The world map we’re familiar with often fails to highlight some of the most fascinating geographical anomalies: tiny sovereign nations surrounded by larger countries. These microstates exist as independent entities with their governments, cultures, and histories despite being dwarfed by their surrounding neighbors.
Here is a list of 20 remarkable enclaved nations and territories that deserve a spot on any curious traveler’s itinerary.
Vatican City (Italy)
The smallest sovereign state in the world, Vatican City, spans just 121 acres within Rome’s urban landscape. It functions as the spiritual headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and an independent nation-state.
Despite its tiny size, it houses St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, architectural marvels containing some of the world’s most significant art collections. The Vatican maintains its postal service, currency, and even a small but elite military force—the colorfully uniformed Swiss Guard.
San Marino (Italy)
Perched atop Mount Titano in northeastern Italy, San Marino claims to be the world’s oldest republic, founded in 301 CE. This 24-square-mile microstate offers medieval fortresses and panoramic views of the Italian countryside from its dramatic clifftop position.
San Marino’s economy thrives on tourism and the sale of its highly collectible postage stamps and coins. Its unusual governmental structure includes two elected heads of state who serve simultaneously for six-month terms.
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Lesotho (South Africa)
Known as the ‘Kingdom in the Sky,’ Lesotho is located entirely within South Africa’s borders. It is the only country globally positioned entirely above 3,280 feet in elevation.
This mountainous nation offers dramatic landscapes and highland villages where locals still travel on horseback, wrapped in traditional blankets. Lesotho’s Katse Dam, part of a massive water project supplying South Africa, created one of the largest reservoirs on the continent and represents a fascinating example of resource interdependence between an enclave and its surrounding country.
Monaco (France)
Squeezed into less than one square mile along the French Riviera, Monaco packs extraordinary wealth into its tiny boundaries. This glamorous principality boasts the famous Monte Carlo Casino, a renowned Formula 1 Grand Prix street circuit, and one of the world’s highest concentrations of millionaires.
The Grimaldi family has ruled Monaco for over 700 years, making it one of the world’s oldest monarchies. Despite its reputation for luxury, Monaco offers surprisingly accessible attractions, including the breathtaking Oceanographic Museum built into a cliff face.
Cabinda Province (Angola)
This often-overlooked Angolan exclave is separated from the rest of Angola by a narrow strip of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rich in oil resources that account for a significant portion of Angola’s petroleum production, Cabinda remains largely untouched by international tourism.
The region features lush rainforests and pristine beaches along its Atlantic coastline. Cabinda’s unique cultural heritage blends Portuguese colonial influences with traditional Bakongo and Mayombe customs, creating distinctive music, dance, and artistic traditions rarely experienced by outside visitors.
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Nagorno-Karabakh (Azerbaijan)
This disputed mountain region is within Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized borders and has been the subject of territorial conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. It features ancient monasteries and fortresses dating back to medieval times amid stunning alpine scenery.
Local villages maintain traditional crafts, including distinctive carpet weaving techniques passed down through generations. The area’s complex geopolitical situation has kept mass tourism at bay, though the current political status makes travel challenging.
Kaliningrad Oblast (Russia)
This Russian exclave sits detached from the rest of Russia between Poland and Lithuania along the Baltic Sea. Formerly the German city of Königsberg, Kaliningrad retains fascinating architectural remnants of its Prussian past alongside Soviet-era buildings.
The region houses amber mines that produce 90% of the world’s amber, earning it the nickname ‘Amber Land.’ Visitors can explore the modernist House of Soviets, stroll through restored German districts, and visit the tomb of philosopher Immanuel Kant, all within this unique pocket of Russia in the heart of the European Union.
Campione d’Italia (Switzerland)
This tiny Italian exclave is surrounded by Switzerland’s Ticino canton. Nestled on the shores of Lake Lugano, Campione offers an unusual experience of Italian culture and cuisine within Swiss territory. The town’s famous casino attracts visitors seeking gambling and the architectural admiration of its striking modern design.
Campione operates with a unique blend of Italian and Swiss systems, using Swiss francs as currency while following Italian law. Thus, it creates a distinctive hybrid culture in just 0.8 square miles of territory.
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Baarle-Nassau/Baarle-Hertog (Netherlands/Belgium)
Perhaps the world’s most complex border arrangement, this pair of municipalities contains dozens of Belgian enclaves within Dutch territory and even Dutch counter-enclaves within those Belgian sections. White crosses on streets mark where borders run through buildings, with nationality determined by the location of a home’s front door.
This geographic oddity creates situations where crossing the street means entering a different country with different taxation, drinking ages, and retail hours. Restaurant patrons might find themselves sitting in the Netherlands while their server stands in Belgium.
Ceuta and Melilla (Spain/Morocco)
These Spanish autonomous cities on the North African coast represent Europe’s only land borders with Africa. Surrounded by Morocco and the Mediterranean Sea, these enclaves blend Spanish, Moroccan, and Berber cultural influences in their architecture, cuisine, and customs.
Ceuta’s medieval fortress and Melilla’s stunning modernist buildings designed by followers of Antoni Gaudí create a distinctive architectural landscape. The cities function as unique commercial hubs where European and African trade traditions merge.
Mount Athos (Greece)
This self-governing monastic state occupies a peninsula in northeastern Greece and operates as an autonomous theocracy under the spiritual jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople. Twenty Eastern Orthodox monasteries dating back to Byzantine times dot the rugged landscape.
