Saverio Colantonio, age ll, of Victoria, B.C., Canada, for his question:

How big is the Republic of San Marino?

This tiny country is the smallest republic in Europe, and some claim that it is the oldest republic in the world. It was founded some l6 centuries ago by a stonemason named Marinus and named san Marino in his honor. The little bump of land is in Northern Italy and its sides slope up to a walled city which also is named San Marino.

Europe’s smallest and certainly oldest republic covers an area of 26 square miles. It is the home of about l7,000 people who elect their own government. It has its own postal service and its own postal stamps. The mail between the little republic and the outside world is small and collectors regard a stamp from San Marino as a rare treat.