hi dear friends!
Which is the smallest Country in the World?
The Vatican, I believe. 
It depends a bit on how one defines “country” but the generally accepted answer is Vatican City.
Doesn’t the Sovereign Military Order of Malta have dominion over one building somewhere?
And if you disqualify both of those as being not real countries, then next in line would apparently be Monaco
Not that I don’t think the vatican is a real country of course.
Didn’t some guy get an abandoned oil rig somewhere in the English Channel declared a country for purposes of baking and such? Wouldn’t that be smaller than Vatican City?
I don’t think Sealand is recognized by any other sovereign nations, though. Just tax dodgers.
Tax-free scones, anyone?
The smallest independent republic in the world is Nauru, according to the CIA World Fact Book:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/nr.html
Things are looking too well for the Nauruans right now. But if they get their offshore banking business up and running, and perhaps become a flag of convenience for international shipping, they could become a real player on the world stage.
Nauru is the smallest repbulic. Vatican City or The Holy See as the CIA factbook calls it, is the smallest recognized independent country
Sorry hit post by accident. Nauru is a republic but Vatican City is ruled by the pope so it is not a republic.
Yes, I know that the Vatican is smaller, and should have clarified. I recently learned of Nauru’s existence and thought I’d share for trivia’s sake.
Then, of course, while bigger than the Vatican, there’s always the Duchy of Grand Fenwick.
The Principality of Freedonia
They’re so small, they only exist in their own minds.
Not to be confused with the Dictatorship of Freedonia ruled by one Rufus T. Firefly.
R.T., you out there?
I remember when I first started collecting stamps, San Marino was the smallest country. Wonder where it stands now.
At that level, you have to really define your terms.
Nauru might qualify, as Vatican City is not entirely sovereign, by some definitions.
Petoria was, at one point, a small independant nation in New England…
Monaco is smaller than Nauru, but it’s a monarchy not a republic. BTW Vatican City is also a monarchy.
The already mentionned Sovereign Order of Malta is recognized…well…as sovereign by a large number of countries (out of tradition for many of them, but surprinsingly enough, a significant number of countries that became independant after the decolonization recognized it too).
As for it being a country, that’s debatable or even dubious. Though they issue a passport, if I’m not mistaken.