Hunting for food has been the primary source of sustenance for man since the Stone Age; however with farming of animals and easy availability of food, hunting has become a popular recreational activity for people. An extremely popular sport in the Africa’s and America’s, this is also a major source of income for these continents.

1. Tanzania, Africa

Tanzania is a country with beautiful national parks and game reserves. It is also called the African hunter’s paradise and is considered as the ultimate hunting destination. There are numerous game reserves in this land which is abundant with flora and fauna. The Selous Game Reserve is the largest hunting ground in the world dedicated to conduct hunts. The lion, buffalo and exotic species such as Sitatunga, Lesser Kunduk and Gerenuk are the popular animals hunted here. Other parks you must visit for game hunting are the Gombe Stream National Park, Mkomazi Game Reserve for Rhinos, Monduli Mountains, Ugalla. These reserves are not very well-known though offer wide variety of games to hunters.

2. Mozambique, Eastern Africa

Its topography consists of thick forests, swamplands and palm forests. Earlier wildlife was heavily poached thus resulting in dwindling population of animals. However, the initiative of the government in working with locals in promoting sustained hunting has revived Mozambique’s hunting industry. One can claim the Lion, Leopard, Cape Buffalo and Elephant as trophies from their hunting expeditions. Other unusual game trophies such as Kudu, Chobe bushbuck, Nyala, Eland and Crocodile are also hunted in Mozambique.

3. South Africa, Africa

South Africa is the destination to be for hunters seeking ‘luxury and that something extra’ while on a hunt. It is easily accessible from all over the world thus making it a preferred hunting destination. The world-famous Kruger National Park, Pilanesberg Game reserve, Kalahari Gemsbok National Park are some of the parks which offer a multitude of big game hunting. One can hunt game such as Nyala, Suni, White Rhino and Gnu apart form Buffaloes, Elephants, Lions etc.

4. Namibia, Western Africa

Earlier a favorite gaming haunt among Europeans it is also gaining popularity among North American hunters. It offers a diverse selection of hunts such as the Elephant, Lion, Cape Buffalo, Leopard, Rhino and Steenbuck for hunting enthusiasts.

5. Montenegro, Europe

Located in Southeastern Europe this small country has relatively untouched landscapes and beautiful rugged countryside. Hunting in Montenegro is an actively practiced sport as the wildlife thrives in its rich jungles and forests. A wide variety of bird species are available for hunting such as quail, duck, turtle-dove, snipe; while the wild boar, bears, rabbits, chamois and wolves are also allowed to be hunted animal hunters. The Skadarsko Jezero, Mount Durmitor, Bjelopavlicka vally, Crmnica and Ulcinj are popular hunting grounds in Montenegro.

6. Belarus, Eastern Europe

This landlocked country is an ideal hunting destination due its flat landscape and marshy tracts. It also has 11,000 pristine lakes and 40% of its land is covered in forest area thus perfect for hunting and fishing game. Their national animal-the European Bison is an exciting game to hunt. Among other big games, the Elk, Red Deer, Roe Deer, Wild Boar and Wolf which provides exciting challenges to ones hunt.

7. Cambodia, Southeast Asia

After hunting was banned in 1954 in Cambodia the government finally opened doors to hunters in 2009. It is actively working with locals to promote sustainable hunting thus preserving Cambodia’s rich wildlife. For hunters who have money to spend Cambodia offers expeditions into underground jungles where one can hunt from Elephants, reptiles and birds.

8. Canada, North America

Canada offers vast and beautiful landscapes to hunt and fish. The choices available for hunting big game are plentiful. One can head to Ontario for Deer and Waterfowl, Newfoundland for Caribou and Hare. Moose and Grouse are other games popular among hunters. For an extremely challenging and exciting hunt one should go for a fishing expedition to the North i.e. Yukon, upper Quebec to fish for the traditional Seal, Arctic Fox and even the Beluga Whale. A hunting trip in Canada is an experience one will never forget.

