Filed under Europe and more precisely Southern Europe, San Marino is a sovereign state. In formal use it is Most Serene Republic of San Marino. Its capital, City of San Marino, shares its name with the country itself — a giveaway that this is a city-state or something close to one.
Its territory runs to 61 km², which ranks it 233rd of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Guernsey and just ahead of the British Indian Ocean Territory. Put next to a country most people can picture, it is about three times the size of Tuvalu.
Some 33,977 people call it home, placing it 221st of 250 by population — between the Marshall Islands above it and the Åland Islands below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 8th of 10 in size and 9th in population.
How San Marino sits on the globe
Its reference point sits at 43.8° north and 12.4° east, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 4,872 km from the equator, in what geographers would call temperate latitudes.
It has exactly one neighbour, Italy, which surrounds it completely. Only a handful of places on earth are enclaved inside a single country like this, and it means every overland route in or out crosses Italy.
This is one of the world's landlocked countries. That is true of 45 of the 250 entries here, so all seaborne trade runs through a neighbour's ports. You can see the full picture on the landlocked countries page.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Population, density and language
Spread across 61 km², that works out at about 557 people per square kilometre, which makes it densely populated. The median across all 250 entries here is about 90 per square kilometre.
The demonym is Sammarinese, so residents are Sammarinese.
Officially it is monolingual: Italian. It shares that with Italy, Switzerland and Vatican City.
Inside Europe it places 50th of 53 by population, and it accounts for under 1% of everyone living in Southern Europe.
Currency and codes
The currency is the Euro (€, EUR). That is a shared currency: 37 other entries use it, including Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria and Croatia.
Its internet country code is .sm. To phone it from abroad you dial +378. In ISO terms it is sm in two letters and SMR in three.
As a sovereign state it is among the 193 UN members listed here. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
San Marino shares borders with 1 country:
Fun facts about San Marino
- Ranked by land area, San Marino is 233rd out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
- In land area it is about three times the size of Tuvalu.
- Websites based there use the .sm domain.
- People from San Marino are known as Sammarinese.
- Its full official name is Most Serene Republic of San Marino.
- The capital shares its name with the country itself.
- It lies about 4,872 km from the equator, in temperate latitudes.
- Italian is official here and in 3 other entries worldwide.
San Marino — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of San Marino?
- The capital of San Marino is City of San Marino. The city and the country share a name, which is typical of a city-state.
- What is the population of San Marino?
- San Marino has a population of about 33,977, which makes it the 221st most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. The Marshall Islands sits just above it and the Ã…land Islands just below.
- Which countries border San Marino?
- Just one: Italy, which surrounds San Marino entirely.
- What language is spoken in San Marino?
- The official language of San Marino is Italian. It is also official in 3 other entries on this list.
- Is San Marino a country?
- Yes. San Marino is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- Is San Marino landlocked?
- Yes. San Marino has no sea coast, which makes it one of 45 landlocked entries in this dataset. Everything it imports or exports by sea has to cross a neighbour's territory first, and that transit dependency is a well-documented drag on trade costs.
- Where is San Marino located?
- San Marino is in Southern Europe, part of Europe. Its reference coordinates are 43.8° north and 12.4° east, roughly 4,872 km from the equator in temperate latitudes.
- What currency does San Marino use?
- San Marino uses the Euro, written € (currency code EUR). It is shared with 37 other entries.
- How big is San Marino?
- San Marino covers 61 km², ranking 233rd of 250 by land area. That makes it about three times the size of Tuvalu.
