In our present-day world, there are 195 recognized countries, and there are approximately 100,000 flights zig-zagging across the sky every day, including commercial, cargo, and military flights. In an era where one can fly from New York to Singapore in less than 24 hours without stopping, it may be hard to believe that there's a country that doesn't have a single airport within its borders. Small or remote countries, like the Republic of Seychelles, the Maldives, and even Malta, all have international
airports. Incredibly, there's not just one or two, but a total of five countries that do not have an airport, international or otherwise.
All five are in Europe, where countries are a lot smaller than they are in North America. When you exclude Russia, Ukraine is the largest country in Europe by area, and it's roughly the size of Texas! A country's size -- and its geography -- have a lot to do with where an airport can operate. The five countries without a single airport are Monaco, Andorra, Liechtenstein, San Marino, and Vatican City (which, while located within Rome, Italy, is classified as the smallest country in the world).
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Why Don't These Countries Have Airports?
Monaco is known as an elite getaway for the well-known and the wealthy, so it may come as a surprise that it does not offer an airport, but it's also the second-smallest country in the world. Central Park in New York City is bigger than this tiny country, and visitors can walk from one end to the other in 45 minutes. It simply doesn't have enough land for an airport, though it does boast landing pads for helicopters. If you want to fly commercial, the closest airport is Nice Côte d'Azur Airport in France, about 14 miles away.
Andorra is the largest country on this list. Though still tiny, it's the terrain rather than its size that makes it impossible to build an airport. The country is situated among the Pyrenees mountains, making flights into and out of the country extremely dangerous. In contrast, Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, with a reported population of under 1,000 and an area of only 0.17 square miles. It's simply too small for an airport and, unlike many other dignitaries, the pope does not have his own private jet.
If you like visiting castles, Liechtenstein should be on your bucket list, but it may be hard to get there. It offers stunning scenery, but again, is too small to host an airport. Finally, there's San Marino, which does offer Torraccia Airfield, a grassy runway, but, as it isn't classified as a commercial airport, the country still earns a place on this very exclusive list.
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