While it may be the smallest state with an area of 1,214 square miles (you can fit 425 Rhode Islands into Alaska), there are actually entire countries that are smaller than Rhode Island. Here they are, in size order:
1. Samoa.
This country, officially called the Independent State of Samoa, encompasses the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. Its total area is 1,097 square miles.
2. Micronesia.
Aptly named, this collection of small islands, including Guam, has a total land area of 1,000 square miles.
3. Luxembourg.
A landlocked European country, Luxembourg is bordered by Belgium, Germany, and France. It has an area of 998 square miles.
4. Mauritius.
This country is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, about 1,200 miles off the coast of Africa. Its area is 787 square miles.
5. Comoros.
An African country, Comoros has a population of about 800,000 and an area of 719 square miles.
6. Sao Tome and Principe.
This Portuguese-speaking island off the western coast of Central Africa has an area of 386 square miles.
7. Kiribati.
This island nation in the Pacific Ocean has a population that hovers around 100,000 and an area of 313 square miles.
8. Bahrain.
Another island country, on the western shores of the Persian Gulf, is 304.5 square miles.
9. Dominica.
This country is an island located in the Caribbean Sea and has a total area of 290 square miles.
10. Tonga.
The Kingdom of Tonga is comprised of 176 islands with a total surface area of 289 square miles.
11. Singapore.
Singapore is only 85 miles north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. It has an area of 277 square miles.
12. Saint Lucia.
This vacation destination on the Caribbean Sea has a land area of 238 square miles.
13. Andorra.
Located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France, Andorra has an area of 181 square miles.
14. Palau.
This island country is a United States Associated State in the Pacific Ocean. It has an area of 177 square miles.
15. Seychelles.
An 115-island country, Seychelles has the smallest population of any African state. It has an area of 177 square miles.
16. Antigua and Barbuda.
This is a twin-island nation, separated by a few nautical miles. Its total area is 170 square miles.
17. Barbados.
This small island has a population of about 277,000 people, including Rihanna’s family. The total area is 166 square miles.
18. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
No, it’s not a band name. Another island country, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has an area of 150 square miles.
19. Grenada.
This “island of spice” is one of the word’s largest exporters of nutmeg and mace crops, but only has an area of 133 square miles.
20. Malta.
With a population of 446,000 and an area of 121 square miles, this European island is one of the world’s most densely populated countries.
21. Maldives.
This island nation in the Indian Ocean-Arabian Sea has a total area of 115 square miles.
22. Saint Kitts and Nevis.
A two-island country in the West Indies, this is the smallest sovereign state in the Americas, both in area and population. It consists of 104 square miles.
23. Marshall Islands.
Located near the equator in the Pacific Ocean, the total area of Marshall Islands is 70 square miles.
24. Liechtenstein.
This German-speaking country is bordered by Switzerland and Austria. Its area is just over 62 square miles.
25. San Marino.
It is an enclaved microstate surrounded by Italy, with an area of 24 square miles.
26. Tuvalu.
A Polynesian island located between Hawaii and Australia, Tuvalu’s total area is 10 square miles.
27. Nauru.
Formerly known as Pleasant Island, Nauru has an area of 8.1 square miles.
29. Monaco.
Bordered by France and the Mediterranean Sea, Monaco is the most densely populated country in the world. Around 36,000 live in its 0.78 square miles.
30. Vatican City.
The smallest international recognized independent state has a population of 842, and an area of just 110 acres, or 0.2 square miles.