The 6 smallest countries in the world

Do you know that there is a country smaller than a block? With less than 5 inhabitants? And with the pretension of having a national football team? Incredible but true !

Today, we invite you to discover the 6 smallest countries in the world , accompanied by their most notable anecdotes.

Be ready, the countdown will begin …

 San Marino, a state in the heart of Italy

Enclave inside Italy, between Emilia-Romagna and the Marches, San Marino is the sixth smallest country in the world, and the third in Europe. It is also  the oldest republic in the world (1463). It does not belong to the EU but is a member of the UN, the IMF and has its own euro coins.

San Marino is known for its Formula 1 prize and has had  a national football team since 1986 which has only won one victory (Lichtenstein) against 67 defeats!

For the record, San Marino remained neutral throughout the Second World War until 1944, when the Nazis began to lose the war. The authorities waited until the Allies left the San Marino far behind them to declare war on Germany. What is amusing is that the Germans launched a counter-offensive and pushed back the Allies. Seeing the approaching enemy, San Marino surrendered, but curiously, he went by phone!

 Tuvalu, Polynesia mini version!

Tuvalu is an archipelago made up of 9 coral atolls . Their names have completely paradisiacal sounds like their islands: Funafuti, Nanumea, Nanumaga, Niutao, Nui, Niulakita, Nukufetau, Nukulaelae, Vaitupu. Funafuti is the capital .

Independent since 1978, Tuvalu is a democracy and a parliamentary monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state.

What more can be said ? Drinking water is scarce and the state is directly threatened by global warming, which raises the level of water.  It is considered the least visited country in the world . One of the main sources of revenue for the country comes from the sale of Internet domains ending in .tv. Radios, TV channels and production companies from around the world are their main customers!

How to get there ? The island’s only airport is in Funafuti and it is possible to fly from Fiji.

 Nauru, a micronesian island without capital

” I go to the beach “. This is what Nauru means after the German ethnologist Paul Hambruch, theory refuted later by the Alsatian Alois Kayser. Nauru, located in Micronesia, near Australia , is considered the smallest republic in the world . Independent since January 31, 1968, it has no official capital, however the district of Yaren, which houses the Parliament, fulfills these functions.

The phosphate deposits are the only natural wealth of the country, and this wealth has been overused until it is exhausted! Today, the population has one of the highest rates of diabetes and obesity in the world as a result of an old life of opulence. Nauru, a paradise lost in the middle of the Pacific!

How to get there ? Nauru International Airport hosts flights from Fiji, Australia and the Kiribati Islands.

 Monaco, the rock of the Côte d’Azur

This city-state, on the shores of the Mediterranean, is an enclave located in France. Tax haven, Monaco attracts the jet set and the great fortunes of the whole world . All the beautiful yachts moored in the harbor attest to it! The state has one of the highest GNP in the world …

Monaco is also known for its princely family , casinos (including the Monte-Carlo casino) and sports events such as the UEFA Supercup, the Monte-Carlo Tennis Masters or the International Chess Tournament. The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the oldest and most prestigious car races in the world!

The Vatican, the papal city

Independent by the Lateran agreements of February 11, 1929, the Vatican is landlocked in the city of Rome . It houses the Holy See and the institutions of the Catholic Church. His current head of state is Pope Francis who has absolute power. His legal language is Latin. The Vatican has a seat at the UN as an observer, it is not a member state.

The Swiss Guard , which in the fifteenth century was composed of Swiss mercenaries, is currently the smallest and oldest army in the world (110 military), and deals with the protection of the Pope. His official language is curiously German. What a look, right?

 Sealand, a micronation in the international waters of the North Sea

This is not a joke ! The platform you see on the photo is actually the smallest in the world . Located 10 km from the coast of Suffolk, England , this principality is a former military fortress of the Second World War.

Stay well! Sealand was once ruled by Paddy Roy Bates, said Prince Roy, a former major of the British army. This micronation has a Constitution written on September 25, 1975, a flag , a coin bearing the image of the princess (wife of Prince Roy), stamps and passportsof Sealandese nationality. The Sealandese authorities have not managed to involve their football team in any international competition (in addition it would be complicated with 5 players, including the Prince over 80 years!). This is why, following agreements, the Danish club Vestbjerg has kindly represented the micronation on the international football scene.