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 (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 18th
century.

Microstates are small independent states recognised by larger states. According to the
qualitative definition suggested by Zbigniew Dumieński (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, which is far larger than all the
European microstates combined, nonetheless shares some of these characteristics.[3]

List of states often labelled as microstates

[edit]

These may or may not be considered microstates.

Arm Fla Capita

Name Area Notes
s g l city

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
Andorra Crown in 1607 and thus the
Andorra 468 km2 (181 sq mi)
la Vella 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
Arm Fla Capita
Name Area Notes
s g l city

1278. Catalan is its sole

official language.

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
Liechtenstei
Vaduz 160 km2 (62 sq mi) is over 35,000. Owing to its
n
geographic position
between Switzerland and Aust
ria, 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.

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
Malta Valletta 316 km2 (122 sq mi) 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
Arm Fla Capita
Name Area Notes
s g l city

member of the European

Union. Roman Catholicism is
the official state religion.

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
None into the Maritime Alps and has
2.02 km2 (0.78 sq mi a population of around
Monaco (city-
) 35,000. Its constitutional
state)
monarchy is led by Prince
Albert II. The population is
95% Roman Catholic. French,
English, Italian,
and Monégasque 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.

The Republic of San

Marino,[6] also known as
the Most Serene Republic of
San Marino,[6] is the oldest
surviving sovereign
Città di constitutional republic in the
San Marino San 61 km2 (24 sq mi) world.[7] It is the continuation
Marino 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
 Arm Fla Capita
Name Area Notes
s g l city

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.

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
None population is about 800, of
0.49 km2 (0.19 sq mi
Vatican City (city- whom about 450 reside in its
)[8]
state) 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]
Main article: Microstates and the European Union

Liechtenstein castle

The European microstates are all of limited size and population. They also have limited natural
resources. As a result, they often 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 and San Marino, Andorra and Monaco are part of
the EU customs union while Liechtenstein is in a customs union with Switzerland.

Similar entities and definitions

[edit]

Luxembourg territorial changes over the centuries

The island nation of Malta in the Mediterranean is the

smallest EU Member

What countries are microstates is not clearly defined. However, some institutions use specific
definitions. Two institutions, the World Bank and the IMF, define them as states with a
population of no more than 200,000. However, others have focused on area, not population. The
larger microstates are less likely to be considered such, and while Malta may sometimes be
considered one, it is not common to describe Iceland, Montenegro, or Luxembourg as
microstates. These are more likely to be deemed a small state, which has been defined as a
state of fewer than 1.5 million people, though some go as high as several million if the state has
limited land area.

The World Bank uses a threshold of 1.5 million people to describe a small state, and less than
200,000 for microstates.[10] Some researchers have suggested that a microstate has up to one
million in population, and one as 1.5 million, but that is also used as threshold for small states,
not microstates.[11] The World Bank settled on 200 thousand for a microstate as does the
IMF.[10][12] A microstate has also been defined as less than the 100 thousand population.[13]

A Czech study on microstates in the year 2000 defined three sizes of microstate and one
subtype. The Czech definition focuses on land area, but also noted population:

1. small microstates (0–100 km2),

2. medium microstates (100–500 km2),

3. large microstates (500–1000 km2),

with a fourth category for large microstate with a large population.[14]

A paper in 2020 discussed the history of the smallest European states, and compared Malta and
Cyprus to Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and San Marino.[15]

Including both traditional microstates and small states in the European region yields several
more examples, such as Cyprus, Luxembourg, and Montenegro.[11]

• Andorra[15]

• Cyprus[note 1][15]

• Iceland[11]

• Liechtenstein[15]

• Luxembourg[15]

• Malta[15]

• Monaco[15]

• Montenegro[11]

• San Marino[15]

Dependencies and autonomous areas

[edit]
 Gibraltar

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.

• Akrotiri and Dhekelia (British overseas territory)

• Åland (autonomous county of Finland)

• Bailiwick of Guernsey (British crown dependency) a part of the Channel Islands,

consisting of three separate sub-jurisdictions: Alderney, Guernsey, and Sark

• Bailiwick of Jersey (British crown dependency), a part of the Channel Islands

• Faroe Islands (self-governing territory of the Kingdom of Denmark)

• Gibraltar (British overseas territory)

• Isle of Man (British crown dependency)

• Mount Athos (autonomous monastic community in Greece)

Further information: List of autonomous areas by country

Sovereign Military Order of Malta

[edit]

Flag of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is a Catholic lay order that is a sovereign entity under
international law rather 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.[16] 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,[17] 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[citation needed].
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

Sta
rt End
Name Modern-day state(s) Notes
dat date
e

10th Independent microstate

Couto Misto centu 1868 Spain/Portugal on the border between
ry Spain and Portugal

The Duchy survived the

withdrawal of the
Byzantine Empire and
Duchy of Naples 840 1137 Italy remained independent
until subsumed by
the Kingdom of Sicily in
1137

The Republic was

absorbed into
the Principality of Lucca
and Piombino (a client
state of the First French
Empire) between 1805
Republic of Lucca 1160 1805 Italy
and 1815, and formed
the independent Duchy
of Lucca between 1815
and 1847, as a
consequence of
the Congress of Vienna

County of Santa
1274 1633 Italy
Fiora

Smallest independent
Senarica 1343 1797 Italy state to hold that
distinction for so long
Historical small territories

Sta
rt End
Name Modern-day state(s) Notes
dat date
e

Gersau 1433 1798 Switzerland

Republic of
1347 1798 France
Mulhouse

Republic of Ragusa 1358 1808 Dubrovnik, Croatia

Created after an error

by Pope Eugene
IV during the sale of
territory to the Republic
of Florence. A small
Republic of Cospaia 1440 1826 Italy strip of land went
unmentioned in the sale
treaty and its
inhabitants promptly
declared themselves
independent.