9. Argentina, South America

Argentina has one of the most regulated and organized hunting industry in the world. This country is rich in its biodiversity and provides some of the best games for hunting. Due to its close proximity to Antarctica a wide assortment of birds and animals thrive here. Dove and Pigeons are hunted throughout the year while hunters seeking higher challenges can focus on the Blackbuck Antelope, Stags, Pumas and Water Buffalo. This place is a must-visit for any hunting enthusiast.

10. Uruguay, South America

Uruguay is not as well-known as its southern neighbor though it offers a variety of birds and animals for game hunting. Hunting for ducks is the most popular game in Uruguay. Other game are pigeons, doves, freshwater fishes are also available.

We dwell on a marvelously assorted globe and share it with an enthralling and incredible assortment of creatures in the wild in an abundance of varied habitats. At top-10-list.org, we are excited about the wildlife and scenery our planet has to provide, and in identifying this, our writers has generated from the archives some of the best wildlife photospheres. There are wide varieties to select from, but those featured herein have been identified for their distinct scenery, the uncommonness of the encounter and the pure sight you are probably to take pleasure in. Listed below are the top ten wildlife photographers of the year.

1. The Snow Leopard – Steven Winter

Taken by Steven Winter in India’s Hemis National Park is the award winning snow leopard. The photograph won the award- Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, an event organized by the Natural History Museum. The photo was taken at night in the freezing cold and the photographer Steven Winter admitted that it was quite challenging taking a photo on those conditions. He later said that prior to his wining he had shot more than 30,000 wildlife photos. The endangered specie finally made it to the top.

2. Man and Whale – Brian Skerry

Number two on the list is man and whale photo taken by Brian Skerry. This spectacular image won the best under water wildlife category in the annual Natural Museum event. The photo was captured off New Zealand’s Auckland Islands. This is the area where pure inhabitants were discovered a decade ago. Getting the perfect shot was not that easy as they had not seen a human and drastic measure had to be taken to lure one for the best shot. The photographer revealed that he had to set up his assistant as bait even though the animal is friendly.

3. Black Colobus Monkey- David Maitland

Not all wildlife stories are good to write home about. Some are desperation to highlight the ever rising conflict between humans and nature. This picture won in the category of One Earth Award that attempts to show the plight of wild animals at the hands of humans desperate to make a dollar. The photo shows a black colobus monkey whose fur is being singed in readiness for an illegal bush-meat sale in Gabon. The fur is singed out so that the creature can be sold naked but whole. Whereas, the image may be disturbing, it tells of a story of wildlife that in a few years will not be in existence.

4. Deadlock- David Maitland

David Maitland the UK- based photographer seems to know how to take award winning photographs. At number seven on the top ten wildlife photographers is this image that was ultimately named deadlock that won the Animal Behavior award in the same event organized by Natural History Museum. The image was taken deep in the night somewhere in the Belizean rain forest. The photographer said that he had to watch from 3.am and could not come to a conclusive conclusion on who won the fight. He had to call it a day due to exhaustion and to date does not know if the frog or the snake won the fight.

5. Cyril Ruoso – Winner Animal Behavior: Mammals Category

This is truly an amazing story of three hunters. At number five is a story of three chimpanzees that are unable to make a decision on how to share a hunt led by the group leader holding the trophy. Captured by Cyril Ruoso in the thick forests in Tanzania Gombe National Park, is the award winning photo in Mammals category. It is rare for chimpanzees to get such a rare catch given that their hunt usually targets smaller monkeys.

6. Stefano Unterthiner – Winner Animal Portrait

At number six is Stefano’s animal portrait of black macaque. Taking the photo was not a walk in the park as Stefano had to follow the group of black crested macaque for a period of six weeks in the same attire. This was meant for the monkeys to recognize him easily and be at ease. It is a spectacular image that will definitely be enjoyed by all.

7. Clash of white-tailed eagles- Antoni Kasprzak

At number seven and winner of animal behavior in the birds category is a fight between two white-tailed eagles on a Polish winter. The fight was about a dead mouse on a rail track. Given the deplorable condition, finding food is quite hard and a fight had to ensue as to who was fit to consume the animal.

The following images were taken by anonymous persons while on the nature trial. It tells a story of calmness wildlife experience in their natural habitats without the interference of man.

8. The hippos o Moremi National Park South Africa

This is a picture that was taken while on a safari in South Africa.

