The Earth currently has a population of about 7.9 billion spread across 197 sovereign countries. The billions of people who occupy this planet are distributed across these nations in unequal numbers–in some such as China and India, there is enough landmass to hold billions of people whereas other countries and states such as Singapore and Monaco are quite small indeed.
Today, we shall go over some interesting facts you should know about some of the world’s smallest countries. The information in this article will also include their populations and the area of land the country occupies.
Veronica Bertollo/Pexels | Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein covers an area of 62 square miles and had a population of 38,305 according to the United Nations in 2022. Hence, it is densely populated–located between Switzerland and Austria, if you are looking for a safe country to live in, Liechtenstein is a sure bet. The last recorded homicide in Liechtenstein took place in 1997 and the country has lots of great castles and tourist attractions.
Jonathan Emili/Pexels | San Marino
San Marino
San Marino covers an area of merely 23.5 square miles. This small country has a population of 34,085 based on estimates by MacroTrends in 2022. With a population that large in such a small area, San Marino is densely populated. The country has a good GDP and also offers free food and transportation to its constituents. Among those in existence, San Marino is believed to be the world’s oldest Republic and thanks to its rich history and culture, the country gets a lot of visitors, entertaining some 3 million tourists annually.
Mapoteca_mx/Instagram | Tuvalu
Tuvalu
According to recent estimates, Tuvalu has a population of 12,028 people who live in an area of about ten square miles. Yes, Tuvalu is that small. It was previously referred to as Ellice Islands and is located not far from the North-East of Australia. The Island is somewhat lacking in infrastructure and has just one hospital in it. It also has a peculiar caving system that made headlines in 1986 when two scuba divers found scorched underwater caves in the area. According to experts, this was proof that the Island was much higher above seas level thousands of years ago. Currently, the highest point on the island is 16 feet above sea level.
Nauru
Nauru is the smallest island country in the world, covering an area of eight square miles with a population of about 10,934. This island is often referred to as the most obese island nation because 97% of men and 93% of women here are classified as obese. Hence, type 2 diabetes is common in Nauru as about 40% of the population suffers from this medical condition.
