microstate

American  

[mahy-kroh-steyt] / ˈmaɪ kroʊˌsteɪt /

noun

1. ministate.

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microstate British  

/ ˈmaɪkrəʊˌsteɪt /

noun

1. Also called: mini-state.  a very small nation that is an internationally-recognized sovereign state

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Etymology

Origin of microstate

First recorded in 1965–70; micro- + state

Example Sentences

Without ever setting foot in the palm-fringed microstate, foreign ship owners can pay Maritime Cook Islands to sail under its star-studded flag.

From Barron's

Her grander stated objective was to become queen of Liberland, an unrecognised microstate on the Croatian-Serbian border, by 2022.

From BBC

There are just five nations ranked below the microstate in the world rankings, including the US and British Virgin Islands and San Marino.

From BBC

The first comes, not surprisingly, from San Marino – the independent microstate that nestles inside north-central Italy.

From BBC

Though the company is headquartered in Vancouver, its application is sponsored by the Pacific microstate of Nauru, via a wholly owned subsidiary in that country — an arrangement that allows it to take advantage of the ISA’s policy of holding surveyed areas in trust for developing nations.

From Salon