A long long time ago, before there were formally independent and sovereign countries, Europe was divided into smaller or bigger lands that were owned by a Lord. If the Lord was a Count, then the land was a County; if the Lord was a Prince, the land was a Principality; and so forth. These Lords pledged allegiance to a certain King or Emperor, which ruled a “country” or an “empire”. When the Feudal system ended, the concept of a sovereign “country” with defined borders was born and those “Lord Lands” kind of lost their “independence” and became officially part of a certain country. However, a few managed to maintain their identity and independence.

San Marino | 61 sq Km
San Marino was founded in the year 301 by a religious refugee, who took shelter up in the Mount Titano. Considered now one of the oldest Republics in the world, maybe the oldest, it is currently a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located inside Italy, it did not become to be part of it, unlike all other independent Italian states, except Vatican City. However, Italian is the official language and Euro is the official currency. San Marino is not part of the European Union, but it is part of the United Nations.

Liechtenstein | 160 sq km
Liechtenstein was formally established in 1719, when Anton Florian, the owner of the Liechtenstein Castle in Lower Austria, bought those lands to become officially part of the “Parliament” of that time. This then new-formed Principality became part of the Holy Roman Empire, and it is now the last remain state from that time. Located in the Alps, between Austria and Switzerland, it became fully independent in 1866. It preserved its ties with Austria until the end of the World War I, when it turned to Switzerland. Nowadays, the official currency is the Swiss Franc and the official language is German. Liechtenstein is not part of the European Union, but it is part of the Schengen Area, and it is part of the United Nations.

Monaco | 2 sq km
Founded in 1191 by the Holy Roman Empire, it was later taken over by the Italian Republic of Genova, then independent, which grant possession of it to a Genoese family, the Grimaldi, in 1297. Monaco was not always fully independent, but the Grimaldi have ruled it since that first possession. In the meantime, the Republic of Genova lost area and became part of Italy while Monaco became “surrounded” by France, maintaining its own sovereign identity. Nowadays, its official language is French and the official currency is the Euro. It is not part of the European Union, but it is part of the United Nations. It is well-known by being the paradise of the ultra-rich.