With over 200 countries in the world, it's easy to think the word "country" equates to a massive land area with large numbers of people. Some nations are so small that cities within other nations are giants compared to them. Mostly found in Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific, there are many countries in the world with an area of less than 400 square kilometers.

With their own governments and own culture, these small countries are some of the richest, most remote, and most intriguing places in the world. Let's take a look at the 10 smallest countries in the world today:

10 – Grenada - 344 km²

An island nation in the Caribbean, Grenada is also known as “The Island of Spice." The world's largest producer of nutmeg and mace crops, this nation located northwest of Trinidad and Tobago was colonized by the French from 1649 to 1763, which explains the very strong influence of French tradition and culture in the country. A popular tourist destination, you'll find French-influenced architecture and art all around the island, with cricket as the most popular sport.

9 – Malta - 316 km²

Malta is another island country, however, its located in the Mediterranean Sea. 3 major islands make up the Republic of Malta: Gozo, Comino, and the largest, Malta. This small country has a population of over 450,000 inhabitants, making it one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Another popular tourist destination, foreigners from all over the world come to Malta for its sunny weather, attractive beaches, over 7,000 years of intriguing history, and a still vibrant nightlife.

8 – Maldives - 300 km²

A popular tourist destination in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is the smallest country in Asia in terms of area and population. There are over 1,192 coral islands in the Maldives, which are spread over 90,000 sq.km, making it one of the world's most dispersed countries. The country was once the colony of many empires, the Portuguese, the Dutch, and the British, but became an independent country in 1965. Today, the Maldives has a vibrant tourism economy due to its famous white sand beaches and crystal blue waters.

7 – Saint Kitts and Nevis - 261 km²

The Mother Colony of the West Indies, these 2 islands in the Caribbean were some of the first islands to be occupied by Europeans. Its economy is dependent on tourism, agriculture, and small manufacturing industries. The islands also provide fantastic diving sites due to abundant marine life. A major sugar exporter for centuries, the large plantations are now beautiful estates that have been converted into hotels and resorts.

6 – Liechtenstein - 160 km²

A German-speaking country, this is the only nation in the world to be completely located in the Alps. Located between Switzerland and Austria, Liechtenstein is the richest country in the world by GDP per capita, with the lowest unemployment rate (1.5%). Getting into the country is a little tricky without an airport. Visitors must go through Switzerland's Zurich Airport to reach this Alpine country that's still ruled by a prince.

5 – San Marino - 61 km²

Surrounded completely by Italy, San Marino is also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino. Claiming to be the oldest surviving sovereign state in the world, it is also one of the wealthiest in terms of GDP per capita. The 3rd smallest country in Europe, it has a population of only 30,000, boasting of one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world.

4 – Tuvalu - 26 km²

Formerly known as the Ellice Islands, Tuvalu is located in the Pacific Ocean, west of Australia. There are about 10,000 inhabitants, with 8km of roads, and only 1 hospital present on the main island. The country was once a British territory but became independent in 1978. A difficult place to get to, tourism is not very significant. In 2010, less than 2,000 visitors came to Tuvalu, with 65% of them coming for business.

3 – Nauru - 21 km²

An island nation located east of Australia, Nauru is the smallest island country in the world. It was known in the 1980's for a booming phosphate mining but is now a quiet island off the radar of tourists. Formerly known as Pleasant Island, its phosphate resources are now depleted, leading to a 90% national unemployment rate, with the remaining 10% employed by the government. Nauru is also known as the country with the most obese people in the world, with 97% of its men and 93% of women being obese or overweight. Because of this, Nauru is also home to the world's highest level of type 2 diabetes, with 40% of its population suffering from the ailment.

2 – Monaco - 2 km²

Located on the French Riviera, Monaco is home to the largest number of millionaires and billionaires per capita in the world. Known for its gambling and luxury goods and services industry, Monaco is a favorite playground of the rich and famous. Bordered by France on 3 sides and one side by the Mediterranean Sea, the residents of Monaco are mostly French-speaking. With a population of over 36,000, Monaco is the world's most densely populated country. The most popular annual event is the Formula 1 Race, with tracks passing through the city streets.

