Vatican City is the world's smallest country.
A Tiny Nation: Vatican City
Located within Rome, Italy, Vatican City boasts a land area of only 0.44 square kilometers (0.17 square miles). This makes it significantly smaller than many cities worldwide. The population is approximately 850 people. [Several sources](https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-the-smallest-countries-by-area, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1181994/the-worlds-smallest-countries/, https://www.history.com/news/what-is-the-smallest-country-in-the-world, https://www.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-100-smallest-countries/, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_dependencies_by_area, https://www.thoughtco.com/the-worlds-smallest-countries-1433446, https://www.titlemax.com/discovery-center/the-100-smallest-countries-in-the-world/, https://indianexpress.com/article/trending/top-10-listing/top-10-smallest-countries-in-the-world-by-area-9461058/, https://www.forbesindia.com/article/explainers/smallest-countries-world/92253/1, https://www.discovery.com/exploration/vatican-city-pictures) confirm this. It's a unique city-state, known as the Holy See, and is the center of the Catholic Church.
Key Features:
- Size: Incredibly small, less than half a square kilometer.
- Population: A tiny population of around 850 residents.
- Significance: A globally important religious center.
While other countries like Monaco and Nauru are also very small, Vatican City consistently holds the title of the world's smallest country by land area.
