Which is the smallest country whose capital city is also its entire territory?

Vatican City is the smallest country whose capital city is also its entire territory.

The sovereign state occupies about 49 hectares inside Rome, Italy, and the whole country is identified with Vatican City. Unlike ordinary countries, it has no separate rural area or second settlement outside the capital. Its territory includes St Peter’s Square, St Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museums, and the Apostolic Palace.

The Holy See is the central governing authority of the Catholic Church, while Vatican City is the territorial state that supports its independence. These two terms are related but not identical, a distinction that often causes confusion.

Vatican City was established as an independent state by the Lateran Treaty, signed with Italy on 11 February 1929. Its small territory is therefore both a religious centre and a functioning sovereign state with its own institutions, security arrangements, and postal service.