Many are familiar with the saying “Toronto is an hour from Toronto” in reference to the city’s vast geographic area (and brutal transportation).
And while it remains a running joke just how much area Toronto covers, many might be surprised to learn that the city’s size exceeds a dozen and a half sovereign states across the globe.
According to the City of Toronto, the 416 spans an impressive 641 square kilometres and stretches as much as 43 km from east to west, and 21 km from north to south.
So, just how big is 641 square kilometres compared to some of the world’s smallest nations?
To answer that, here are the 18 countries that could easily fit within Toronto’s borders:
Vatican City
With an area of 0.49 square kilometres, Vatican City is the smallest country in the world. You could fit 1,308 microstates of similar size within Toronto’s borders.
Monaco
At just two square kilometres, Toronto is 320 times the size of this wealthy European microstate.
Nauru
This tiny island nation in Oceania measures 21 square kilometres, which is only slightly larger than Toronto Pearson International Airport, at 18.6 square kilometres.
Tuvalu
A small Polynesian island microstate measuring 26 square kilometres, Tuvalu could comfortably fit within Toronto’s downtown core.
San Marino
Like Vatican City, San Marino is a microstate surrounded by Italy. San Marino’s relatively small area of 61 square kilometres is roughly one-tenth the area of Toronto.
Liechtenstein
Another wealthy European microstate, Liechtenstein’s area of 160 square kilometres is equivalent to just one-quarter of Toronto’s area.
Marshall Islands
An island paradise of coral atolls and islands in the South Pacific measures 181 square kilometres, small enough to fit inside Toronto’s borders 3.5 times.
Saint Kitts and Nevis
It should come as no surprise that a few Caribbean nations make this list, the smallest being Saint Kitts and Nevis at just 261 square kilometres. This two-island nation with warm sandy beaches is small enough to fit within Toronto’s borders 2.5 times.
Maldives
A small archipelago in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives measures an even 300 square kilometres, under half the size of Toronto.
Malta
A small southern European island nation in the Mediterranean Sea, Malta’s size of 315 square kilometres is equivalent to the area of Toronto south of Lawrence Avenue/Dixon Road to Lake Ontario.
Grenada
Another small Caribbean island nation, Grenada measures 345 square kilometres. In comparison, Toronto is 1.8 times the size.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Moving to another nearby island nation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ size of 389 square kilometres is roughly equal to the area of Toronto south of Highway 401.
Barbados
Measuring 431 square kilometres, Barbados is yet another Caribbean nation that could easily fit inside of Toronto’s boundaries.
Antigua and Barbuda
Joining the list of island nations in the Caribbean that are smaller in size than Toronto, Antigua and Barbuda measures 442 square kilometres.
Seychelles
This archipelago in the Indian Ocean contains a whopping 155 islands, and yet it is still smaller than Toronto with a size of 457 square kilometres.
Palau
This western Pacific island state is only slightly larger than Seychelles, at 459 square kilometres.
Andorra
The final European microstate on this list measures 468 square kilometres, equivalent to the majority of Toronto, excluding everything west of Jane Street/Weston Road (sorry, Etobicoke).
Saint Lucia
We go back to the West Indies for the last Caribbean nation and overall entry on this list. Saint Lucia’s area of 616 square kilometres is only slightly smaller than Toronto.
