San Marino

Europe · micro country · history · mountains

Surrounded by Italy. San Marino is completely surrounded by Italy and sits on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains. It's one of only two countries entirely within another country, the other being Vatican City.

Incredibly ancient. San Marino was founded in AD 301 by a stonemason named Saint Marinus, making it the world's oldest extant sovereign state and the oldest constitutional republic. That means it has been independent for nearly 1,700 years.

Tiny but mighty. With a population of about 33,000 people and just 61 square kilometers of land, San Marino is the fifth-smallest country in the world. That's smaller than most cities.

Two leaders at once. San Marino has a unique system where two Captains Regent are chosen from opposing political parties to lead the country together for six months, then two new ones are selected. This ensures equal power and balance in government.