European sovereign states having very small population or very small land area
A
European microstate
or
European ministate
is a very small
sovereign state
in
Europe
. In modern usage, it typically refers to the
six smallest states in Europe by area
:
Andorra
,
Liechtenstein
,
Malta
,
Monaco
,
San Marino
, and
Vatican City
(the
Holy See
).
[1]
Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco and Vatican City are
monarchies
(the
Vatican City
is an elective monarchy ruled by the Pope). These states trace their status back to the first millennium or the early second millennium except for Liechtenstein, created in the 17th century.
Microstates
are small independent states recognised by larger states. According to the qualitative definition suggested by Zbigniew Dumie?ski (2014), microstates can also be viewed as "modern protected states, i.e. sovereign states that have been able to unilaterally depute certain attributes of sovereignty to larger powers in exchange for benign protection of their political and economic viability against their geographic or demographic constraints."
[2]
In line with this definition, only Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and San Marino qualify as "microstates" as only these states are sovereignties functioning in close, but voluntary, association with their respective larger neighbours.
Luxembourg
and
Cyprus
which are far larger than all the European microstates combined, nonetheless share some of these characteristics.
[3]
List of states often labelled as microstates
[
edit
]
Arms
|
Flag
|
Microstate
|
Capital city
|
Area
|
Notes
|
|
|
Andorra
|
Andorra la Vella
|
468 km
2
(181 sq mi)
|
The Principality of Andorra used to be a
feudal
remnant high in the
Pyrenees
, a
fiefdom
held jointly by the
Bishop of Urgell
in
Spain
and the
Count of Foix
in
France
, with a population of approximately 89,000. The
County of Foix
merged into the
French Crown
in 1607 and thus the King of France and then the
President of France
took the place of the Count of Foix. Since 1993 Andorra has been a parliamentary democracy, but it maintains two Co-Princes, one being France's elected head of state and the other being the
Bishop of Urgell
. It has been independent since 1278.
Catalan
is its sole official language.
|
|
|
Liechtenstein
|
Vaduz
|
160 km
2
(62 sq mi)
|
The Principality of Liechtenstein is the sole remaining
polity
of the
Holy Roman Empire
, having been created out of the counties of
Vaduz
and
Schellenberg
in 1719 as a sovereign fief for the wealthy Austrian
House of Liechtenstein
. Its population is over 35,000. Owing to its geographic position between
Switzerland
and
Austria
, it was not swallowed up during the reorganisation of Germany following the
French Revolution
, and avoided incorporation into the
German Empire
later in the 19th century.
|
|
|
Malta
|
Valletta
|
316 km
2
(122 sq mi)
|
The Republic of Malta is an
archipelago
of seven islands in the central
Mediterranean Sea
and has a population of around 446,000 (2013 estimate),
[4]
meaning it has a larger population than several non-microstates, notably
Iceland
which has a population of around 325,000 (2014 estimate).
[5]
People first arrived about 5200 BC from the nearby island of
Sicily
. It gained
independence
from the
United Kingdom
as a
Commonwealth realm
in 1964, and became a republic in 1974. Malta is a member of the
Commonwealth of Nations
and the only microstate to be a full member of the
European Union
.
Roman Catholicism
is the official
state religion
.
|
|
|
Monaco
|
None (city-state)
|
2.02 km
2
(0.78 sq mi)
|
The Principality of Monaco on the
French Riviera
, ruled by the
House of Grimaldi
since the 13th century, achieved full independence only following the cession of the surrounding
Nice
region from
Piedmont
to France in 1860.
Monaco is located on the Mediterranean Sea, tucked into the
Maritime Alps
and has a population of around 35,000. Its constitutional monarchy is led by
Prince Albert II
. The population is 95% Roman Catholic. French, English, Italian, and
Monegasque
are the most widely spoken languages. Its economy is based on light manufacturing, banking and financial services, shipping and trade, R&D in biotechnology, marine environments, and tourism.
|
|
|
San Marino
|
Citta di San Marino
|
61 km
2
(24 sq mi)
|
The Republic of San Marino,
[6]
also known as the
Most Serene Republic
of San Marino,
[6]
is the oldest surviving sovereign constitutional
republic
in the world.
[7]
It is the continuation of a monastic community founded in 301 A.D. and is the last survivor of a large number of self-governing Italian communes from the Middle Ages, having survived the consolidation of Italy into medium-sized territorial states in the 15th century and the
unification of Italy
in the 19th century, largely owing to its remote location in a valley of the
Apennines
and its decision to offer sanctuary to leaders of the unification movement. It has a population of approximately 30,000.
|
|
|
Vatican City
|
None (city-state)
|
0.49 km
2
(0.19 sq mi)
[8]
|
A sovereign Vatican state was established by the
Lateran Treaty
of 1929 between the Pope and the government of
Benito Mussolini
, in which the Pope recognised the Italian state in exchange for establishing
Roman Catholicism
as the
state religion
, and recognition of the Pope's sovereignty over a tiny state entirely surrounded by the city of
Rome
. Its population is about 800, of whom about 450 reside in its territory.
