Which country has the world’s smallest population and land area?

Vatican City is the world’s smallest country by both land area and population.

The independent city-state covers about 49 hectares, or 0.49 square kilometres, and is enclosed within Rome, Italy. Its population is usually fewer than 1,000 people, although the exact total changes with residency and citizenship arrangements.

Vatican City was established as an independent state by the Lateran Treaty of 1929, signed by the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy. It serves as the territorial headquarters of the Holy See, the central governing institution of the Catholic Church. The pope is the country’s head of state.

The country contains St Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. A common distinction is important: the Holy See is the sovereign entity that conducts diplomacy, while Vatican City is the territory created to guarantee its independence.