Is Luxembourg One of the World's Smallest Countries?
Yes. Luxembourg is consistently ranked among the world's smallest sovereign states by land area.
World's 10 Smallest Countries (Land Area)
| Rank | Country | Area (km²) |
|---|
| 1 | Vatican City | 0.44 |
| 2 | Monaco | 2.02 |
| 3 | Nauru | 21.3 |
| 4 | Tuvalu | 26 |
| 5 | San Marino | 61 |
| 6 | Liechtenstein | 160 |
| 7 | Marshall Islands | 181 |
| 8 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 261 |
| 9 | Maldives | 298 |
| 10 | Luxembourg | 2,586 |
Luxembourg is the largest of the world's 10 smallest countries—about 10× the size of Malta (#9) and 90× the size of Vatican City (#1). Among European microstates, it is the largest (Vatican, Monaco, San Marino, Liechtenstein are smaller).
Why the Misconception?
People often think of "microstates" as only the tiny city-states (Vatican, Monaco). Luxembourg, while small globally, is a "regular" country with distinct regions, a capital city, and a population of ~660,000—larger than many towns.
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