9. A tiger in an Indian National Park

At number nine is the image of a tiger taken in an Indian National Park. The burly animal seems to be in a wander land or perhaps had eaten a hearty meal and was wondering how to get the next.

10. Polar Bears Sunbathing

Last but not least the spectacular image of polar bears sun bathing on ice.

Wim Delvoye has spent much of his illustrious art career transforming unused objects into incredible works of art. In his series, “Pneu” (French for tire) the artist carves intricate patterns into disused tires of different widths and textures. The resulting pieces come alive with floral and organic motifs which are cut into each tire’s surface.

Forests are known worldwide to be an integral part of the environment otherwise the whole world as we know it would be a desert. Conservationists all over the world are pushing governments especially in the third world and developing nations to preserve their forests as they are being destroyed at the expense of industrialization.

There are several benefits that a nation stands to gain by conserving its forest cover. For example, forests are known to stabilize the climate. Unknown to some people is that the forest functions in enriching the soil. This is achieved when the leaves that fall from the tree decay thus providing the much needed nutrients to the soil. Forests also normalize the water rotation through absorption and redeployment of rainwater fairly equally to all living organisms within its reach. This is referred to as the economy of water. Generally, forests function by offering the best habitat for living things to thrive within the land. In addition, forests accommodate a majority of species in the world. It is estimated that roughly 90% of living organisms in the globe reside in forests.

You can experience one of the wealthiest habitats in the globe today by taking a trip to some of the glamorous forests such as the rain forest. There are numerous beautiful rainforests spread across the globe and illustrated herein are some of the most beautiful rainforests in the world.

1. Daintree, Australia:

Daintree is also commonly referred to as the rainforest that encounters the reef. The forest is located somewhere in Northern Queensland and comprises of some of the world’s exceptional species of flora and fauna. Numerous types of butterfly can be found in Daintree. This is in addition to bats, frogs as well as other kinds of reptile species you will hardly see anywhere else. Experts estimate that the forest is approximately 135 million years old. For you to believe the picturesque offered by the Daintree Rainforest, you need to take a trip to Queensland, Australia.

2. Equador’s Cloud Forest:

Equador’s cloud forests offer a magnificent view for anyone that visits it. It basically transports you to a different world. The forest can be seen extending on either side of the Andes. It is well famed for its bio diversity and is mainly made up of birds and other rare species. Complementing the forest is the abundant collection of flowers, orchids and an assortment of birds.

3. The Amazon Rainforest:

The Amazon rainforest has been featured in several different documentaries as well as movies. Amazingly, the Amazon stretches across nine countries. However, a big chunk of the forest lies in Brazil. As the largest rainforest of the world, the Amazon rainforest boasts of one of the wealthiest bio diversity. Various types of animals, birds, plants and fish can be found within the Amazon than any other forest in the world. Spicing the forest is the diverse reptile as well as mammal species.

4. Alaska Rainforest:

The Alaska rainforest boasts of being the biggest temperature forest in the globe. One can choose different locations to visit such as Chilkoot inlet. The vast green forest can be viewed easily from this location in spite of the mountain ranges that surround it. Moreover, a majority of bald eagle can be found in this place.

5. Sapo National Park, Liberia:

If you are planning for a vacation to Africa, then you need to include Sapo National Park in Liberia as one of the places to visit. The forest has been described by many as a virgin rainforest at its peak. However, the harsh temperatures and high humidity makes the forest a little hard to reach compared to other forests in the world. Sapo is a wonderful place to visit as it offers you a magnificent view of the entire rainforest despite the numerous rubber trees that are grown in most rural areas of Liberia.

6. The Mount Kinabalu National Park, Malaysia:

Some of the most uncommon species of animals and plants can be located in Mount Kinabalu rainforest. There are several types of pitcher plants, assortments of orchids and largest flowers. Amazingly, you can see the sky coming into contact with the trees.

7. The Monteverde Forest, Costa Rica:

The Monteverde is also known as a cloud forest. This is because of the mist which then leaves dew on the leaves of the various plants therein. In addition, there are countless species of birds, plants and insects found in the forest. The forest is a habitat to jaguars, snakes and quetzal amongst other animal species.

