Which UN member is the smallest landlocked country by area?

Which UN member is the smallest landlocked country by area? San Marino is the answer. It covers about 61 square kilometers and is a sovereign, landlocked microstate completely surrounded by Italy.

San Marino occupies the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains in southern Europe. Its terrain is dominated by Monte Titano, whose highest summit reaches 749 meters. Although tiny, the country is not merely a city or a neighborhood: it has nine municipalities, known as castelli, and maintains its own government, citizenship, institutions, and international relations.

The wording “UN member” matters. Vatican City is smaller, but it is a United Nations observer state rather than a full UN member. San Marino joined the United Nations in 1992, so it is the smallest landlocked country in the UN membership when countries are compared by area.

San Marino also has unusual political traditions. According to tradition, it was founded in AD 301 by Marinus, a stonemason and Christian community leader. Its two Captains Regent serve together as heads of state, each for a six-month term, a distinctive arrangement inherited from its long republican history.