Everything about The European Microstates totally explained
The
European microstates or ministates are a handful of very small
sovereign states on the
European
continent and the surrounding islands. The smallest of these,
Vatican City, is also the smallest nation in the world.
Microstates are small independent states and they shouldn't be confused with "
micronations", which are neither states nor independent.
Microstates
Andorra
The
Principality of Andorra is 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 70,000. 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. It has been independent since 1278.
Catalan is its official language.
Liechtenstein
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 30,000. Owing to its geographic position between
Switzerland and
Austria, it wasn't swallowed up during the massive reorganisation of Germany following the
French Revolution, and avoided incorporation into the
German Empire later in the 19th century.
Malta
The
Republic of Malta is an
archipelago of seven islands in the central
Mediterranean Sea and has a population of around 400,000 meaning it has a larger population than several non-Microstates, notably Iceland. People first arrived on Malta about 5200
BC. It gained independence from the
United Kingdom in 1964. Malta is a member of the
Commonwealth of Nations and the
European Union.
Monaco
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, and Italian are the three most widely spoken languages. Its economy is based on light manufacturing, banking and financial services, shipping and trade, R&D in biotechnology, and marine environments. Tourism is also a profitable industry for Monaco.
San Marino
The
Most Serene Republic of San Marino is the last survivor of a large number of self-governing Italian communes from the Middle Ages. It 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
The State of the
Vatican City is the last remnant of the former
Papal States, the lands in central
Italy ruled directly by the
Pope. After the unification of Italy in the 19th century the Papal States had become formally part of the Kingdom of Italy, but the Vatican disputed this claim of geographic authority, and the papacy continued to exercise
de facto political control over an area around
St Peter's Basilica in Rome. A sovereign Vatican state was later established by the
Lateran Treaty of 1929 between the Pope and the Italian government, 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 located entirely within the city of
Rome. Its population is between 600 and 700.
Economic policies and relationship with the European Union
The European microstates are all of limited size and population, and have limited natural resources. As a result, they've 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, and Monaco with
France).
Dependencies
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.
Other entities
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 organizations either in its own capacity or on behalf of Vatican City.
The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is a Catholic order that's a sovereign entity under international law and has permanent observer status at the United Nations. 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 organization. It is a traditional example of a sovereign entity other than a state. Its headquarters in Rome are granted extraterritoriality by Italy. Unlike the Holy See, which is sovereign over the Vatican City, SMOM has no sovereign territory, yet does have full diplomatic relations, including embassies, with 100 states and is in more informal relationship with five others. It issues its own stamps, coins, passports, and license plates, and has its own military.
Many people often debate over the small artificial island of Sealand off the coast of the United Kingdom, which has asserted independence since the 1960s, however, very few actually accept it as a nation.
Historical small territories
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 component states. The situation wasn't stabilized 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:
Couto Mixto, ?-1864
Gersau, 14th century-1798
Free City of Kraków, 1815–1846 (now Kraków)
Neutral Territory of Moresnet, 1816–1919
Free City of Danzig, 1920–1939 (now Gdańsk)
Free State of Fiume, 1920–1924 (now Rijeka)
Free Territory of Trieste, 1947–1954 (Trieste)
Saar, 1945–1956
Republic of Ragusa, between the 14th century and 1808 (now Dubrovnik)Further Information
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