91 Countries in Miniature

Did you know that, besides larger places like France and Germany, Europe is home to several extremely tiny countries? One contains less than a square mile of land. Another is surrounded on all sides by Italy. Yet each is an independent land, with its own government, trade, and customs.

One of the best known of these little countries is Monaco. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea and surrounded by France on three sides. Monaco became familiar to Americans when its ruler, Prince Rainier, married the actress Grace Kelly. Rainier's family has ruled Monaco almost continuously since 1297. The land has been independent for over three hundred years. Tourists flock to this tiny country of .75 square miles to enjoy its beautiful harbor and to gamble in its casino.

Andorra, at almost 200 square miles, is considerably larger than Monaco. This country is located in the Pyrenees Mountains, with France on one side and Spain on the other. Potatoes and tobacco are grown in Andorra's steep mountain valleys. One of the products it exports is clothing. Andorra is also known for its excellent skiing locations.

Within the Alps in Central Europe is Liechtenstein, a tiny country of about 30,000 people who speak mostly German. Liechtenstein uses the same money as its neighbor Switzerland, but it has been an independent country since the 1860s. Taxes are low, so many businesses have their headquarters here. The country makes and exports much machinery.

Other small, independent states in Europe are San Marino, Vatican City, and Luxembourg. Each of these has unique qualities as well.

91 微型国家

你知道吗，除了法国和德国这样的大国，欧洲还有几个非常小的国家？其中一个的国土面积不足一平方英里，另一个则被意大利完全包围。但每个都是独立的国家，有自己的政府、贸易和习俗。

这些小国中最著名的之一是摩纳哥。它位于地中海沿岸，三面被法国包围。当摩纳哥的统治者兰尼埃亲王与女演员格蕾丝·凯利结婚时，它开始为美国人所熟知。兰尼埃的家族自1297年以来几乎一直统治着摩纳哥，这片土地已经独立了三百多年。游客们涌向这个面积仅0.75平方英里的小国，享受它美丽的港口，在赌场赌博。

安道尔面积近200平方英里，比摩纳哥大得多。这个国家位于比利牛斯山脉，一边是法国，另一边是西班牙。安道尔陡峭的山谷里种植着土豆和烟草，它出口的产品之一是服装。安道尔也以其优质的滑雪胜地而闻名。

在中欧的阿尔卑斯山脉中，有一个叫列支敦士登的小国，约有3万人口，主要说德语。列支敦士登使用与邻国瑞士相同的货币，但自19世纪60年代以来它就是一个独立的国家。这里的税收很低，所以许多企业把总部设在这里。这个国家生产并出口大量机械。

欧洲其他小型独立国家还有圣马力诺、梵蒂冈城和卢森堡，每个国家也都有其独特的特质。