8. Montecristo Cloud Forest, El Salvador:

The forest includes several types of animal and plant species, for example, orchids, spider monkeys, toucans, ferns and pumas.

9. Sinharaja Forest, Srilanka:

The forest is located conveniently to the South of the Central Mountains. Whereas, the forest attracts a drove of animal and plant lovers, it is polluted with leeches.

10. Emas National Park and Chapada Dos Veadeiros, Brazil:

The forests are known world over for being rich in not only vast green vegetation but also for its diversity in wildlife. It is one of the forests that is well protected given that it is a habitat to numerous species of plants and animals.

From the above list, there is no doubt that for life to exist then forests must be safeguarded. The conflict between man and nature has seen many forests shrink in size which in turn has threatened the lives therein.

If you grew up American, like me, then your typical idea of “Tropical Fruit” was bananas and the occasional kiwi. When I was a kid, Pineapples were something you rarely saw in a grocery store and mangos were something mentioned in movies or songs and I just assumed they didn’t exist for real and I just assumed Sesame Street and Don Ho were lying to me.

The internet has effectively erased the borders when it comes to things like a country’s native foods, and the global distribution of goods has brought the weird to our neighborhood food dispensaries.  Here are 10 bizarre fruits that people actually eat, that we otherwise never would have heard of.

10. Kiwano

Kiwanos are a strange melon/cucumber relative originally from New Zealand. The outside looks more like something from an 80s side-scroller than a fruit, and the inside is even more bizarre. Usually when something is that green, it is oozing out of a dead alien, and to be honest, isn’t real. But they are. When I was a kid, the commissary (the grocery store if you grew up on a military base) had them once and I talked my mother into buying one. I then spent 2 weeks staring at it, wondering if it was going to scream at me and club me to death if I tried to cut it (it didn’t).

I eventually sliced it open, and as is the case with most tropical fruit, I decided I preferred apples. They are apparently pretty popular, though and work okay in fruit salads.

9. Dragon Fruit

Also known as Pitaya, the dragon fruit lives up to its name in appearance. From the outside, it looks like a decorative modern art flame, and on the inside, well, that is what I figured a dragon must look like on the inside. They originally come from Mexico and New Mexico, but are pretty popular in the eastern world now and grown heavily in the islands of Indonesia, up across South East Asia, in Australia and even as far as Israel.

It is the fruit of a cactus, and is described as having a very watermelon like taste, despite looking like vanilla ice cream studded with dead fruit flies.

 8. Durian

Ahh, durian. Alternately known as “The King of Fruit” and “The fruit that smells like rotting garbage and onions.” My favorite description is from Richard Sterling and quoted on Wikipedia as this:

“Its odor is best described as pig-sh*t, turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away.”

The same page also mentions that they have also been described as smelling like civet, sewage, stale vomit, skunk spray and used surgical swabs. Yum.  Some people are absolutely in love with it, and apparently a variety of animals including tigers can’t get enough of stale vomit encased in a fruity hedgehog, but the people in Singapore seem to have the right idea; the fruit is banned from all public transportation.

7. Buddha’s Hand

Buddha’s hand is a citrus fruit with little real “fruit” to it, being mostly citron scented rind, in the form of awful looking yellow fingers. It is easily the most horrible looking thing bearing the name “Buddha” unless some sick bastard named a rotting carcass after Siddhartha.

People don’t generally eat them, because of the lack of actual fruit in it, but they use them to perfume rooms because they put out a pretty powerful citrusy fragrance, however since their pith (the bitter white part of the citrus peel) is actually not bitter, the “fingers” are sometimes cut off and used in fish dishes or salads.

6. Passion Fruit

While passion fruits aren’t exactly rare these days, they still kind of freak me out, and they are odd looking. They are originally South American and the skins have been shown to contain trace amounts of cyanogenic glycosides, which is to say microscopic amounts of really nasty poison, but then again so do apple seeds, so don’t sweat it.

