Guide to Europe’s Microstates
I’ve always been fascinated with the microstates of Europe: Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City, Malta, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Andorra, all of them tiny independent countries that somehow managed to survive the wave of unifications which swept over Europe in past centuries. While the historical perspective itself is intriguing, there’s much more to discover in each […]
Guide to Europe’s Microstates: Andorra
Quick facts (most recent available data) Population: 85,082 (11th smallest country by population) Area: 468 sq km (17th smallest country by area) GDP per capita (PPP): 37,200$ (23rd) Visiting Andorra Location and how to get there: Landlocked country located between Spain and France. I rented a car in Barcelona and drove to Andorra. Map Why […]
Guide to Europe’s Microstates: Liechtenstein
Quick facts (most recent available data) Population: 36,281 (7th smallest country by population) Area: 160 sq km (6th smallest country by area) GDP per capita (PPP): 89,400$ (2nd) Visiting Liechtenstein Location and how to get there: Landlocked country located between Switzerland and Austria. I rented a car in Zurich and drove to Liechtenstein, but you […]
Guide to Europe’s Microstates: Luxembourg
Quick facts (most recent available data) Population: 537,853 (32nd smallest country by population) Area: 2,586 sq km (28th smallest country by area) GDP per capita (PPP): 80,700$ (3rd) Visiting Luxembourg Location and how to get there: Landlocked country located between Germany, Belgium and France. I took a flight from Zurich to reach Luxembourg City. Map […]
Guide to Europe’s Microstates: Malta
Quick facts (most recent available data) Population: 452,515 (28th smallest country by population) Area: 316 sq km (10th smallest country by area) GDP per capita (PPP): 26,100$ (41st) Visiting Malta Location and how to get there: Malta is composed of three main islands located about 150 km South of Sicily. I took a short 1.5-hour […]
Guide to Europe’s Microstates: Vatican City
Quick facts (most recent available data) Population: 836 (smallest country in the world by population) Area: 0.44 sq km (smallest country in the world by area) GDP per capita (PPP): not available Visiting Vatican City Location and how to get there: Vatican City is a walled enclave located inside the city of Rome. Basically you […]
Guide to Europe’s Microstates: San Marino
Quick facts (most recent available data) Population: 32,404 (5th smallest country by population) Area: 61 sq km (5th smallest country by area) GDP per capita (PPP): 36,200$ (27th) Visiting San Marino Location and how to get there: San Marino is a landlocked country and an enclave located in North-Eastern Italy. Take the train from Rome […]
Guide to Europe’s Microstates: Monaco
Quick facts (most recent available data) Population: 36,371 (6th smallest country by population) Area: 2 sq km (2nd smallest country by area) GDP per capita (PPP): 63,400$ (4th) Visiting Monaco Location and how to get there: located on the French Riviera in Southern France. Take the bus from Nice for a scenic 40-minute trip to Monaco. […]
Guide to Europe’s Microstates: Bonus – Gibraltar*
(*Gibraltar is not an independent country, but it’s still cool) Quick facts (most recent available data) Population: 29,752 Area: 6.8 sq km GDP per capita (PPP): 43,000$ Visiting Gibraltar Location and how to get there: Small peninsula located in Southern Spain. I drove from the Spanish city of Malaga, but you can also catch a […]
Guide to Europe’s Microstates: Bonus – SMOM*
(*The Sovereign Military Order of Malta – SMOM is not an independent country and doesn’t even have its own territory, but it’s still cool) Quick facts (most recent available data) Population: 3 (plus 13,000 members and 80,000 volunteers) Area: two buildings located in Rome GDP per capita (PPP): n/a Visiting SMOM Location and how to […]
