When it comes to the world’s most fascinating and beautiful destinations, size certainly isn’t everything. These are 5 of the most popular and smallest nations on the planet.

1. San Marino

San Marino

San Marino is just 24 square miles in size and sits in Europe on Italy’s Mount Titano. Since it sits by the Adriatic coast you know it’s going to be popular with visitors. The republic is known as the world’s oldest as it was founded way back in the year 301. The population here is close to 30,000 people and the nation’s constitution stretches back to the 17th century. It has been conquered twice throughout history, but both foreign occupations were brief. It actually used to be one of Europe’s poorest nations, but is now one of the wealthiest in the world.

2. Tuvalu

Tuvalu

The tiny nation of Tuvalu is located in warm and sunny Polynesia. It’s just a total of nine square miles in size and is made up of nine coral atolls. The nation’s highest point is approximately 17 feet above sea level. The population of this tropical paradise is just over 10,000 people. It was used in World War II as a strategically located allied base. Scientists aren’t exactly sure how long Tuvalu will be with us since the sea level is slowly rising and the islands are beginning to suffer from erosion.

3. Nauru

Nauru

Nauru, which is located in the western region of the Pacific Ocean, is formally regarded as the tiniest island nation on earth as a size of just 8.5 square miles. The country used to be named as Pleasant Island and is now home to about 13,000 residents. The island nation used to be among the world’s richest and much of the wealth came from the sale of bat droppings. However, once that lucrative business dried up the nation became quite poor with a high rate of unemployment. It’s still a fascinating and interesting place to explore.

4. Monaco

Monaco

At just seven-tenths of a square mile, Monaco is the second-smallest nation on the globe. However, it’s home to about 30,000 people, making it the most densely-populated nation in the world. Many rich people like to relocate here if possible since there was no form of income tax present here, but that has been changed. The country is generally administered by France and it has seen the Grimaldi family rule it since the 1200s. The roots of this monarchy can be traced back to Genoa, Italy. The nation lies in the French Riviera and is quite close to the city of Nice. The community is well known for its gambling, Formula 1 race and gambling casinos.

5. Vatican City

Vatican City

The only nation smaller than Monaco is Vatican City as it’s just .2 square miles in size and the population is a mere 770 people. However, none of them really live in the city which can be found inside of Rome, Italy. Basically, Vatican City is regarded as a spiritual center for the world’s Roman Catholics. It is home to the oldest and smallest military force on the globe, which is known as the Swiss Guard. There are two official languages here, which are Italian and Latin. The country’s residents receive more mail than anywhere else. The economy is supported by tourism and donations.

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