Europe is the sixth-largest continent that covers approximately 2% of the Earth’s surface. It has a total area of about 10,180,000 square kilometers with a population of about 741.4 million people which comprise 9.78% of the world’s population. Europe is composed of 44 countries with Russia as the largest. European Russia already covers almost 40% of Europe’s land area, which leaves 60% for the remaining countries. Europe is also composed of very small nations due to historical events. This refers to losing or gaining territories which also caused modern-day borders to be established.
Smallest Countries in Europe
1. Vatican City
Vatican City is not only the smallest country in Europe but also the smallest country in the world. It only measures 0.44 square kilometers and only 800 people live here. This country is also known all around the globe because it is the home of the pope. Although the country is very small, they were able to provide important facilities including the telephone and pharmacies for the medicines. Television and radio are also available. However, due to the limited resources within the country, primary needs like food, water, fuel and even electricity are all imported. The country is considered the UNESCO World Heritage site. There are infrastructures like chapels and museums (Vatican Museums). A library called the Vatican Apostolic Library that contains approximately 1.6 million books can also be found in this country.
2. Monaco
Monaco, having the landmass of only 2.03 square kilometers, is the home of 39,500 people. Most of the inhabitants of this small country in Europe are Roman Catholic (French, Italian and Swiss). There are spectacular architectures especially on the museums within the country like the Oceanographic Museum. Other than that, Monaco also hosts sports car races and has available facilities for gambling (casino). The country values arts which are seen on the different museums located around the country. Even music is showcased in this country, an example is an orchestra. During winter, tourists visit the country for beautiful glacial landscapes and during summer, the tourists enjoy the beach resorts in Monaco.
3. San Marino
San Marino is also a mountainous country which measures 61 square kilometers. This country has historic architecture including citadels, old town buildings and even the cobblestone streets. The old town infrastructures may be quite similar to other cities in Europe but the citadels or castles are not that common. San Marino even has medieval fortress that shows exquisite designs and architecture. Sammarinesi living here has a population of 33,400. They usually plant crops as a living because agriculture is one of its main source of income along with tourism and crafts. This country is also home to a large variety of animals like foxes, moles, weasels and even birds. But since San Marino has no mineral resources, Italy became the source of the country’s electricity.
4. Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein has a total population of 38,557 people. The 160.5 kilometer area is mostly mountainous regions and a portion of pasture. People here are planting grapes and corns as local products, which is very much unique products to plant specially in this kind of land. This small country has mountains with forests from the base of the mountain that goes halfway the mountain. The peaks of these mountains are then covered with snow. Aside from planting, the people here are doing something else for a living like livestock and dairy. Since this small country in Europe is mostly composed of mountains and pastures, there are no airports and harbors but only railways will take you from place to place.
5. Malta
This archipelago once became a base for the World War II. Because of that historical event, Malta was in ruins after the war. But this country, with an area of 315.2 square kilometers, was able to slowly heal from the devastation. The Maltese people take pride on the historical sites like the burial chambers which was built 6,000 years ago. This country also has a 219 kilometers shoreline where various limestone formations are visible. These high cliffs are formed because of the land tilting due to tectonic activity. Limestone formations are very wonderful that it adds to the natural beauty of Malta despite the traces of the violent war it encountered.
6. Andorra
This one of the smallest countries in Europe is continually increasing tourism within the country. It has a land area of 468 square kilometers composed of mountain valleys, pastures, and other wonderful landscapes. Tourism in the country is increased not only because of the evergreen pastures and mountain valleys but also because their government supports winter sports. They find promoting winter sports would be a great way of attracting visitors because the country has great spots to hold these games. The government also supported the winter sports since only a small portion of the country is able to be planted. Most lands are covered with glaciers and is inadequate for planting. However, they still manage to plant local products like tobacco and grapes and harvest enough products. 76,900 people are living in Andorra.
7. Georgia
Georgia is a very popular country when it comes to hiking and trekking. It has very unique and challenging trails as it has mountainous regions (Caucasus Mountain Villages). With a total land area of 69,700 square kilometers, Georgia is mostly visited for mountain travels. This country is also known for countless ancient monasteries, hot springs and old towns made of cobblestone. Georgia also have Black Sea resorts. Structures within the country also shows modern archaeology and cultural heritage. The main religion in Georgia is Orthodox Christianity and churches are all over the country.
8. Luxembourg
With the land area measuring 2,586 square kilometers, Luxembourg is also considered to be one of the smallest countries in Europe. Like most of cities in Europe, Luxembourg showcases world heritage sites like medieval dungeons, jails and the capital having exemplar structures of historic castles. Aside from this, this country also offers parks and zoo highlighting the natural beauty of the country. The population in this country is approximately 602,005 and most of the parts of the country is rural. The countrysides of Luxembourg is also famous among tourists along with the medieval city.
9. Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan lies in both Asia and Europe. The Europe part of this country is considered one of the smallest countries in Europe. The country’s capital, Baku, is known for its medieval infrastructures. This country is also known as the “Land of Fire” because of the fire mountain Yanar Dağ that is known to be burning for almost 65 years already. The land area of Azerbaijan located in Europe is also composed of Caucasian mountains.
10. Cyprus
Although Cyprus is considered one of the countries to have most population in Europe with 803,000 people, it only has a total land area of 9,251 square kilometers. This country is known for richness in mineral and also production of wines with the finest quality. Tourists are also attracted to Cyprus because of its wonderful beaches and historic locations that Cyprus has to offer. Bird-watchers also visit this country because of the many species of birds that is found on the island of this small country. Geologists also find this country interesting, particularly because of its mysterious formations of mountains and landscapes that they claim to be because of igneous rocks. People from Cyprus are called Cypriots (Greek and Turkish). Cyprus can be found 40 miles south of Turkey, which is one of the reasons that the ethnicity of Cypriots include Turkish.
Conclusion
Europe’s countries have a lot of medieval types of towns and infrastructures. Most of the countries mentioned have the old towns and even historical sites they turned into attractions and national treasures. These small countries may be small in size but it didn’t become a hindrance to provide enough for the people. These countries also are limited in land area for more production but they became creative and resourceful in turning even the spots covered in glaciers useful in terms of tourism. Every country, big or small, has its own way of showing its beauty and resourcefulness.
I hope that this article on smallest countries in Europe was helpful. If you are interested, visit the Country Ranking Page!
