Many people know that the Vatican is the smallest country in the world, located in Italy. But very few people have ever heard of another sovereign country located inside Italy – the Republic of San Marino.
5th smallest San Marino in the world
Geographically, San Marino is 61km2 wide, making it the 5th smallest country in the world, behind the island nations of Tuvalu, Nauru and other tiny European states Monaco and the Vatican. The country has an estimated population of just 33,600, of which around 1,000 are foreigners, mostly Italians. San Marino is located between the provinces of Emilia-Romagna and Marche and is hardly flat, the whole country is in the mountainous countryside.
This is the least visited country in Europe
Unlike the famous Monaco or Vatican, this tiny country is not known to the outside world too much. In 2017, San Marino ranked as the Least Visited Country in Europe, after only 60,000 international tourists visited it.
This is one of the oldest countries in the world
Archaeological finds indicate that there was a group of people settled in San Marino as early as the 5th century BC. San Marino was officially incorporated as a political entity in the late 1200s, during the Commune Age. In its thousand-year history, this tiny country has never been invaded by a foreign country.
San Marino also has the oldest surviving national constitution in the world. The Constitution of San Marino was drafted in 1600, written in Latin.
San Marino is Europe’s richest man
Despite its small size, San Marino is among the richest countries in the world. The country ranks 15th globally in terms of GDP per capita, reaching 45,320 USD (more than 1 billion VND) in 2018.
San Marino is not in the EU
Italian is the official language of San Marino and the euro is the official currency, although not in the EU. Although it is located within Italy and is heavily influenced by culture, the people of San Marino have always considered themselves an independent, sovereign country.
Most of the territory of San Marino is recognized by UNESCO as a cultural heritage
With mountainous terrain, coming to San Marino, visitors have the opportunity to see the towers, ancient architectural buildings on the hill like in the fairy world.
Source: The Culture Trip