People are almost as psycho about passion fruit as they are durian, although not smelling like a corpse suggests that they may be on to something. Here’s a fun bit of trivia: Guess how the Passion Fruit got its name? Well, before the fruit was named, the flower was called the “Passion Flower”. Do the flower and fruit inspire lust? Do they keep couples together through tough times? Or rather, did the flowers remind the first Europeans to discover them think of Jesus being tortured (the Passion)and named them after that? Hint, it had nothing to do with love.

5. Screw Pine

I love anything where the name could get a kid in trouble for saying it in school, which includes the word “screw” and anything that sounds like “ass.” Screw pines also go by the more boring name of Pandanus… okay, so “Panda anus” is a winner too. The fruit is used for everything from dyes to food. Not the most exciting thing on the list, but it certainly has the most fun name.

4. Rambutan

I’ll be honest with you; rambutan reminds me of a vegetarian testicle. Sorry for that, but I aim for honesty in my writing and it looks like some weird critter from Australia carries them around to make babies and possibly drink from. It hails from Southeast Asia and is popular for jams and jellies, and the mildly poisonous seeds are sometimes roasted and eaten (roasting them apparently makes them safe).

3. Akebia Quinata

These fruit look like they are just as likely to eat you as you are it. The sausage shaped pods are filled with edible goo that looks like it should be bursting with flies, but they come from chocolate scented flowers, which means they may not be half bad. The stem of the plant is used as a diuretic because it contains 30% potassium salts, and New Zealand has banned the sale of the plant because it is apparently a virulent pest that likes to squeeze out competing flora.

2. Atemoya

Atemoya are a hybrid made from Sugar Apples and Cherimoya. Much like the durian, they look like you could shove it onto the end of a stick and smite foes with them, but they are actually smooth and soft like the sherimoya. They are described as tasting like a pina colada with vanilla, which actually sounds quite delightful. Oh, and because nothing tropical seems to be without a horrific dark side, the seeds are inedible and poisonous. Also, the flowers have a weird behavior; from 2 to 4 PM, they are female, and on alternating days, from 3 to 5 they are male. This fruit is a lot like Cillian Murphy in Peacock.

1. Snakeskin Fruit

Some fruit names are deceptive; Breadfruit tastes nothing like bread, and road apples couldn’t look less like a road if they tried. (They taste awful, too.) This one pretty much hits the nail on the head. I will take my vegetable matter without disturbing scales, thank you very much. Pinching the end of the fruit causes the skin to slough off, and the pieces of fruit resemble garlic. The flavor is described as sweet and acidic, that is if you can get past the fact that it looks like garlic from the plant the lizard people in V came from.

List by: David Dietle

Usually when we think of “art”, things like sculptures or paintings come to mind; in other words, stuff you can hang on the wall or keep in your atrium to be the envy of your neighborhood’s upper crust (everyone is lower-upper class, right?  That’s what TV tells me).

But there is a new form that not only requires skill, it requires science, and likely access to equipment most of us do not have in our homes, or possibly even in our city.

10.  Nano Rose

Source

This rose was created by a Taiwanese person named Pai Chun Wei at the National Taiwan University.  It was made using Indium, which I didn’t even know was a thing.  What’s next?  Germanium?  Oh, wait…

Most people have a hard time making fancy roses out of tomato skins, but this rose is mere hundreds of nanometers across; for perspective, a human hair is between 50,000 to 100,000 nanometers across.  I wouldn’t suggest giving these to your significant other in place of real flowers any time soon (unless you are dating a nerd).

9.  Nano Explosions

Source

These “explosions” are actually “color-enhanced scanning electron micrographs of an overflowed electro-deposited magnetic nanowire array”.  I am not sure what all of that means, but I think it has something to do with zapping tiny wires, taking a picture with an electron microscope and then photoshopping it so that it looks like an army of tiny volcanoes or a nuclear Armageddon on a microscopic scale.  This one was created by Fanny Beron from Montreal, and was a first place winner at the 2007 Science As Art competition in Boston.

8.  Nano Dice

Source

Also a first place winner at the 2007 Science As Art competition, these dice were “self-assembled” out of nickel, and measure a whopping 200 microns across, making them roughly twice the width of a tick hair.  Timothy Leong of Johns Hopkins University made them, I am assuming to provide mice with tiny novelty trinkets of their own, or for protozoans to hang from their rearview mirrors.  I would have been impressed enough with the tiny cubes, but getting the dots on them blew me away.  I can’t even glue the hood on a model car without getting glue on the axels.