1 – Vatican - 0.44 km²

The world's smallest country is the Vatican, also known as the Holy See. This country fits within the Italian capital city of Rome, and is the center of the Catholic Church. It is also home to the biggest church in the world – St. Peter's Basilica, and holds some of the most significant art works of the Renaissance such as The Pieta and the Creation of Adam. Its income comes from the voluntary contributions of over 1 billion members of the Roman Catholic Church around the world. The remainder of its economy comes from the sales of postage stamps, tourist mementos, and admission fees of museums.

Facts

Sunday, August 23, 2015

From North to South and East to West, the world’s largest countries provide a beautiful snapshot of the variety of geography, climate and wildlife on the planet. Collectively, the world’s largest countries contain rainforest and tundra, mountains and valleys, coastline and desert. As we explore the largest nations, we visit five different continents, with world’s most spectacular geography, and every type of climate that can be imagined.

Excitingly, it’s always changing, too: history has taught that geopolitical boundaries shift dramatically as centuries pass. In the next decades, who’s to say which countries will become the world’s largest?

10. Algeria

Algeria, with 2.38 million square kilometers, is the tenth-largest country in the world by area and the only African country in the top 10. Situated in Northern Africa, Algeria has a Mediterranean coastline of 998 km long. About 90 percent of the country is desert, and much of its desert regions are highly elevated. The Atlas Mountain range runs along the country’s northern border, while the interior, much of which is above sea level of hundreds of meters, contains the Algerian portion of the Sahara Desert. The massive Algerian Sahara extends all the way to the south of the country which is bordered with Niger and Mali.

9. Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan’s with area of 2.72 million square kilometers stretch over vast plains and highlands. A cool and dry, but not quite desert-like, climate prevails for most of the year. Kazakhstanis experience a great range of temperatures throughout the year, though it doesn’t get as cold in Kazakhstan as it does in parts of its northern neighbor, Russia. Formerly part of the USSR, the largest nation in the world for most of the 20^th century, Kazakhstan’s current main claim to fame is its status as the largest landlocked country in the world—and the only landlocked country in the top 10.

8. Argentina

Argentina, the world’s 32^nd most populous country, is the world’s eighth largest, and the largest Spanish-speaking nation in the world by area. Its 2.78 million square kilometers includes some of the most varied geography and climate in the world. Swampy, tropical conditions in the very north give way to freezing glacial regions in the south. Patagonia is one of the most spectacular and dangerous places on the planet, stretches from the southern Andes in the West to the Atlantic Ocean in the East. The southern tip of Argentina, known as Cape Horn, is one of the stormiest locations on the globe.

7. India

India is the second largest nation in terms of population, and seventh largest in terms of area. Its boundaries have changed quite a few times over the past century, and even still, India claims that the northern region of Kashmir (an area disputed with Pakistan) belongs under Indian control completely. As it stands, without Kashmir, India’s territory stretches for 3.29 million square kilometers. China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal each share a border with India, and its geography ranges from the majestic Himalayan Mountains to the tropical shores of the southern peninsula.

6. Australia

An approximately 4.4 million square kilometer difference between Australia and India represents the second-largest size difference between countries ranked consecutively in the top 10. Australia, at around 7.69 million square kilometers, is over twice the size of India. It’s the largest country in Oceania by far. The vast majority of its population lives in coastal cities like Sydney in the East and Perth in the West, and with good reason: the Australian Outback is one of the world’s driest and hottest regions. Along with extreme climate and geography, Australia is known for its spectacular and often deadly wildlife.

5. Brazil

The largest country in South America at over 8.51 million square kilometers, Brazil claims to be home of much of the world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon. The Amazon is so dense and vast that explorers and scientists have found human civilizations within—small tribes—that had never made contact with the outside world. Even still, some researchers believe there may be more undiscovered tribes living there unfound still. Brazil also has a lengthy Atlantic coastline on the eastern side, which stretches approximately 8,000 km. Most of its major cities, including Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, are built along this coastline.

4. People’s Republic of China

China, the United States of America, and Canada each occupy about seven percent of the globe’s surface. Out of these three, China is the smallest that barely claims an approximately 9.6 million square kilometers of land area. It shares borders with 14 different countries, including Afghanistan to the East, Russia to the North, and Vietnam to the South. Its climate and its people vary dramatically. In the north, temperatures drop to subarctic levels, in the centre of the China is the Gobi Desert, the world’s 4th largest desert, and in the South temperatures reach tropical levels regularly. With over 1.35 billion citizens, China is home to 56 recognized ethnic groups, has the world’s 18^th largest Muslim population, the 19^th largest Christian population, and with 1.9 doctors per 1000 people, China has more doctors than the entire population of Qatar.

