The entire country of Monaco is smaller than Central Park in New York City.

Monaco is the second-smallest country on Earth, right after Vatican City. It covers only about 0.78 square miles of land. To put that in perspective, Central Park in New York is about 1.3 square miles. This means the park is nearly twice as big as the entire nation of Monaco!The country is located on the French Riviera, tucked between France and the Mediterranean Sea. Because there is so little room, Monaco is the most crowded country in the world. Over 38,000 people live in this tiny space. To make more room, the government actually builds into the ocean by filling parts of the sea with dirt and rock to create new land.The Grimaldi family has ruled this small nation since the year 1297. Even though it is tiny, Monaco is a fully independent country with its own laws, police force, and flag. It even has a seat at the United Nations just like the United States or China. The entire coastline of the country is only about 2.4 miles long, which is shorter than many beaches in other parts of the world.