Small-sized geo-political zones face serious challenges when it comes to development, and the reason for this is their poor or limited economic power and small population. They might even experience natural disasters, economic shocks, and changes in climatic conditions.
This lack of economic power, causes people to migrate to other geopolitical zones, which in turn brings about constraints on the capacity of the state. Several attempts recently to fully explain these small geopolitical zones have focused on the identification of unique characteristics in relation to their population and their size.
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Top 10 Smallest States In The World
10. FEDERATION OF SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS
The two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis were discovered in the year 1493 by Christopher Columbus. The island is based in the Caribbean but was settled in the seventeenth century. Two hundred and sixty-nine square meters of the island were accepted as an independent state in the British empire.
As of currently, the island has fifty thousand three hundred and fourteen citizens living on both islands. In 2008 the island of Saint Kitts and Nevis had the highest rate of murder per capita but despite that, the islands attracts lots of tourists especially from the United States of America.
This island is the only sovereign state in the Caribbean. These islands were among the first islands that were colonized by the Europeans. The first British and French colonies were in Saint Kitts and the Grenadines, which gained independence in the year 1983.
9. NIUE
This island is closely related to Cook island and the size of Niue Island is 261.4 square kilometers. The island of Niue is considered an independent state, although the island does not have its own citizenship and is linked with New Zealand.
The population density of Niue is 5.2 people per square kilometer. It is one of the few loneliest geo-political zones in the world and has approximately one thousand three hundred people occupying the island, which are scattered among thirteen villages and other small settlements on the island.
The island of Niue has no port but has an airport, so goods that are coming to the island of Niue by sea are transshipped by barge. On the island, there are only nine hundred internet users and up to four hundred Niue country domains.
8. COOK ISLANDS
According to international law, the Cook Islands present a special feature, the island is referred to as an independent state however it has free contact with New Zealand. The island has two hundred and forty square kilometers and is in the South Pacific. It has up to eighteen thousand six hundred residents, but they do not have their own citizenship.
The island is divided into eleven separate island councils, with the largest covering about sixty-five square kilometers and having about fifteen thousand residents. The smallest island council is Palmerston, with about fifty people who live on an area of 2.1 square kilometers.
7. REPUBLIC OF MARSHALL ISLANDS
Two meters high, that is the highest point of this island in the Pacific Ocean, and the land area of the Republic of Marshall Island is 181.3 square kilometers.
The island is divided into almost two parallel islands that are focused on an area that is up to two million square kilometers and goes to the ocean.
The Republic of Marshall Island has been in existence since 1986 but became famous for its fifty-four thousand, six hundred inhabitants after the atomic bomb tests in the ’50s. The island is one of the most romantic places in the world.
6. PRINCIPALITY OF LIECHTENSTEIN
The island of the principality of Liechtenstein got its independence in 1806. The territory has a square meter of 160.47. The island, before it gained its independence, was occupied by different countries’ forces, like the French and the Germans. It is the only state in the entirety of the alps.
The highest point of the island is Mount Liechtenstein front grauspitz which has a height of two thousand five hundred and ninety-nine meters.
The deepest is ruggeller riet which is as deep as 430 meters. On the island, the population of inhabitants are 36,942 with 12,000 of them foreigners.
5. REPUBLIC OF SAN MARINO
The Republic of San Marino is one of the smallest states in the world. This is the oldest republic and as of recently, thirty-two thousand five hundred people have its citizenship. It has a square meter of 60.57 and approximately twelve thousand eight hundred of its population live abroad.
4. TUVALU
This island was known formerly as Ellice island and was named Tuvalu in 1978. t was also recorded that same year as a sovereign nation. The island has about twenty-five square kilometers and its population is about ten thousand five hundred, the islands highest point is five meters above sea level and most citizens are into agriculture and fishery.
3. REPUBLIC OF NAURU
The island of Nauru is divided into fourteen districts and has a square mile of twenty-one. The population of this island is ten thousand one hundred and seventy-five.
In 2001, the economy of the island was primarily based on phosphate mining but when the phosphate was exhausted the standard of living saw a drastic change and the island was close to being bankrupt. This led to the budget of the state being dependent of Australian grants.
2. PRINCIPALITY OF MONACO
The island gained her independence in February 25 1489. It has a square kilometer area of 2.02 with a population of seventeen thousand, eight hundred and eighty-nine.
The Greek settlers discovered this island in the fifth century. There is no direct tax for its citizens and there is no income or inheritance tax so there is little wonder this islands brings all the high and mighty from around the world.
1. VATICAN CITY
The state of Vatican does not belong to the united nations but it is referred to as an independent state. It has a population between eight hundred and nine hundred individuals and its square kilometers is 0.44.
In order for the state to get power and energy, solar panels that are the size of a football pitch are installed to provide support for its energy consumption. The Vatican has about fifty streets a train station and a heliport. As small as it is the Vatican state has its own football team.
CONCLUSION
Micro or small states are different from small nations although the meanings of ‘small’ and ‘state’ are not really explained in detail in international law. Other examples of these small states are Andorra, Palau, federated states of Micronesia.
Please leave comments below of other small states that are not mentioned in this list and we would love to hear from you.