Republic of Saint-
1590 1594 Ille-et-Vilaine, France
Malo

A completely
independent republic fo
unded by a Lithuanian
noble Paweł Ksawery
Brzostowski with its own
Republic of Paulava 1769 1795 Lithuania President, parliament,
laws and army. The
state was recognised by
the Grand Duke and
King Stanisław August
Poniatowski.[18][19]

Gozo 1798 1800 Gozo, Malta

Free City of Kraków 1815 1846 Kraków, Poland

Neutral Moresnet was

Neutral Moresnet 1816 1920 Kelmis, Belgium a condominium betwee
n
Historical small territories

Sta
rt End
Name Modern-day state(s) Notes
dat date
e

the Netherlands and Pru

ssia over a disputed zinc
mine.[20]

The Free Cities of

Menton and
Roquebrune seceded
Free Cities from Monaco in 1848. In
of Menton and Roqu 1848 1849 France November 1849 they
ebrune were annexed
by Sardinia, and in 1861
were annexed by
France.

3 13
Municipality of
Republic of Kruševo Augus August
Kruševo, North Macedonia
t 1903 1903

6
10
Free State of Janua
August Świętno, Poland
Schwenten ry
1919
1919

10 23
Free State of Janua Februa
Hesse, Germany
Bottleneck ry ry
1919 1923

Free City of Danzig 1920 1939 Gdańsk, Poland

The territory was placed

under French control
under the Treaty of
Klaipeda Region 1920 1923 Lithuania Versailles in 1920, but
was occupied by
Lithuania in 1923 in
the Klaipėda Revolt

Free State of Fiume 1920 1924 Rijeka, Croatia

 Historical small territories

Sta
rt End
Name Modern-day state(s) Notes
dat date
e

Following World War I,

the Saar was a League
of Nations mandate
Territory of the Saar under French control,
1920 1935 Saarland, Germany
Basin until a referendum in
1935 saw over 90% of
voters opt to return to
Germany.

Following World War II,

France governed the
Saar directly as a
protectorate,
Saar Protectorate 1945 1956 Saarland, Germany surrounded by France
proper to the west and
the French Zone of
Occupation of Germany
to the east.

Trieste had been

occupied by Italy
following the end of
World War I, and was
notionally recreated as
Divided a Free Territory following
Free Territory of
1947 1954 between Italy, Slovenia an the end of World War II,
Trieste
d Croatia 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]
 Heligoland

Several historical territorial dependencies and colonies have also formerly existed in Europe,
under the sovereignty of another state or monarch. These include:

• Heligoland (colony of the United Kingdom from 1807 to 1890), an island off the coast of
Germany (of which it is now part)

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.

• The San Marino national football team is the lowest-ranked FIFA-affiliated national
football team, and is widely considered to be the worst association football team of all
time.[21]

See also

[edit]

• Europe portal

• Enclave and exclave

• Games of the Small States of Europe, a biannual sports competition

Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Geographically a part of Asia, considered a European country in political

geography. The United Nations geoscheme includes Cyprus in Western Asia.
References

[edit]

1. ^ Klieger, P. C. (2012). The Microstates of Europe: Designer Nations in a Post-

Modern World. Lexington Books.

2. ^ Dumieński, 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.

3. ^ 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.

4. ^ "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.

5. ^ "Key figures". Statistics Iceland. Retrieved 28 September 2014.

6. ^ Jump up to:a b "San Marino". Encyclopædia Britannica. 1 March 2011.

7. ^ "San Marino is the oldest republic in the world". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 31
August 2021.

8. ^ De Agostini Atlas Calendar, 1945–46, p. 128. (in Italian)

9. ^ "Population" (in Italian). Vatican City State. 1 February 2019. Retrieved 11

April 2020.

10. ^ Jump up to:a b "Overview". World Bank. Archived from the original on 31 August
2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.

11. ^ Jump up to:a b c d On the Identification and Definition of Microstates By Archie

Simpson vol. 74, no. 2, "Microstates and Small Island States in International
Affairs" (Spring/Summer 2022)

12. ^ A Big Question on Small States Finance & Development, September 2013, Vol.
50, No. 3 Sarwat Jahan and Ke Wang

13. ^ Oxford Reference micro-state

14. ^ Big Systems in Small Countries (A Comparative Analysis) No.3(2000) Michal

Kubát Petr Sokol

15. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g h European Regions, 1870 – 2020 Chapter Cyprus, Malta
and Microstates: Andorra, Lichtenstein, Monaco, San Marino First Online: 21
August 2021 pp 371–383

16. ^ "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.

17. ^ The Order's official website lists them in this table |date=19 November 2016.
18. ^ Grigaliūnaitė, Violeta. "Paulavos respublika: vieta, galėjusi tapti lietuviškuoju
Monaku ar Lichtenšteinu". 15min.lt. Retrieved 2 June 2014.

19. ^ "Paulavos respublika. Kas tai? - Lankytina vieta Merkinėje". TuristoPasaulis.lt (in
Lithuanian). 5 June 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2018.

20. ^ Dröge, Philip, Moresnet, Unieboek, Antwerp, Belgium, March 2016

21. ^ "9 Reasons Why San Marino Really Is the Worst Football Team of All
Time". www.complex.com. Retrieved 21 September 2024.