Clean up in isle 21

The smallest island country is 21 square kilometres; a single island. The island of Nauru.

Boasting an even smaller population, while being only marginally bigger (or less small, if you like), is Tuvalu, by five kilometres.

In fact, there are a cluster of sizes, if not proximity, between island nations before we reach our cut-off - counting those island countries less than a thousand sq km in total size.

Nauru also holds the dinky distinction of being the third smallest country, after Vatican State and Monaco. I kind of like the fact that here's a place that is restricted purely by the size of the island, rather than through religious or regal machinations.

Third place getter is a long way behind by being 181 sq km; crazy big in comparison. Marshall Islands do however complete the three Micronesia Polynesia islands, before the move from the Pacific to the Caribbean and fourth smallest island country, St Kitts and Nevis, (which is, in turn, part of the Leeward Islands), 261 sq km

We find the fifth smallest island country in the Indian Ocean. Maldives are 298 sq km

Malta, sixth smallest island country, at 316 sq km. Can be found in the Mediterranean.

Grenada is the seventh smallest island nation, there's little more to be said. Just 344 sq km. Like eight and ninth smallest island countries, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (389 sq km) and Barbados (430 sq km), it is one of the Windward Islands of the Caribbean.

Antigua and Barbuda are across the Caribbean in the Leeward Islands. They are/it is rounding out the tiny ten at 440 sq km but this is misleading as Seychelles is but fifteen square kilometres larger in circumference, and Palau a mere four square kilometres wider again.

They stack on 57 square kilometres to play Saint Lucia and the remaining islands are at the higher end of less than 1000 so let's list them on single lines

Singapore 694 sq km

Federated States of Micronesia 702 sq km

Tonga 748 sq km

Bahrain 750 sq km

Dominica 754 sq km

Kiribati  811 sq km