Short description: Overview of and topical guide to Vatican City
The Flag of Vatican City
The Coat of arms of Vatican City
The location of Vatican City within Europe.
An enlargeable map of Vatican City State, including extraterritorial properties of the Holy See bordering Vatican City.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and introduction to Vatican City:
Vatican City – an ecclesiastical or sacerdotal-monarchical[1] state, being the sovereign territory of the Holy See and ruled by the Bishop of Rome—the Pope, the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church. The territory of this landlocked sovereign city-state consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of approximately 49 hectares (121 acres)[lower-alpha 1] and a population of about 825.[lower-alpha 2] This makes Vatican City the smallest independent state in the world by both area and population.
Contents
1General reference
2Geography of Vatican City
2.1Location of Vatican City
2.2Environment of Vatican City
2.2.1Natural geographic features of Vatican City
2.3Regions of Vatican City
2.3.1Ecoregions of Vatican City
2.3.2Administrative divisions of Vatican City
2.4Demography of Vatican City
3Government and politics of Vatican City
3.1Branches of the government of Vatican City
3.1.1Executive branch of the government of Vatican City
3.1.2Legislative branch of the government of Vatican City
3.1.3Judicial branch of the government of Vatican City
3.2Foreign relations of Vatican City
3.2.1International organization membership
3.3Law and order in Vatican City
3.4Military in Vatican City
3.5Local government in Vatican City
4History of Vatican City
5Culture of Vatican City
5.1Art in Vatican City
5.2Sports in Vatican City
6Economy and infrastructure of Vatican City
7Education in Vatican City
8See also
9References
10External links
General reference
View of Vatican City from the Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome.
Pronunciation: /ˈvætɪkən/(listen)
Common English country name: Vatican City
Official English country name: Vatican City State[5][6]
Common endonym(s): Vatican City State
Official endonym(s): Stato della Città del Vaticano (pronounced [ˈstaːto della tʃitˈta ddel vatiˈkaːno]),[7]
Adjectival(s): Vatican
Demonym(s): Citizen of Vatican City[8]
Etymology: See Vatican Hill
ISO country codes: VA, VAT, 336
ISO region codes: none
Internet country code top-level domain: .va
Geography of Vatican City
An enlargeable map of Vatican City.
Geography of Vatican City
Vatican City is:
A walled enclave within the city of Rome
A sovereign city-state
A European microstate
Land boundaries: Italy 3.2 km
Coastline: none
Population: 825 (2019) - 240th
Size: 0.49 square kilometres (0.19 sq mi) - 258th
Atlas of Vatican City
Location of Vatican City
Vatican City is situated within the following regions:
Eastern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
Eurasia
Europe
Southern Europe
Italian Peninsula
Surrounded by Italy
Surrounded by Lazio
Surrounded by Rome
Time zone: Central European Time (UTC+01), Central European Summer Time (UTC+02)
Extreme points of Vatican City
High: unnamed location 75 m (246 ft)
Low: Saint Peter's Square 33 m (108 ft)
Environment of Vatican City
A section of the wall in Vatican City, from the outside, behind the Vatican Gardens.
Climate of Vatican City
Ecoregions in Vatican City: none
Protected areas of Vatican City: none
View of the Vatican Gardens from the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. (The Vatican Museums can be seen to the right).
Natural geographic features of Vatican City
Vatican City is an enclave in an urban area, and lacks the geographic features common to (much larger) countries:
Lakes: none
Mountains: none
Rivers: none
Valleys: none
World Heritage Sites in Vatican City: Vatican City is itself a World Heritage Site
Regions of Vatican City
None
Vatican City is inside Rome, which in turn lies within the Lazio region of Italy
Vatican City lies next to the Borgo district in Rome.
Ecoregions of Vatican City
None
Administrative divisions of Vatican City
Vatican City has no administrative divisions.
Demography of Vatican City
Demographics of Vatican City
Government and politics of Vatican City
Politics of Vatican City
Form of government: Ecclesiastical;[9] sacerdotal-monarchical;[1] absolute monarchy;[10] elective monarchy;[11] elective theocracy (disputed application).[12]
Capital: Vatican City
Association of Vatican Lay Workers
Elections in Vatican City
Political parties in Vatican City: none. Vatican City is in the jurisdiction of the Holy See, which has absolute authority over it.
