Microstate

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File:Microstates.PNG
The world's five smallest sovereign states by area, from largest to smallest: San Marino, Tuvalu, Nauru, Monaco, and Vatican City shown in the same scale for size comparison
File:BlankMap-World-v8 small states.svg
Map of the smallest states in the world by population or land area

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A microstate or ministate is a sovereign state having a very small population or land area, usually both. However, the meanings of "state" and "very small" are not well-defined in international law.[1] Some recent attempts to define microstates have focused on identifying qualitative features that are linked to their size and population, such as partial delegation of their sovereignty to larger states, such as for international defense.

Commonly accepted examples of microstates include five historic European microstates: Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City. Malta and Luxembourg are sometimes included in that list but are generally considered too populous to be genuine microstates. Other examples are small, isolated island states in the Pacific Ocean such as Nauru, Palau, Niue, Cook Islands and Tuvalu. Some small Caribbean countries such as Saint Kitts and Nevis, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines may be considered microstates by some but are often not included due to them being grouped together as small island countries. Singapore and Bahrain are sometimes considered microstates but some argue are too populous, self reliant or powerful to be considered true microstates and their island status can play an important factor too.[2] The smallest political entity recognized as a sovereign state is Vatican City, with fewer than 1,000 residents and an area of only 49 hectares (120 acres). Some microstates – such as Singapore, Monaco and Vatican City – are city-states consisting of a single municipality.

Definitions

Quantitative

Most scholars identify microstates by using a quantitative threshold and applying it to either one variable (such as the size of its territory[3] or population[4]) or a composite of different variables.[5] While it is agreed that microstates are the smallest of all states, there is no consensus on what variable (or variables) or cut-off point should be used to determine which political units should be labelled as "microstates" (as opposed to small "normal" states).[1][6][7][8] According to some scholars the quantitative approach to defining microstates suffers from such problems as "inconsistency, arbitrariness, vagueness and inability to meaningfully isolate qualitatively distinct political units".[6]

Qualitative

File:Panorama Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica and Gardens of Vatican City (39834994173).jpg
Vatican City, the smallest independent country in the world, with 0.49 km2 (120 acres)

Some academics have suggested defining microstates according to the unique features that are linked to their geographic or demographic smallness.[6][9][10] Newer approaches have proposed looking at the behaviour or capacity to operate in the international arena in order to determine which states should deserve the microstate label.[10][11] Yet, it has been argued[by whom?] that such approaches could lead to either confusing microstates with weak states[7][9] (or failed states) or relying too much on subjective perceptions.[6]

An alternative approach is to define microstates as "modern protected states".[6] According to the definition proposed by Dumienski (2014): "microstates are modern protected states, i.e. sovereign states that have been able to unilaterally depute certain attributes of sovereignty to larger powers in exchange for benign protection of their political and economic viability against their geographic or demographic constraints."[6] Adopting this approach permits limiting the number of microstates and separating them from both small states and autonomies or dependencies.[6]

The smallest political unit recognized as a sovereign state is the Vatican City, though its precise status is sometimes disputed, e.g., Maurice Mendelson argued in 1972 that "[i]n two respects it may be doubted whether the territorial entity, the Vatican City, meets the traditional criteria of statehood".[12]

File:St.Kitts and Nevis -Two Islands One Paradise.jpg
St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean Sea, the smallest independent country in the Americas with 261 km2 (101 sq mi)

Politics

Statistical research has shown that microstates are more likely to be democracies than larger states. In 2012, Freedom House classified 86% of the countries with fewer than 500,000 inhabitants as "free".[13] This shows that countries with small populations often had a high degree of political freedom and civil liberties, which is one of the hallmarks of democracies. Some scholars have taken the statistical correlation between small size and democracy as a sign that smallness is beneficial to the development of a democratic political system,[14] mentioning social cohesiveness, opportunities for direct communication and homogeneity of interests as possible explanations for why this is the case.[13][15]

File:Fortress of Guaita 2013-09-19.jpg
San Marino, the 3rd smallest independent country in Europe and the oldest republic in the world with 61.2 km2 (23.6 sq mi)

Case study research, however, has led some researchers to believe that the statistical evidence belies the anti-democratic elements of microstate politics.[13][16] Due to small populations, family and personal relations are often decisive in microstate politics. In some cases, this impedes neutral and formal decision-making and instead leads to undemocratic political activity, such as clientelism, corruption, particularism and executive dominance.[13]

The high number of democracies amongst microstates could be explained by their colonial history.[13][14] Most microstates adopted the same political system as their colonial ruler.[17] Because of the high number of microstates that were British colonies in the past, microstates often have a majoritarian and parliamentary political system similar to the Westminster system.[14] Some microstates with a history as British colony have implemented some aspects of a consensus political system, to adapt to their geographic features or societal make-up.[17] While the colonial history often determines what political systems microstates have, they do implement changes to better accommodate their specific characteristics.

Microstates and international relations

Microstates often rely on other countries in order to survive, as they have a small military capacity and a lack of resources. This had led some to believe that microstates are forced to subordinate themselves to larger states which reduces their sovereignty.[18] However, research has shown that microstates strategically engage in patron-client relationships with other countries.[19] This allows them to trade some privileges to countries that can advance their interests the most. Examples of this are microstates that establish a tax haven or sell their support in international committees in exchange for military and economic support.[18]

Historical anomalies and aspirant states

A small number of tiny sovereign political units have been founded on historic anomalies or eccentric interpretations of law. Those types of states, often labelled as "microstates," are usually located on small (usually disputed) territorial enclaves, generate limited economic activity founded on tourism and philatelic and numismatic sales, and are tolerated or ignored by the nations from which they claim to have seceded.

