What is the smallest country by area?

The smallest country in the world by area is Vatican City.

Vatican City is a sovereign city-state enclosed within Rome, Italy. It covers about 0.49 square kilometres, making it dramatically smaller than the next-smallest countries. Its territory includes St. Peter’s Basilica and Square, the Apostolic Palace, the Vatican Museums, government offices, barracks, gardens, and a small railway facility.

The modern state was established in 1929 through the Lateran Treaty, which settled the long-running dispute between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy. Although Vatican City is the state, the Holy See is the Catholic Church’s central governing authority and conducts its international diplomacy.

A frequent confusion involves Monaco, which is also extremely small but is larger than Vatican City. San Marino and Liechtenstein are larger still. Vatican City is also the world’s least populous sovereign state, though its population changes because many residents are clergy, Swiss Guards, employees, or members of religious communities rather than permanent native-born citizens.