7.  Nano Reindeer

Source

I couldn’t find anything in plain English that described how this was made, so I am just going to say, “holy crap, they made a reindeer 5 thousandths of a millimeter across!”  Imagine the little houses they would land on, bringing toys to the children of dust mites and really big bacteria.  No kidding these ones can fly; they’re smaller than a snowflake, so a light breeze could take them miles.  All they would need is a minuscule Santa to…oh, here we go.

6.  Nano Santa

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So Nano-Santa is a tad larger than the reindeer but, really, at that scale I don’t think it matters.  This was created by Adam Steele for the SAA competition, and won him second place.  The caption at the bottom of the picture implies that it was created using carbon nanotubes and Teflon.  Unfortunately, Nano-Santa appears to have fallen out of his sleigh and landed on some rocks, so let’s hope there is a microscopic Hanukkah Harry to bail him out.

5.  Nano Smileys

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The man who made these little fellas called them “buddies”, and they are about the cutest thing there is on a molecular level.  These are probably what puppies and little girls are made of.  Except maybe the little guy in the upper left who appears to be screaming.  Probably because the two next to him are missing parts of their heads.  And two of them are missing their jaws, like the guy in the next room in Road Trip.  On second thought, I don’t think a smiling nanoface could get much more disturbing than these…

4.  Evil Nano Pac-Man

Source

AHHHH!  Holy crap!  I stand corrected.

Good lord!  It’s like someone mixed Pac-Man, Venom and Rorschach and came up with a hybrid more terrifying than the sum of its parts.  Elisabetta Comini from the University of Brescia in Italy crafted this monstrosity out of copper oxide, and is only 3.5 microns across.  She won the first prize at the 2010 SAA competition in San Francisco, probably after threatening to unleash her terrifying horde on the world’s nightmares if she did not.

3.  Nano Garden

Source

Thankfully, this incredible nano-garden exists to soothe away the terror brought on by the other images.  It looks like they are growing some tiny Titam Arum, micro succulents, and hmm…looks like some lamp shades over in the lower left?  Whatever, it’s surprisingly pretty for being so small, and interestingly well-ordered.  I could go into some jokes about viruses harvesting this for winter but, by now, I’m sure you’re tired of the “small” jokes and…oops, looks like I did it anyway.

2.  Coat of Arms in Carbon Nanotube

Source

Carbon nanotubes are the miracle material of the future; they will be used in the organic LEDS that make up our TVs and monitors, they will be used to build impossible structures that are as strong as diamonds, and make almost 100%-efficient solar cells.  They will also be used to make impossibly tiny pictures of the Yin-Yang symbol or your coat of arms.  You know, whichever.  These images were made using quantum dots arranged on a surface of CNTs using optical tweezers.  I know that sounds like I lifted lines from a Phillip K. Dick novel, but those are all real things.

1.  Nano Landmarks

Source

Now, while the others are pretty impressive already, these ones ranked higher because no one needed to pull any clever color manipulation to make them stand out.  They are immediately and easily identifiable landmarks rendered in 3-D at a scale only visible with an electron microscope. It’s easy to imagine bacterial Mongols being held at bay, or a group of amoeba druids praying to the moon. Or maybe that’s just me.

Written By David Dietle

This strange and rare phenomenon is caused when salt water reacts with decaying organic materials and is whipped up into a frothy foam by waves and currents.  This Cappuccino Coast was photographed in Cape Town, South Africa.

Have you been to all corners of your country? You will most likely answer no to this question. The average person will most likely not see all parts of his or her country owing to its size. But if you live in one of the smallest countries in the world, seeing everything that your nation has to offer in terms of sights will not be a problem for you. In fact, you can most likely do that in one day or even morning. Between breakfast and brunch, you can walk from one end of your nation to the other.