[9]
The
Holy See
is a unique sovereign entity under international law distinct from Vatican City with the
pope
as the head of both, maintaining diplomatic and official relations with over 170 states and entities and participating in various
international organisations
either in its own capacity or on behalf of Vatican City.
|
Economic policies and relationship with the European Union
[
edit
]
The European microstates are all of limited size and population. They also have limited natural resources. As a result, they have adopted special economic policies, typically involving low levels of taxation and few restrictions on external financial investment. Malta is a full member of the
European Union
, while the other five European microstates have obtained special
relations with the European Union
. Many of the microstates have also entered into a
customs union
with their larger neighbours to improve their economic situation (Vatican City and San Marino with
Italy
, Liechtenstein with
Switzerland
, Monaco with
France
). Most of them lack clearly marked borders; for example, Monaco forms a continuous metropolitan area with its neighbouring French communes (the largest being
Beausoleil
) and has many streets running across or along the border.
Similar entities
[
edit
]
Dependencies
[
edit
]
While the microstates have sovereignty over their own territory, there are also a number of small
autonomous territories
, which despite having (in almost all cases) their own independent government, executive branch, legislature, judiciary, police, and other trappings of independence, are nonetheless under the sovereignty of another
state
or
monarch
.
Sovereign Military Order of Malta
[
edit
]
The
Sovereign Military Order of Malta
is a
Catholic
lay order
that is a traditional example of a sovereign entity under international law other than a state.
Unlike the Holy See, which is sovereign over the Vatican City, the Order has no territory. However, its headquarters, located in
Palazzo Malta
and
Villa Malta
, are granted
extraterritoriality
by Italy, and the same status is recognised by
Malta
regarding its historical headquarters, located in
Fort St Angelo
.
[10]
The Order is the direct successor to the medieval
Knights Hospitaller
, also known as the Knights of Malta, and today operates as a largely charitable and ceremonial organisation.
It has
permanent non-state observer status
at the
United Nations
, has full diplomatic relations, including embassies, with 100 states
[11]
and is in more informal relationships with five others. It issues its own stamps, coins, passports, and license plates, and has its own
army medical corps
.
Historical small territories
[
edit
]
The wars of the
French Revolution
and the
Napoleonic Wars
caused the European map to be redrawn several times. A number of short-lived
client republics
were created, and the
fall
of the
Holy Roman Empire
gave sovereignty to each of its many surviving
Kleinstaaten
. The situation was not stabilised until after the
Congress of Vienna
in 1815. Following
World War I
and
World War II
a number of territories gained temporary status as
international zones
,
protectorates
or occupied territories. A few of them are mentioned here:
Historical small territories
Name
|
Start date
|
End date
|
Modern-day state(s)
|
Notes
|
Couto Misto
|
10th century
|
1868
|
Spain
/
Portugal
|
Independent microstate on the border between Spain and Portugal
|
Duchy of Naples
|
840
|
1137
|
Italy
|
The Duchy survived the withdrawal of the Byzantine Empire and remained independent until subsumed by the
Kingdom of Sicily
in 1137
|
Republic of Lucca
|
1160
|
1805
|
Italy
|
The Republic was absorbed into the
Principality of Lucca and Piombino
(a client state of the
First French Empire
) between 1805 and 1815, and formed the independent
Duchy of Lucca
between 1815 and 1847, as a consequence of the
Congress of Vienna
|
County of Santa Fiora
|
1274
|
1633
|
Italy
|
|
Senarica
|
1343
|
1797
|
Italy
|
Smallest independent state to hold that distinction for so long
|
Gersau
|
1433
|
1798
|
Switzerland
|
|
Republic of Mulhouse
|
1347
|
1798
|
France
|
|
Republic of Ragusa
|
1358
|
1808
|
Dubrovnik
,
Croatia
|
|
Republic of Cospaia
|
1440
|
1826
|
Italy
|
Created after an error by
Pope Eugene IV
during the sale of territory to the
Republic of Florence
. A small strip of land went unmentioned in the sale treaty and its inhabitants promptly declared themselves independent.
|
Republic of Saint-Malo
|
1590
|
1594
|
Ille-et-Vilaine
,
France
|
|
Republic of Paulava
|
1769
|
1795
|
Lithuania
|
A completely independent
republic
founded by a
Lithuanian noble
Paweł Ksawery Brzostowski
with its own President, parliament, laws and army. The state was recognised by the Grand Duke and King
Stanisław August Poniatowski
.
[12]
[13]
|
Gozo
|
1798
|
1800
|
Gozo
,
Malta
|
|
Free City of Krakow
|
1815
|
1846
|
Krakow
Poland
|
|
Neutral Moresnet
|
1816
|
1920
|
Kelmis
,
Belgium
|
Neutral Moresnet was a
condominium
between the
Netherlands
and
Prussia
over a disputed zinc mine.
