What countries are microstates is not clearly defined. However, some institutions use specific definitions. Two institutions, the World Bank and the IMF, define them as states with a population of no more than 200,000. However, others have focused on area, not population. The larger microstates are less likely to be considered such, and while Malta may sometimes be considered one, it is not common to describe Iceland, Kosovo, Montenegro, or Luxembourg as microstates. These are more likely to be deemed a
small state, which has been defined as a state of fewer than 1.5 million people, though some go as high as several million if the state has limited land area. The World Bank uses a threshold of 1.5 million people to describe a small state, and less than 200,000 for microstates. Some researchers have suggested that a microstate has up to one million in population, and one as 1.5 million, but that is also used as threshold for small states, not microstates. The World Bank settled on 200 thousand for a microstate, as did the IMF. A microstate has also been defined as less than the 100 thousand population. A Czech study on microstates in the year 2000 defined three sizes of microstate and one subtype. The Czech definition focuses on land area, but also noted population: • small microstates (0–100 km2), • medium microstates (100–500 km2), • large microstates (500–1,000 km2), with a fourth category for large microstate with a large population. A paper in 2020 discussed the history of the smallest European states, and compared Malta and Cyprus to Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and San Marino.
The Crown dependencies are the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey, are small territories that have a high degree of autonomy and are not part of the United Kingdom. The Crown dependencies have a small territory and population, with the Isle of Man being the largest out of the three having a size of 572 km2 and the smallest being Guernsey, with a size of 78 km2 and a population of 67,334. However, due to being not fully sovereign as the United Kingdom is responsible for their defence, international relations (including treaties) and citizenship and are also possessions of the British crown and also including their status as islands, they are sometimes excluded from being microstates. Including both traditional microstates and small states in the European region yields several more examples, such as: Cyprus, Kosovo, Luxembourg and Montenegro. Some states with limited recognition in Europe can sometimes be considered microstates, although they are larger than traditional microstates. Notable examples include: •
South Ossetia-Alania (belonging to
Georgia) • (belonging to Georgia) • (belonging to Cyprus) • (belonging to
Moldova)
Dependencies and autonomous areas 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. •
Akrotiri and Dhekelia (
British overseas territory) •
Adjara (autonomous region of
Georgia) •
Appenzell Innerrhoden (Swiss canton) •
Appenzell Ausserrhoden (Swiss canton) •
Aran (
Autonomous area of
Catalonia,
Spain) •
Åland (
autonomous county of
Finland) •
Basel-city (
Swiss canton) •
Brussels (federal Region of Belgium) •
Berlin (city-state and capital of Germany) •
Bremen (city-
state of Germany) •
Faroe Islands (
self-governing territory of the
Kingdom of Denmark) •
Geneva (
Swiss Republic and canton) •
Gibraltar (British overseas territory) •
Glarus (Swiss canton) •
Neuchâtel (Swiss canton) •
Obwalden (
Swiss canton) •
Mount Athos (autonomous monastic community in
Greece) •
Hamburg (city-state of Germany) •
Gagauzia (Autonomous region of
Moldova) •
Schaffhausen (Swiss canton) •
Solothurn (Swiss canton) •
Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta (sovereign entity under International law and has diplomatic relations; however, has no territory, with its headquarters, the
Magistral Palace in
Rome,
Italy, having special autonomous privileges) •
Vienna (city-state and capital of Austria) •
Zug, (Swiss canton)
Sovereign Military Order of Malta The
Sovereign Military Order of Malta is a
Catholic lay order that is a sovereign entity under international law rather than a state. Unlike the Holy See, which is sovereign over the Vatican City, the Order has no territory. However, its headquarters, located in
Palazzo Malta and
Villa Malta, are granted
extraterritoriality by Italy, and the same status is recognised by
Malta regarding its historical headquarters, located in
Fort St Angelo. 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 organisation. It has
permanent non-state observer status at the
United Nations, has full diplomatic relations, including embassies, with 115 states, and is in more informal relationships with five others. It issues its own stamps, coins, passports, and license plates, and has its own
army medical corps. == Historical small territories ==