After Vatican City, Monaco is the world’s second-smallest sovereign state by area.
Monaco covers roughly 2.1 square kilometres, making it larger than Vatican City but smaller than every other widely recognized sovereign country. It occupies a narrow strip of Mediterranean coastline on the French Riviera and is surrounded on land by France, while its southern boundary meets the Mediterranean Sea.
Monaco is a sovereign principality ruled by the House of Grimaldi. The Grimaldi family took control of the Rock of Monaco in 1297, a date commemorated in the principality’s history. Its modern constitutional arrangement combines a hereditary monarch, the Prince of Monaco, with elected institutions.
Area rankings can vary slightly depending on whether sources count reclaimed land and which measurement standard they use, but Monaco’s position behind Vatican City is the standard answer for sovereign states. It is often confused with Liechtenstein or San Marino, both of which are microstates but considerably larger. Monaco is also one of the world’s most densely populated countries.