Category Smallest Countries of the World

               The country which is in the 14th place in the smallest list is Antigua and Barbuda. It is a dual-island nation in the West Indies. It is a sovereign state in the Americas, lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

               Antigua and Barbuda is part of the Leeward Islands, and consists of two inhabited main islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and a number of smaller islands. The capital and largest city is St. John’s on Antigua.

               Its governance, language, and culture have all been strongly influenced by the British Empire, of which the country was formerly a part, gaining sovereignty on 1st November 1981. It remains a member of the Commonwealth, and Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state.

               The island is tropical and drier than most of the West Indies. The hot season, when most rain falls, is May to November. Hurricanes strike on an average of once a year.

               The most significant environmental issue here is limited natural freshwater resources.

               Located in the continent of Africa, Seychelles covers 459 square kilometres of land. It is the 15th smallest country. In fact, it is the smallest country in Africa.

               Seychelles became an independent state in 1976, after gaining its sovereignty from the UK. The population of Seychelles is 94,228.

               Seychelles’s economy depends heavily on the fishing industry and tourism. Seychelles is very popular because of its scenic beauty, and enchanting climate. The island country, whose capital is Victoria, lies 1,500 kilometres east of mainland East Africa.

               Seychelles is a member of the African Union, the Southern African Development Community, the Commonwealth of Nations, and the United Nations. It got independence in 1976.

               The currency of Seychelles is the Seychellois Rupee (SCR). As well, the people of Seychelles are referred to as Seychellois.

            Andorra is situated in south-western Europe, in the eastern Pyrenees Mountains between France and Spain.

            The first Andorran Constitution was passed in 1993, establishing parliamentary government. It then joined the United Nations and Council of Europe.

            Andorra has traditionally had a strong affinity with the region of Catalonia in northern Spain. Andorra’s official language is Catalan. Andorra is the sixth-smallest nation in Europe, with an area of 468 square kilometres. Its capital Andorra la Vella is the highest capital city in Europe.

            The mainstay of the highly-prosperous economy is tourism. The country’s banking sector enjoys partial tax-haven status. An estimated 10 million people visit each year, drawn by winter sports, a warm summer climate. Andorra is not a member of the EU, but enjoys a special relationship with it and uses the Euro.

          Located in the western Pacific Ocean, Palau has an area of 466 square kilometres.

          It consists of some 340 coral and volcanic islands.

          Palau became an independent state in 1994, after gaining its sovereignty from the US. The population of Palau is 21,032. The most populous island is Koror.

          The original settlers of Palau are believed to have arrived from Indonesia as early as 2500 BC. The capital Ngerulmud is located on the nearby island of Babeldaob, in Melekeok State.

          Tourism is low key, although growing in economic importance. Many visitors come from Taiwan, with which Palau has diplomatic ties. Taiwanese aid boosts the economy. The government is Palau’s largest employer.

          There is concern that the low-lying islands could be badly affected by rising sea levels possibly due to climate change.

               Saint Lucia is a sovereign island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. It covers a land area of 617 square kilometres and reported a population of 165,595 in the 2010 census. Its capital is Castries.

               On February 22, 1979, Saint Lucia became an independent state of the Commonwealth of Nations associated with the United Kingdom. Tourism is vital to Saint Lucia’s economy. Most of the tourists to Saint Lucia arrive by cruise ship.

               Saint Lucia’s currency is the East Caribbean Dollar, a regional currency shared among members of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECU).

               With two Nobel Prize winners, Saint Lucia boasts the world’s second highest ratio of Nobel laureates compared to the total population. Sir Arthur Lewis won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1979, and poet Derek Walcott received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1992.

            The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is a country located in the western Pacific Ocean, and in the Micronesia cultural and ecological sub-region of Oceania. The Federated States of Micronesia is an independent sovereign island nation and a United States associated state consisting of four states —from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae. Together, the states comprise around 607 islands.

            Though formally independent, in 1986 Micronesia signed a “Compact of Free Association” with the US. Under this, Washington took on responsibility for defence and gained the right to set up military bases and deny other nations’ access to Micronesia.

            It has the 14th largest exclusive economic zone in the world. The FSM has a population of about 110,000 inhabitants. The largest island is Pohnpei, home to the nation’s capital Palikir. Largest city is Weno on Chuuk, a huge atoll west of Pohnpei. English is the official language.