Marshall Islands – Made up of 34 islands, the Marshall Islands gained independence from the United States in 1986. The island’s 59,071 residents seem to spend most of their waking hours pursuing compensation from the American government as a result of various nuclear tests that took place in and around the islands.
St. Kitts and Nevis – This Caribbean country of 38,958 gained independence in 1983. Nevis is the smaller island of the two and is fighting to secede from St Kitts which isn’t going to help their position in our top ten.
Liechtenstein – Sitting pretty on the banks of the Rhine River, and nicely nestled between Switzerland and Austria, Liechtenstein has a population of just 33,717.
Monaco – The tiny state of Monaco lies along the French Riviera on the French Mediterranean coast near Nice. Just 32,409 people inhabit a little over 1.95 sq kilometers of land. Monaco has been independent off-and-on since the 13th century.
San Marino – With a population of just 28,880 people San Marino used to be the second smallest state in Europe after the Vatican. San Marino also claims to be the world's oldest republic having been founded in the fourth century. Funny how two of the three smallest European states hold Formula One Grand Prix.
Palau – Palau (also known as Belau) is composed of more than 200 islands in the Pacific; the population is about 20,303. It became independent in 1994 and is the newest member of the United Nations.
Nauru – Nauru achieved independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 with a population of just 13,048. This is an impressive feat. Nauru was formerly known as the Pleasant Islands.
Tuvalu – Independent from Britain since 1978 Tuvalu is composed of 9 coral atolls along a 360 mile chain in Polynesia. The population of just 11,636 came up with a cunning ruse in 1998 when Tuvalu began deriving revenue from use of its area code for "900" lines, and in 2000 from the lease of its ".tv" Internet domain name for $50 million in royalties over the next dozen years – nice one.
My As Yet Un-named Country – Independent from Britain since just before teatime on the Sunday 20th March 2005, my as yet un-named country is the first fully double-glazed country in the world; it also has its own fitted kitchen. With crime at 0% and no traffic congestion it is considered by those who inhabit the country to be a very nice place to live indeed. The fastest growing country in the world, it has little in the way of natural resources, however the recent addition of a window box could result in a bumper crop of tomatoes.
Vatican City (Holy See) – With just 921 residents Vatican City (Holy See) is the world’s smallest state. At just .2 sq miles, the country, which surrounds St. Peter's Basilica, is the spiritual centre for the world's Roman Catholics (over 1 billion strong). Also known as the Holy See, it is surrounded by Rome, Italy. Its non-commercial economy is supported by contributions from Roman Catholic diocese thoughout the world and the sale of stamps, coins and fees for admission to museums!
