San Marino, one of the smallest nations in the world and the world's oldest republic still in existence, is founded by Saint Marinus.

San Marino

Microstate in Southern Europe

San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two microstates within Italy, the other being Vatican City. San Marino…

List of countries and dependencies by area

This is a list of the world's countries and their dependencies, ranked by total area, including land and water.

Republic

Form of government

A republic, based on the Latin phrase res publica, is a state in which political power rests with the public (people), typically through their representatives—in contrast to a monarchy. Although a republic is most often a single sovereign state, subnational state entities that…

Saint Marinus

Italian stonemason who founded San Marino in 301

Marinus was an Early Christian and the founder of a chapel and monastery in 301 from whose initial community the state of San Marino later grew.