Croatia (Lonely Planet Country & Regional Guides) by Jeanne Oliver   The third edition of Croatia contains a new colour Highlights section which showcases Croatia’s spectacular beaches and historic sights. Other new features include Detailed Itineraries and Transport chapters to make trip planning easy and an alphabetical Directory of essential information. In view of the destination’s growing popularity, Lonely Planet are also publishing the first edition Croatian Phrasebook this month for those who are interested in learning a little more of the language. The phrasebook makes the perfect companion to the Croatia guidebook. More information and prices from: Amazon.com - US dollars Amazon.ca - Canadian dollars Amazon.co.uk - British pounds Amazon.de - Euros Amazon.fr - Euros

Lonely Planet Italy by D. Garwood, W. Owen, M. Roddis, D. Simonis   This guide provides useful information for independent travel, suggesting hundreds of value for money restaurants and accommodation options. It also gives background briefing on all historical sights, museums and galleries. More information and prices from: Amazon.com - US dollars Amazon.ca - Canadian dollars Amazon.co.uk - British pounds Amazon.de - Euros Amazon.fr - Euros

Just because these countries are diminutive in stature does not mean that they are in any way less iconic than their sprawling counterparts. These three states are proof of that - they’re some of the most significant places in the world, home to incredible natural resources, enormous political power or internationally-acclaimed extravagance. They might be remote, but they’re only a cheap airfare or long boat ride away.

We’ve listed them in order of size, including their approximate area and population estimate.

The Vatican

Place Saint-Pierre foule

0.44 square miles
829 people

The home of the Pope and the cradle of the Catholic Church is truly tiny. It covers less than half a square mile and a population of less than a thousand. What it lacks in immediate clout it makes up for with worldwide influence – there are about a billion Catholics worldwide who hang on to every word or indication to come out of this microscopic nation state.

It is located right in the middle of Rome and is dwarfed by multi-storey carparks and shopping centres. To get there, you must visit Rome and queue around the block - it is popular with Catholics and holidaymakers alike.

Monaco

Monaco

0.78 square miles
35,352 people

Not all that far from the Vatican is Monaco, covering nearly two square kilometres of Mediterranean coastline. It’s about the same size as Central Park in New York and is bordered on all sides with towering mountains. It is home to some of the most spectacular motorsports in the world, both rallying and Formula 1, and visitors are welcome to rent mopeds and follow the racing circuit around the town. Glamour and wealth ooze out of every building, including the many casinos which draw billionaires to the tiny country by the yachtful.

Nauru

Nauru - satellite view

8.1 square miles
9,322 people

The world’s smallest island nation and the only one without a republic has a tragic history. For much of the 20th century, its islanders enjoyed enormous prosperity as they mined and sold the valuable phosphorous deposits around the landmass. The price of the material kept rising, so the islanders got richer and richer, until in the 70’s Nauru had one of the richest populations on Earth.

The islanders became lethargic, however. The lifestyle was sedentary and the way of life so relaxed that they started to get fat and sick. Then the phosphorous ran out, and the money soon followed. Since then, the situation on the island has gone from bad to worse. They’re the fattest people in the world, with 97% of the population either overweight or obese, and 40% suffering from diabetes. The (inept) government tried to replace the failing phosphorous trade with hot money from overseas and was put on a “non-cooperative” blacklist by the Financial Action Task Force. Nauru was a money laundering haven for two decades, until the government decided to make some money holding prisoners for Australia instead.