3. United States of America

The United States, is little bigger than China but slightly smaller than Canada, occupies 9.63 million square kilometers. Bordered by Mexico to the South, and Canada to the North, the United States is home to a diverse array of geography and wildlife. Two North-South features split the nation into three distinct pieces. West of the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific states are known for year around temperate weather and long expanses of beach along the California coast. The Great Plains present between the Rockies and the Mississippi River, stretching from Canada to Mexico, gives the United States one of the world's most fertile growing areas. Lastly, the USA is considered as the economic and industrial hub of the world.

2. Canada

Canada’s 9.984 million square kilometers makes it the largest country in the western hemisphere, and its 202,080 kilometer long coastline means that it has a longer shoreline than any other nation. With a population density of 4 people per square kilometer, means that each of Canada's 35 million people could have 61 acres for themselves. Positioned between the Arctic and the United States, Canada’s massive frozen tundra extends into the Arctic Circle. Split similar to the USA; in the western half of the country, the Rocky Mountains run north to south, and plains provide huge grain and canola growing areas. Eastern Canada is the traditional heart of the nation, with Toronto, Montreal, and the national capital of Ottawa, all located in the East.

1. Russia

Russia’s 17.1 million square kilometers claim easily makes it the world’s largest country by area. It’s interesting to know that, if Russia were to lop off 7 million square kilometers of its territories, it would still be the largest country of the globe and the lopped-off section would rank seventh overall. Like China, Russia borders 14 different countries. Unlike China, none of Russia is tropical, though humid summers prevail in much of southern Russia. Massive oil reserves exist underneath Russia’s frozen forests and tundra; however, due to the expense and difficulty of extracting it, much of Russia’s oil wealth remains untapped.

Facts

Saturday, August 08, 2015

When US Civil war General William Sherman was asked to address military cadets in 1879, he summed up his vast experience of war in just 3 words: 'War is Hell'. His statement is greatly supported by statistics as well. In the 20^th century alone, over 150 million people lost their lives due to wars. These wars not just cost the lives, but also make a huge impact on the economy. 

Despite these huge costs in terms of money and valuable human lives, most of the governments across the world consider spending on defense of their territories to be a major necessity. Since then, the world's top military powers are spending trillions of dollars each year on sustaining and improving their forces.
 

Although surprising, not all countries have active armies. In fact, there also are few countries that have opted not to have an army at all. Let's see why they came to such a decision, and what sort of defense they have instead of a traditional armed force.

Facts

Thursday, August 06, 2015

There are 7 disciplines you must develop if you want to achieve all that is possible for you. You can learn these disciplines through practice and repetition until they become automatic. 

1. Goal Setting

Every morning, take 3 to 5 minutes to write out your top goals in the present tense. Get a spiral notebook for this purpose. By writing out your 10 goals at the beginning of each day, you will program them deep into your subconscious mind. 

This daily goal writing will activate your mental powers. It will stimulate your mind and make you more alert. Throughout the day, you will see opportunities and possibilities to move more rapidly toward your goals. 

2. Planning and Organizing

Take a few minutes, preferably the night before, to plan out every activity of the coming day. Always work from a list. Always think on paper. This is one of the most powerful and important disciplines of all for high performance. 

3. Priority Setting

The essence of all time management, personal management, and life management is contained in your ability to set proper priorities and use of your time. This is essential for high performance.

4. Concentration on your Highest-Value Activities

Your ability to work single-minded on your most important task will contribute as much to your success as any other discipline you can develop. 

5. Exercise and Proper Nutrition

Your health is more important than anything else. By disciplining yourself to exercise regularly and to eat carefully, you will promote the highest possible levels of health and fitness throughout your life. 

6. Learning and Growth

Your mind is like a muscle. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field. 

7. Time for Important People in your Life

Relationships are everything. Be sure that in climbing the ladder of success, you do not find it leaning against the wrong building. Make time for your relationships every day, no matter how busy you get. 

Action Exercise

These 7 disciplines will ensure that you perform at the highest level and get the greatest satisfaction and results from everything you do. Study these 7 disciplines and then make a plan for how you can incorporate each of them into your daily life.

Self-help

Wednesday, August 05, 2015