Geography of San Marino

San Marino is a very small country in Europe. It is completely surrounded by Italy, which means it has no coastline and is called an enclave. It is the third smallest independent country in Europe, after the Vatican City and Monaco.

The land of San Marino is mostly made up of the Apennines mountains. It is located at 43°56′N 12°28′E / 43.94°N 12.46°E / 43.94; 12.46 and covers an area of just 61.2 km² (23.6 sq mi). Because it is so hilly and mountainous, only a small part—about 17%—of the land can be used for farming.

Several rivers run through San Marino. The biggest ones are the Ausa, the Marano, and the San Marino River. Despite its tiny size, San Marino has a special place in the world as one of the smallest countries with its own government.

Climate

San Marino has a humid subtropical climate, which means it has warm summers and cool winters. Because it is inland, winters often bring snow, especially at higher altitudes above 400–500 metres.

Political geography

Main article: List of cities in San Marino

San Marino is divided into 9 areas called municipalities. These areas are:

• Acquaviva
• Borgo Maggiore
• Chiesanuova
• Domagnano
• Faetano
• Fiorentino
• Montegiardino
• City of San Marino (Città di San Marino), the capital town
• Serravalle

Protected areas

San Marino does not have any special protected areas. However, the country follows important international agreements to help protect plants and animals around the world.

San Marino has laws that protect its trees. It is illegal to cut down any tree that is larger than 10 centimetres (about 4 inches) around. Even though San Marino is small, many of its lands are covered with trees like oaks and other leafy trees. Some areas have shrubs and bushes, while only a tiny part has rivers running through it.