Political scandals of Vatican City
Banco Ambrosiano
Gone with the Wind in the Vatican
Roman Question
Vatican Apostolic Archive
Branches of the government of Vatican City
Palace of the Governatorate, Vatican City.
Government of Vatican City
Executive branch of the government of Vatican City
Head of state: Pope, currently Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis
Head of government: President of the Governatorate of Vatican City, Giuseppe Bertello
Governatorate of Vatican City
Legislative branch of the government of Vatican City
Absolute legislative authority: Pope, currently Pope Francis
Secretariat of State
Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State
President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State: Giovanni Lajolo
Laws passed by the Commission must be approved by the pope through the Secretariat of State prior to being published and taking effect.
Judicial branch of the government of Vatican City
Absolute judicial authority: Pope, currently Pope Francis
Supreme Court of Vatican City (Corte di Cassazione)
The Cardinal Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura serves ex officio as the President of the Supreme Court of Vatican City (Corte di Cassazione). The two other members of the Supreme Court are also Cardinals of the Apostolic Signatura and are chosen by the Cardinal Prefect on a yearly basis.[13]
Appellate Court of Vatican City
Tribunal of Vatican City State
Under the terms of article 22 the Lateran Treaty,[14] Italy will, at the request of the Holy See, punish individuals for crimes committed within Vatican City and will itself proceed against the person who committed the offence, if that person takes refuge in Italian territory. Persons accused of crimes recognized as such both in Italy and in Vatican City that are committed in Italian territory will be handed over to the Italian authorities if they take refuge in Vatican City or in buildings that under the treaty enjoy immunity.[15][16]
Foreign relations of Vatican City
Foreign relations of Vatican City – Vatican City State is a recognised national territory under international law, but it is the Holy See that conducts diplomatic relations on its behalf, in addition to the Holy See's own diplomacy, entering into international agreements in its regard. See also Foreign relations of the Holy See
Diplomatic missions in Vatican City: none (Vatican City maintains diplomatic relations with no one, only the Holy See does. See below).
Because Vatican City is too small, diplomatic missions accredited to the Holy See are situated in Rome, not in Vatican City.
Diplomatic missions to the Holy See
Diplomatic missions of Vatican City: none. (See below).
The Holy See, which Vatican City is the sovereign territory of, maintains diplomatic relations with 176 countries.
Diplomatic missions of the Holy See
International organization membership
International organization membership of Vatican City
Vatican City State is a member of:[17]
Council of Europe (CE) (observer)
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
International Organization for Migration (IOM) (observer)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO)
International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)
Nonaligned Movement (NAM) (guest)
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
Organization of American States (OAS) (observer)
Unione Latina (observer)
United Nations (UN) (permanent observer)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Universal Postal Union (UPU)
World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU)
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) (observer)
World Trade Organization (WTO) (observer)
Law and order in Vatican City
Law of Vatican City State
Constitution: Fundamental Law of Vatican City State
Capital punishment in Vatican City: abolished in 1969
Crime in Vatican City (committed mostly by tourists)
Human rights in Vatican City
LGBT rights in Vatican City
Lateran Treaty
Law enforcement in Vatican City
Military in Vatican City
Vatican City State has no military, but resident within it is the Swiss Guard.
A Swiss Guard.
Military in Vatican City
Command
Commander-in-chief: Christoph Graf
Forces — Vatican City lies within Rome, the capital of Italy, and therefore defense is the responsibility of Italy.
Army of Vatican City: none, see Military in Vatican City; Army of Italy
Navy of Vatican City: none, see Navy of Italy
Air Force of Vatican City: none, see Aeronautica Militare
Special forces of Vatican City: none, see Special forces of Italy
Military ranks in Vatican City
Local government in Vatican City
Being a city-state, the government of Vatican City is also the local government.
History of Vatican City
History of Vatican City
History of the Papacy
Prisoner in the Vatican
Governor of Vatican City
Military history of Vatican City
History of the Swiss Guard
Sack of Rome (1527)
Culture of Vatican City
Saint Peter's Square and beyond it Rome, as viewed from the dome of Saint Peter's Basilica.