The Republic of Indian Stream, now the town of Pittsburg, New Hampshire, was a geographic anomaly that had been left unresolved by the Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolutionary War, and was claimed by both the United States and Canada. Between 1832 and 1835, the area's residents refused to acknowledge either claimant.[20]

The Cospaia Republic became independent by a treaty error and survived from 1440 to 1826.[21] Its independence made it important in the introduction of tobacco cultivation to Italy.

File:Mapa do Couto Misto.png
Couto Misto, a former independent microstate in Europe, located between Spain and Portugal

Couto Misto was disputed by Spain and Portugal and operated as a sovereign state until the 1864 Treaty of Lisbon partitioned the territory, with the larger part becoming part of Spain.[22]

Jaxa was a small state that existed during the 17th century at the border between Tsardom of Russia and Qing China. Despite its location in East Asia, the state's primary language was Polish.[23]

Smallest by population

File:Malediven Atoll Luftbild (28800485916).jpg
Maldives in the Indian Ocean, the smallest independent country in Asia with an area of 298 km2 (115 sq mi)

Here is examples of some of the smallest states by population, with dependencies excluded such semi-autonomous regions or associated states. Countries up to about the size of Malta are included, which is one of the most populous countries that has been called a microstate. Microstate, as discussed in this article is not a precisely defined term, but involves limited land and/or population compared to others, and as it becomes larger its more likely to be called a small state.

Template:Table alignment

List of countries and territories by total population
Location Population % of
world 		Date Source (official or from
the United Nations) 		Notes
File:Flag of Vatican City (2023–present).svg Vatican City Template:N+p Template:Dts Official figure[24] Enclosed by Italy
File:Flag of Tuvalu.svg Tuvalu Template:N+p Template:Dts National annual projection[25] Pacific
File:Flag of Nauru.svg Nauru Template:N+p Template:Dts 2021 Census[26] Pacific
File:Flag of the Cook Islands.svg Cook Islands Template:N+p Template:Dts 2021 Census[27] Pacific
File:Flag of San Marino.svg San Marino Template:N+p Template:Dts Monthly national estimate[28] Enclosed by Italy
File:Flag of Monaco.svg Monaco Template:N+p Template:Dts Census[29]
File:Flag of Liechtenstein.svg Liechtenstein Template:N+p Template:Dts National estimate[30] Enclosed by Switzerland and Austria
File:Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg Saint Kitts and Nevis Template:N+p Template:Dts 2022 census result[31] Caribbean
File:Flag of Dominica.svg Dominica Template:N+p Template:Dts Official estimate[32] Caribbean
File:Flag of Andorra.svg Andorra Template:N+p Template:Dts Official estimate[33] Enclosed by Spain and France
File:Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga Template:N+p Template:Dts National annual estimate[34]
File:Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg Antigua and Barbuda Template:N+p Template:Dts National annual estimate[35] Caribbean
File:Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Template:N+p Template:Dts Official estimate[36] Caribbean
File:Flag of Grenada.svg Grenada Template:N+p Template:Dts Official estimate[37] Caribbean
File:Flag of Seychelles.svg Seychelles Template:N+p Template:Dts Official estimate[38] Indian Ocean
File:Flag of Kiribati.svg Kiribati Template:N+p Template:Dts National annual projection[25] Pacific
File:Flag of Saint Lucia.svg Saint Lucia Template:N+p Template:Dts Official estimate[39] Caribbean
File:Flag of Samoa.svg Samoa Template:N+p Template:Dts Census 2021[40] Pacific
File:Flag of São Tomé and Príncipe.svg São Tomé and Príncipe Template:N+p Template:Dts National annual projection[41] Atlantic
File:Flag of Barbados.svg Barbados Template:N+p Template:Dts [42] Caribbean
File:Flag of Vanuatu.svg Vanuatu Template:N+p Template:Dts National annual projection[25]
File:Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland Template:N+p Template:Dts National quarterly estimate[43] Atlantic
File:Flag of the Bahamas.svg Bahamas Template:N+p Template:Dts [44]
File:Flag of Belize.svg Belize Template:N+p Template:Dts Official estimate[45]
File:Flag of Brunei.svg Brunei Template:N+p Template:Dts Official estimate[46]
File:Flag of Cape Verde.svg Cape Verde Template:N+p Template:Dts 2021 census result[47]
File:Flag of Maldives.svg Maldives Template:N+p Template:Dts 2022 census result[48]
File:Flag of Malta.svg Malta Template:N+p Template:Dts Official estimate[49]
File:Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname Template:N+p Template:Dts Official estimate[50]
File:Flag of Montenegro.svg Montenegro Template:N+p Template:Dts National annual estimate[51]
File:Flag of Luxembourg.svg Luxembourg Template:N+p Template:Dts Official estimate[52]
File:Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg Solomon Islands Template:N+p Template:Dts National annual projection[53]
File:Flag of the Comoros.svg Comoros Template:N+p Template:Dts 2017 census result[54]

See also

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References

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Further reading

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