San Marino 🇸🇲
San Marino is a country in Europe with a population of 33,660. Its capital is San Marino. The official currency is EUR, and the main languages are Italian.
Quick facts
- Capital: San Marino
- Continent: Europe
- Population: 33,660
- Area: 61 km²
- Density: 552 people per km²
- Currency: EUR
- Languages: Italian
- ISO code: SM
Where San Marino sits
San Marino 🇸🇲 is one of 46 countries in Europe, with its capital at San Marino. It covers 61 square kilometres — 193rd in the world — and is home to about 33,660 people, 193rd globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include Russia, Germany, United Kingdom, France and Italy. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How San Marino compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, San Marino sits closest to Monaco and Liechtenstein. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Tuvalu and Nauru.
At 552 people per square kilometre it is about 9.3 times the world average of 59.4. Its population and area ranks match exactly, which is uncommon.
Italian is an official language in 4 countries here, among them Italy, Switzerland and Vatican City. The EUR is shared with 25 other countries, including Andorra, Austria and Belgium, and 22 others.
To see San Marino next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember San Marino
The capital has the same name as the country: the City of San Marino, high on Mount Titano. Its three towers are on the flag, so if you can see the towers, you know the capital.
The flag of San Marino: white and light blue
🇸🇲 The flag is two horizontal stripes of white and light blue, with the national coat of arms in the centre. White and blue are said to stand for peace and liberty. The coat of arms shows three towers on mountain peaks, the Guaita, Cesta and Montale castles on Mount Titano, above the word LIBERTAS (liberty).
Region and neighbours
San Marino is a tiny landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy, on the slopes of the Apennine Mountains. It shares land borders with one country: Italy. San Marino is landlocked, with no coast on the open ocean.
- Italy 🇮🇹 — capital Rome
Three facts about San Marino
- San Marino says it was founded in AD 301, which would make it the oldest sovereign state and the oldest constitutional republic still in existence.
- It is one of only three countries in the world that are completely surrounded by one other country.
- San Marino is the fifth-smallest country in the world, and its historic centre and Mount Titano are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sources: Wikipedia: San Marino, Wikipedia: Flag of San Marino, Wikipedia: City of San Marino, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on San Marino
- European capitals quiz — match San Marino to San Marino
- European flags quiz — spot the San Marino flag among its neighbours
- Landlocked countries quiz — San Marino has no sea coast
Quizzes that include San Marino
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For San Marino those are:
- Europe map quiz — place it on a blank map
- Europe flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- Europe capitals quiz — match it to San Marino
- San Marino capital quiz — five quick questions starting with San Marino, plus the answer quizzes most often try to trick you with
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about San Marino
- Capital of San Marino: San Marino — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 46 countries of Europe
Nearby countries
- Albania 🇦🇱 — capital Tirana
- Andorra 🇦🇩 — capital Andorra la Vella
- Austria 🇦🇹 — capital Vienna
- Belarus 🇧🇾 — capital Minsk
- Belgium 🇧🇪 — capital Brussels
- Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦 — capital Sarajevo
- Bulgaria 🇧🇬 — capital Sofia
- Croatia ðŸ‡ðŸ‡· — capital Zagreb
- Cyprus 🇨🇾 — capital Nicosia
- Czechia 🇨🇿 — capital Prague
- Denmark 🇩🇰 — capital Copenhagen
- Estonia 🇪🇪 — capital Tallinn
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the San Marino flag?
The flag of San Marino is two horizontal stripes of white and light blue, with the national coat of arms in the centre. White and blue are said to stand for peace and liberty. The coat of arms shows three towers on mountain peaks, the Guaita, Cesta and Montale castles on Mount Titano, above the word LIBERTAS (liberty).
Which countries border San Marino?
San Marino shares land borders with Italy.
How can I remember the capital of San Marino?
The capital has the same name as the country: the City of San Marino, high on Mount Titano. Its three towers are on the flag, so if you can see the towers, you know the capital.