Top 100 Smallest Countries by Area

There are several minor independent nations, some of which are so small that they are referred to as microstates, in addition to the larger countries.

One of the smallest is the Vatican City (Holy See), which is located in Rome’s historic center in a tiny area with a few buildings and parks (Italy).

In terms of governance, military, and diplomatic missions, it may be the most peculiar nation without a permanent local population (the citizenship is granted only to persons who work in the Vatican and its missions abroad).

There are a lot of similarities between the top 30 nations on our list and the rest. Microstates and small islands in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans make up most of them (mostly the former overseas colonies gained their independence in the second half of the 20th century).

More well-known countries are listed by total area in the table below, as well as the countries with which they share land boundaries.

Note that the list excludes regions that are not recognized as separate nations. For example, Puerto Rico (which is part of the United States) and Bermuda (which is not) are not included in this list (it is the British overseas territory).

List of the 100 smallest countries by total area (land and water surface)