European microstates · Lablypedia

Microstates are small independent states recognised by larger states. According to the qualitative definition suggested by Zbigniew Dumieński (2014), microstates can also be viewed as "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."

In line with this definition, only Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Vatican City and San Marino qualify as "microstates" as only these states are sovereignties functioning in close, but voluntary, association with their respective larger neighbours. Luxembourg, which is far larger than all these microstates combined, nonetheless shares some of these characteristics. Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man are sometimes classed as "microstates", but are not fully sovereign as they are crown dependencies of the United Kingdom and do not represent themselves in international bodies such as the UN. Kosovo, Cyprus and Montenegro are small in size, but are generally not classed as microstates, due to their larger size and population. Transnistria, Northern Cyprus, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, by some definitions can be considered to be microstates, however they lack recognition from the international community, but are considered de facto independent states.

List of states often labelled as microstates

These may or may not be considered microstates.

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Inter-relations and networks

Since 1985 the states have been conducting the Games of the Small States of Europe sporting events.

The parliaments of these states have been conducting the Conference of Speakers of Parliaments of the Small States of Europe since 2006, with further cooperation having come out of it.

The WHO has advanced health related cooperation through its small countries initiative since 2013.

Cooperation, especially with the European Union, has been pursued regarding taxation, since the states have been used as tax havens. Liechtenstein and Monaco signed a taxation treaty in 2017.

Economic policies and relationship with the European Union

The European microstates are all of limited size and population. They also have limited natural resources. As a result, they often have adopted special economic policies, typically involving low levels of taxation and few restrictions on external financial investment. Malta is a full member of the European Union, while the other five European microstates have obtained special relations with the European Union and San Marino, Andorra and Monaco are part of the EU customs union while Liechtenstein is in a customs union with Switzerland.

Similar entities and definitions

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:

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

The wars of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars caused the European map to be redrawn several times. A number of short-lived client republics were created, and the fall of the Holy Roman Empire gave sovereignty to each of its many surviving Kleinstaaten. The situation was not stabilised until after the Congress of Vienna in 1815. Following World War I and World War II a number of territories gained temporary status as international zones, protectorates or occupied territories. A few of them are mentioned here:

Historical dependencies

Several historical territorial dependencies and colonies have also formerly existed in Europe, under the sovereignty of another state or monarch. These include:

Heligoland (colony of the United Kingdom from 1807 to 1890), an island off the coast of Germany (of which it is now part)
Ada Kaleh (1878–1923) exclave of the Ottoman Empire comprising an island on the Danube, omitted from the Congress of Berlin, taken over by Romania.

Culture and sports

Association football club AS Monaco, though based in Monaco, plays in the French football league system. In contrast, Malta maintains its own league system with a 14-team top division.
Some of the European microstates are members of the Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE); several of the island dependencies compete in the Island Games, alongside several other island dependencies from elsewhere in the world. Countries that participate at the Games of the Small States of Europe are: Andorra, Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro and San Marino.
Monaco (from 1959 to 1979 and 2004 to 2006), Malta (since 1971), Andorra (from 2004 to 2009), and San Marino (debut in 2008, then from 2011 onwards) are or were contestant countries of Eurovision Song Contest.
The San Marino national football team is the lowest-ranked FIFA-affiliated national football team, and is widely considered to be the worst association football team of all time.