1. Vatican City

Located within the city of Rome, this is a landlocked sovereign city-state with an area of approximately 44 hectares or 110 acres. Vatican City is not a very old country. It was only established in 1929 and is ruled by the Bishop of Rome, also known as the Pope. Its territory includes the St. Peter’s Basiica, the Sistine Chapel, the Apostolic Palace, several buildings, and some museums. Apart from these popular sites, the territory also include the Vatican Gardens. These are medieval gardens that cover about 23 hectares of the whole country. Vatican City has a population of about 800.

2. Monaco

With a land mass of .75 square miles, Monaco is the second smallest country in the world. It also happens to be the world’s second smallest monarchy. Monaco is located in South Western Europe and is surrounded by France on three sides and the Mediterranean Sea. With its population reaching over 30,000, Monaco is also one of the most densely populated nations on Earth. The country’s main industry is tourism; every year, many people visit this microstate to gamble or enjoy its wonderful weather.

3. Nauru

Located in Micronesia in South Pacific, Nauru is an island state with a land area of 8.1 square miles. The Republic of Nauru is the smallest island nation in the world. This county gained its independence in 1968 but this island has been home to its natives for at least 3,000 years. In 1798, a whale hunted named John Fearn was the first Westerner to visit the island. He named it Pleasant Island. Right now, this nation has a population of over 9,000. For this reason, they have no armed forces.

4. Tuvalu

Also located in the Pacific Ocean, Tuvalu is an island nation with a total area of 10 square miles. This nation has five atolls and four reef islands. This nation was formerly known as Ellice Islands. It was discovered in 1568 and was under Britain towards the end of the 19th century. They gained their independence from the United Kingdom in 1978. Right now, this country has a population of 10,472. Because it has almost no natural resources, Tuvalu’s main source of income is foreign aid.

5. San Marino

With a total land area of 24 square miles, San Marino is the fifth smallest nation in the world. It also has the smallest population of all Council of Europe members. San Marino, however, is one of the oldest surviving independent nations in the world. This country’s founding dates back to the third of September, 301. This country’s constitution was enacted in 1600, making San Marino the second oldest constitutional republic on Earth. San Marino is also one of the richest countries in the world; they have a budget surplus and no national debt.

6. Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein is also a landlocked country located in Europe. Surrounded by Switzerland and Austia, this country has a total area of about 61.7 square miles. This Alpine country may be one of the smallest but it is one of the wealthiest in the world. It is a favorite winter destination in Europe but this is not how the country earns most of its money. Liechtenstein is a popular business center with more registered companies than residents.

7. Marshall Islands

Located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Marshall Islands is composed mainly of atolls and islands. This country has a total area of 70 square miles and a population of over 62,000. This country gained its independence from the United States only in 1986. Up until today, aid from the US is generally what keeps Marshall Islands’s economy afloat. This nation has almost no natural resources and imports more than they export. In recent years, Marshall Islands suffered from extremely high energy costs.

8. Seychelles

Serchelles has a total area of 174 square miles. This is the 8th smallest country in the world in terms of land mass but has an estimated population of 84,000. This archipelago consists of 115 islands and can be found in the Indian Ocean. Seychelles has always been progressive, exporting cinnamon, copra, and vanilla. But since they gained independence in 1976, Seychelles’s main source of income has been tourism. The tourists industry currently employs a third of the country’s working population.

9. Maldives

Another island nation, Maldives is also located in the Indian Ocean. This is currently the smallest Asian country in terms of land area and population. Its total land area is only 115 square miles and as of 2010, it has a population of about 396,334. The country has 1,192 islets but only two hundred of these islands are inhabited. The capital is Male and has about a third of the population of the whole nation. The country’s main source of income today is tourism; in the olden times, this country was a major source of cowry shells, dried tuna fish, and coir rope.

10. St. Kitts and Nevis

Also called the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, this is a country located in the West Indies. It is comprised of two islands and has a total land area of 104 square miles. These islands were the first islands in the Caribbean to be inhabited by Westerners. They gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1983. Not only is this the smallest nation in the Americas in terms of area, this also has the smallest population. As of today, this country’s main source of income is tourism. They also rely on agriculture and offshore banking to earn money.

Photo Credits:

Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3, Photo 4, Photo 5, Photo 6, Photo 7, Photo 8, Photo 9, Photo 10