[14]
|
Free Cities of
Menton
and
Roquebrune
|
1848
|
1849
|
France
|
The
Free Cities of Menton and Roquebrune
seceded from
Monaco
in 1848. In November 1849 they were annexed by
Sardinia
, and in 1861 were annexed by France.
|
Republic of Kru?evo
|
3 August 1903
|
13 August 1903
|
Municipality of Kru?evo
,
North Macedonia
|
|
Free State of Schwenten
|
6 January 1919
|
10 August 1919
|
?wi?tno
,
Poland
|
|
Free State of Bottleneck
|
10 January 1919
|
23 February 1923
|
Hesse
,
Germany
|
|
Free City of Danzig
|
1920
|
1939
|
Gda?sk
,
Poland
|
|
Klaipeda Region
|
1920
|
1923
|
Lithuania
|
The territory was placed under French control under the
Treaty of Versailles
in 1920, but was occupied by Lithuania in 1923 in the
Klaip?da Revolt
|
Free State of Fiume
|
1920
|
1924
|
Rijeka
,
Croatia
|
|
Territory of the Saar Basin
|
1920
|
1935
|
Saarland
,
Germany
|
Following World War I, the Saar was a League of Nations mandate under French control, until a
referendum in 1935
saw over 90% of voters opt to return to Germany.
|
Saar Protectorate
|
1945
|
1956
|
Saarland
,
Germany
|
Following World War II, France governed the Saar directly as a protectorate, surrounded by France proper to the west and the
French Zone of Occupation
of Germany to the east.
|
Free Territory of Trieste
|
1947
|
1954
|
Divided between
Italy
,
Slovenia
and
Croatia
|
Trieste had been occupied by Italy following the end of World War I, and was notionally recreated as a Free Territory following the end of World War II, when it was divided between areas of Allied and Yugoslav control, formalised in 1954 with the Allied part being returned to Italy.
|
Historical dependencies
[
edit
]
Several historical territorial dependencies and colonies have also formerly existed in Europe, under the sovereignty of another
state
or
monarch
. These include:
Popular culture and sports
[
edit
]
- Association football
club
AS Monaco
, though based in Monaco, plays in the
French football league system
. In contrast, Malta maintains its own
league system
with a 14-team
top division
.
- Some of the European microstates are members of the
Games of the Small States of Europe
(GSSE); several of the island dependencies compete in the
Island Games
, alongside several other island dependencies from elsewhere in the world. Countries that participate at the Games of the Small States of Europe are: Andorra, Cyprus,
Iceland
, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco,
Montenegro
and San Marino.
- Monaco (
from 1959 to 1979 and 2004 to 2006
), Malta (
since 1971
), Andorra (
from 2004 to 2009
), and San Marino (
debut in 2008, then from 2011 onwards
) are or were contestant countries of
Eurovision Song Contest
.
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Klieger, P. C. (2012).
The Microstates of Europe: Designer Nations in a Post-Modern World
. Lexington Books.
- ^
Dumie?ski, Zbigniew (2014).
"Microstates as Modern Protected States: Towards a New Definition of Micro-Statehood"
(PDF)
. Occasional Paper. Centre for Small State Studies
. Retrieved
14 July
2022
.
- ^
Eccardt, Thomas M. (26 October 2017).
Secrets of the Seven Smallest States of Europe: Andorra, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City
. Hippocrene Books.
ISBN
9780781810326
– via Google Books.
- ^
"Estimated Population by Locality - 31st March, 2013"
(PDF)
. Malta Government Gazette no. 19094. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 14 July 2014
. Retrieved
28 September
2014
.
- ^
"Key figures"
. Statistics Iceland
. Retrieved
28 September
2014
.
- ^
a
b
"San Marino"
.
Encyclopædia Britannica
. 1 March 2011.
- ^
"San Marino is the oldest republic in the world"
.
dw.com
. Retrieved
31 August
2021
.
- ^
De Agostini Atlas Calendar
, 1945?46, p. 128.
(in Italian)
- ^
"Population"
(in Italian). Vatican City State. 1 February 2019
. Retrieved
11 April
2020
.
- ^
"After Two Centuries, The Order of Malta Flag Flies Over Fort St. Angelo, Beside The Maltese Flag " Sovereign Order of Malta - Official Site"
. Orderofmalta.int. Archived from
the original
on 16 September 2016
. Retrieved
21 October
2016
.
- ^
The Order's official website lists them
in this table
|date=19 November 2016.
- ^
Grigali?nait?, Violeta.
"Paulavos respublika: vieta, gal?jusi tapti lietuvi?kuoju Monaku ar Lichten?teinu"
.
15min.lt
. Retrieved
2 June
2014
.
- ^
"Paulavos respublika. Kas tai? - Lankytina vieta Merkin?je"
.
TuristoPasaulis.lt
(in Lithuanian). 5 June 2014
. Retrieved
6 January
2018
.
- ^
Droge, Philip,
Moresnet
, Unieboek,
Antwerp, Belgium, March 2016
External links
[
edit
]