What are the tiniest countries of the world?

There are actually 2 smallest countries in the world. This is because the country with the minimum area, i.e., the smallest by size, does not have such a small population. On the other hand, the country with the least number of residents, i.e., the smallest by population, is not very small in area. Let’s have a look at both of these countries.  

Vatican City: Tiniest country   
Based on area, Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, measuring less than half a kilometre in size! Situated on the western bank of River Tiber, the national borders of Vatican City stretch for a little over 3 km. It is surrounded by all sides by Italy. This is because it was a part of Italy. Vatican City is where the Pope has lived since 1377. This always created tension in the region. The power tussle between the spiritual head of the Catholic Christian Church and the Emperor of Italy is ancient. It was finally resolved after centuries in 1929 with the Lateran Treaty signed between Benito Mussolini and Pope Pius XI. The Pope accepted that Italy is a separate kingdom, and Mussolini agreed that the Vatican City (the campus where the Pope lived) is a country by itself. Today, nearly 75% of the Vatican’s citizens are priests. 

Pitcairn Islands: Emptiest country  
Despite its tiny size, 800 to 850 people live in the Vatican at any time. Compare that with Pitcairn Islands, where roughly 40 to 60 people live. Pitcairn is a group of four beautiful, densely forested, hilly islands on the Pacific Ocean between Peru and New Zealand. The area is about 47 square km. There was a famous mutiny on board a British ship called the Bounty, after which, 8 mutineers led by a sailor-soldier called Fletcher Christian fled to the nearby island of Tahiti. Then they went away to the totally uninhabited Pitcairn Island with a group of Tahitians. The current residents are the descendants. The highest ever population recorded there is 223, which happened just before World War II.