Smallest country in the world

What to remember

Surrounded by the city of Rome, Vatican City covers just 0.44 km² (0.17 mi²), with no inland water at all. Among the 193 UN member states and the two observer states, none is smaller.

Created by the Lateran Treaty in 1929, the Vatican City State is also the least populated country in the world, the only one with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants: 764 were officially counted in 2023. Measured more precisely, its area is 0.439 km².

The landlocked city-state is ruled by the pope and serves as the administrative centre of the Catholic Church. It is governed by the Holy See, itself a sovereign entity under international law, and the name Vatican is often used to mean the Holy See as well.