Mount Athos maintains strict entrance limitations, admitting only male visitors with special permits and prohibiting female visitors—a restriction that has persisted for over a thousand years. The monasteries house priceless collections of religious artifacts, manuscripts, and icons rarely seen by outside visitors.
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Büsingen am Hochrhein (Germany/Switzerland)
This German town, surrounded by Swiss territory, is located on a bend of the Rhine River. Its residents enjoy a special economic status, using Swiss francs for daily transactions while remaining German citizens.
Local restaurants might list prices in both currencies, and the town operates with a blend of German and Swiss postal services, telephone systems, and utilities. This unusual arrangement dates back to feudal land disputes in the 18th century, creating a distinctive cultural identity that draws on German and Swiss influences.
Neum (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Croatia)
This narrow coastal strip gives Bosnia and Herzegovina its only access to the Adriatic Sea, creating a 12-mile interruption in Croatia’s coastline. The town is an important seaside resort for Bosnians and a crucial maritime access point for the otherwise landlocked country.
The corridor was established in the 18th century to give the Republic of Ragusa (now Dubrovnik) a buffer from Venetian territories. Its unique geographic position has created a distinctive blend of Bosnian and Croatian coastal cultural elements, with seafood cuisine incorporating inland Balkan flavors.
Cooch Behar Enclaves (Bangladesh/India)
Until their resolution in 2015, this region contained the world’s most complex enclave situation, with over 160 pockets of land belonging to Bangladesh inside India and, remarkably, even Indian counter-enclaves within those Bangladeshi enclaves. Though the borders have been rationalized through land exchanges, the cultural legacy of these ‘chitmahals’ (paper palaces) lives on in local communities that developed unique hybrid traditions.
The former royal palace of Cooch Behar stands as an architectural testament to the region’s complex history.
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Llivia (Spain/France)
This Spanish town sits surrounded by French territory in the eastern Pyrenees mountains. During border negotiations in the 17th century, a historical quirk left Llivia in Spanish hands because it was classified as a town rather than a village.
Established in the 15th century, the town’s pharmacy ranks among the oldest in Europe and houses a museum displaying medieval medicinal items. Llivia’s distinctive church tower dominates the skyline, visible miles across the mountain plain—a Spanish landmark in a French landscape.
Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (Cyprus)
These British Overseas Territories on the island of Cyprus remain under UK sovereignty following Cypriot independence. The bases primarily serve military purposes but contain villages where civilians live under a unique legal framework combining British, Cypriot, and military regulations.
Ancient ruins, including the Kourion archaeological site, fall within these territories, creating the unusual situation of prehistoric Mediterranean civilizations existing on sovereign British soil. The wetlands around Akrotiri provide a critical habitat for migratory birds, attracting wildlife enthusiasts.
Dubrovnik Region (Croatia)
This southern portion of Croatia is separated from the rest of the country by Bosnia and Herzegovina’s narrow outlet to the Adriatic Sea at Neum. The region includes the historic walled city of Dubrovnik, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its perfectly preserved medieval architecture and dramatic coastal setting.
This geographic curiosity means that travelers driving between Split and Dubrovnik must briefly cross international borders twice. The region’s relative isolation has helped preserve distinctive cultural traditions, including the unique Lindjo dance performed to accompany lijerica, a three-stringed instrument found nowhere else in Croatia.
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Sokh (Uzbekistan/Kyrgyzstan)
This densely populated Uzbek exclave, surrounded by Kyrgyzstan, contains dozens of communities and around 70,000 people, making it one of the largest populated enclaves in the world. The fertile valley is known for its excellent agricultural output, particularly water-rich crops, unusual in the region’s typically arid climate.
Traditional crafts flourish in the communities, including distinctive embroidery styles and wooden architectural decorations. The administrative arrangement creates practical challenges for residents who must cross international borders for certain services and trade.
Nahwa (United Arab Emirates/Oman)
This tiny village forms a counter-enclave—an enclave within an enclave—as Emirati territory surrounded by the Omani enclave of Madha, which the UAE surrounds. This geographic curiosity creates one of the few places where you can stand in one country while being surrounded by another country, which is surrounded by the first country.
Traditional mud-brick architecture adapts to the hot desert climate with ingenious passive cooling systems. The village maintains distinctive weaving traditions using palm fronds for household items.
Samnaun (Switzerland)
While not technically an enclave, this Swiss valley was historically accessible only through Austrian territory, creating a unique tax situation that persists today as Switzerland’s only duty-free zone. The remote Alpine community developed distinctive linguistic patterns, blending Romansh, German, and Austrian influences into a unique dialect.
Traditional Alpine farming practices continue alongside modern tourism infrastructure, including seasonal cattle migration to high meadows. The valley’s unusual tax status attracts shoppers seeking reduced-price luxury goods.
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Worlds Within Worlds
These geographic curiosities demonstrate how political boundaries often defy simple logic, creating unique cultural islands within larger nations. Each enclave has developed distinctive traditions and systems while maintaining complex relationships with its surrounding countries.
By venturing beyond typical tourist destinations to these overlooked nations within nations, travelers gain insight into some of history’s most fascinating political and cultural experiments. This proves that sometimes the most interesting destinations come in the smallest packages.
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