |  Antigua and Barbuda | 453 km² (175 sq mi) | 97,000 | 1 million (2019) | North America |
| 17 |  Palau | 494 km² (191 sq mi) | 18,000 | 94,000 (2019) | Oceania |
| 18 |  Singapore | 513 km² (198 sq mi) | 5.7 million | 19.1 million (2019) | Asia |
| 19 |  Tonga | 605 km² (234 sq mi) | 104,000 | 94,000 (2019) | Oceania |
| 20 |  Saint Lucia | 607 km² (235 sq mi) | 183,000 | 1.2 million (2019) | North America |
| 21 |  Federated States of Micronesia | 637 km² (246 sq mi) | 114,000 | 18,000 (2019) | Oceania |
| 22 |  Bahrain | 689 km² (266 sq mi) | 1.6 million | 11.1 million (2019) | Asia |
| 23 |  Dominica | 733 km² (283 sq mi) | 72,000 | 322,000 (2019) | North America |
| 24 |  Kiribati | 954 km² (368 sq mi) | 118,000 | 12,000 (2019) | Oceania |
| 25 |  São Tomé and Príncipe | 1,042 km² (402 sq mi) | 215,000 | 33,000 (2018) | Africa |
| 26 |  Comoros | 1,679 km² (648 sq mi) | 851,000 | 45,000 (2019) | Africa |
| 27 |  Mauritius | 2,020 km² (780 sq mi) | 1.3 million | 1.4 million (2019) | Africa |
| 28 |  Luxembourg | 2,600 km² (1,004 sq mi) | 620,000 | 1 million (2019) | Europe |
| 29 |  Samoa | 2,791 km² (1,078 sq mi) | 197,000 | 181,000 (2019) | Oceania |
| 30 |  Cape Verde | 3,940 km² (1,521 sq mi) | 550,000 | 758,000 (2019) | Africa |
Sovereign countries: the UN’s 193 and its two observer states. Areas from Natural Earth’s map, which can differ slightly from official figures.
Counting territories too
| # | Country | Area | UN member | Continent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vatican City | 0.0 km² (0.0 sq mi) | Observer | Europe |
| 2 |  Gibraltar | 3.7 km² (1.4 sq mi) | No | Europe |
| 3 |  Tokelau | 4.3 km² (1.6 sq mi) | No | Oceania |
| 4 |  Cocos (Keeling) Islands | 13 km² (5.1 sq mi) | No | Asia |
| 5 | Monaco | 19 km² (7.3 sq mi) | Yes | Europe |
| 6 | Tuvalu | 23 km² (8.9 sq mi) | Yes | Oceania |
| 7 |  Sint Maarten | 23 km² (9.0 sq mi) | No | North America |
| 8 |  Saint Barthélemy | 25 km² (9.5 sq mi) | No | North America |
| 9 |  United States Minor Outlying Islands | 28 km² (11 sq mi) | No | Oceania |
| 10 | Nauru | 29 km² (11 sq mi) | Yes | Oceania |
| 11 |  Macau | 30 km² (12 sq mi) | No | Asia |
| 12 |  Norfolk Island | 41 km² (16 sq mi) | No | Oceania |
| 13 |  Pitcairn Islands | 43 km² (16 sq mi) | No | Oceania |
| 14 |  British Indian Ocean Territory | 49 km² (19 sq mi) | No | Africa |
| 15 |  Bouvet Island | 55 km² (21 sq mi) | No | Antarctica |
| 16 | San Marino | 60 km² (23 sq mi) | Yes | Europe |
| 17 |  Bermuda | 62 km² (24 sq mi) | No | North America |
| 18 |  Saint Martin | 69 km² (26 sq mi) | No | North America |
| 19 |  Guernsey | 74 km² (28 sq mi) | No | Europe |
| 20 |  Anguilla | 88 km² (34 sq mi) | No | North America |
Small countries are among the easiest to add to your count: Vatican City sits inside Rome, Monaco is a short train ride from Nice, San Marino and Liechtenstein are day trips by road. None of the four has an airport with scheduled flights: see the countries without an airport.
Questions people ask
What is the smallest country in the world?
Vatican City, at about 0.0 km² (0.0 sq mi). It sits entirely inside the city of Rome.
What is the smallest country in Africa?
Seychelles, at about 438 km² (169 sq mi).
What is the smallest country in Asia?
Maldives, at about 109 km² (42 sq mi).