Most countries share borders with several neighbors. But a few are tucked completely inside another nation, like an island surrounded by land instead of water. The most charming example may be San Marino, a tiny republic perched on a mountain in the middle of Italy.
San Marino is an independent country that is entirely surrounded by Italy. It covers just over 24 square miles, making it the fifth-smallest country in the world, and has roughly 34,000 people. It's one of only three countries on Earth completely enclosed by a single other country. The other two are Vatican City, also inside Italy, and Lesotho, surrounded by South Africa.
A Republic Older Than Most Nations
San Marino claims it was founded in the year 301, which would make it the oldest surviving sovereign state and the oldest constitutional republic. According to tradition, a Christian stonemason named Marinus fled persecution under the Roman Emperor Diocletian and built a small chapel on Monte Titano. The country is named after him.
Historians treat that founding story with some caution, since it was written down centuries later. The earliest historical evidence of a monastic community there dates to the 400s or 500s. Today the capital, the City of San Marino, sits atop Monte Titano, while the largest town is Dogana.
How It Stayed Independent
Surviving for so long inside a much bigger neighbor took some luck and diplomacy. In 1797, Napoleon's army advanced through the region. One of San Marino's leaders, Antonio Onofri, won Napoleon's respect, and Napoleon promised to protect the republic. He even offered to give it more land. San Marino politely said no, worried that neighbors might take revenge later.
During the push to unify Italy in the 1800s, San Marino sheltered people persecuted for supporting unification, including Giuseppe Garibaldi. Garibaldi in turn allowed San Marino to remain independent, and the two sides signed a friendship agreement in 1862.
Lincoln, Stamps, and Two Presidents at Once
Americans have a special link to San Marino. The tiny republic made Abraham Lincoln an honorary citizen. In his reply, Lincoln praised it as proof that a government based on republican principles could be "secure and enduring."
Its government is unusual too. Every six months, the legislature selects two heads of state, called Captains Regent, from opposing political parties. They serve together with equal powers. San Marino also began issuing its own postage stamps in 1877, which became an important source of income, often featuring the Three Towers that crown Monte Titano.
San Marino uses the euro but isn't part of the European Union. It was also the first country still existing today to abolish the death penalty, in 1865. Italian is the official language, though the traditional local speech is Sammarinese, a dialect of Romagnol. And despite its size, San Marino ranks among the wealthiest countries in the world per person.
Its Two Enclosed Cousins
Vatican City, inside Rome, is the smallest country in the world by area, at about 0.19 square miles, and also the least populous. Lesotho, in southern Africa, is the largest of the three, about 11,720 square miles. It's also the only independent country that lies entirely above 1,000 meters, or about 3,281 feet, in elevation.
So if you ever visit Italy, you could see two whole countries without ever leaving it. Just be sure to send a postcard from San Marino. The stamps are part of the fun.