St. Peter's Basilica from the River Tiber. The iconic dome dominates the skyline of this part of Rome.
Culture of Vatican City
Architecture of Vatican City
Saint Peter's Square
Churches in Vatican City:
St. Peter's Basilica
Palaces in Vatican City:
Apostolic Palace
Casina Pio IV
Domus Sanctae Marthae
Torre San Giovanni
National symbols of Vatican City
Coat of arms of Vatican City
Flag of Vatican City
National anthem of Vatican City
People of Vatican City
Religion in Vatican City – Vatican City is the sovereign territory and headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, and home of the Pope
Christianity
Catholicism
Roman Catholic Church
Pope
Vicar General for Vatican City
World Heritage Sites in Vatican City: Vatican City is itself a World Heritage Site
Art in Vatican City
Art in Vatican City
The Resurrection
Vatican Museums
Anima Mundi
Collection of Modern Religious Art
The Gallery of Maps
Raphael Rooms
Sistine Chapel
The Last Judgment
Sistine Chapel ceiling
Literature of Vatican City
Vatican Library
Vatican Apostolic Archive
Music of Vatican City
On the last Sunday of each month, the Vatican Museum is open to the public for free. This is extremely popular and it is common to wait in line for many hours. This image is a panoramic view of one small stretch of the entire queue in April 2007, which continues for some distance in both directions beyond view. In the background is the Vatican City's wall.
Sports in Vatican City
Cricket in Vatican City
Vatican Cricket Team
Football in Vatican City
Vatican City national football team
Vatican City at the Olympics: has not competed
Economy and infrastructure of Vatican City
The Vatican Radio building.
Euro banknotes.
Economy of Vatican City
Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2007):
Economy type: noncommercial (based on donations from church-goers)
Church tax
Peter's Pence
Agriculture in Vatican City: None. See Vatican Gardens.
Banking in Vatican City
Vatican Bank
Communications in Vatican City
Internet in Vatican City
.va
Vatican Library
L'Osservatore Romano
Octava Dies
Vatican Radio
Companies of Vatican City: none
Currency of Vatican City: Euro (see also: Euro topics)
Former currency: Vatican lira
ISO 4217: EUR
Health care in Vatican City
Vatican Pharmacy
Mining in Vatican City: none
Tourism in Vatican City
Transportation in Vatican City
Airports in Vatican City: none. Rome is served by two airports which are used by travellers to the Vatican.
Rail transport in Vatican City
Roads in Vatican City (see map)
Being only 1.05 km long and 0.85 km wide,[18] Vatican City has no highways.
Vatican City has access roads and driveways. (See map)
Education in Vatican City
Academies in Vatican City:
Pontifical Academy of Sciences
Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences
Pontifical Academy for Life
Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vatican Library)
Includes the Vatican School of Librarianship
Congregation for Catholic Education
Vatican School of Palaeography, Diplomacy, and Archivistry, run by the Vatican Apostolic Archive.
Vatican City is too small to host extensive educational facilities, but the Holy See operates 64 academic institutions close by (in Rome). The major ones are:
Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)
Pontifical Gregorian University
Pontifical Urbaniana University
Pontifical Lateran University
Pontifical University of the Holy Cross
Salesian Pontifical University
Pontifical University Antonianum
See also
Index of Vatican City-related articles
List of international rankings
Outline of Europe
Outline of geography
Roman Catholic Church
Holy See
References
↑The De Agostini Atlas Calendar listed the area of Vatican City as 0.44 km2 in its 1930 edition[2] but corrected it to 0.49 km2 in its 1945–46 edition.[3] The figure of 0.44 km2 is still widely cited by many sources despite its inaccuracy.
↑De Agostini Atlas Calendar , 1930, p. 99. (in Italian)
↑De Agostini Atlas Calendar , 1945–46, p. 128. (in Italian)
↑"Population" (in it). Vatican City State. 1 February 2019. https://www.vaticanstate.va/it/stato-governo/note-generali/popolazione.html.
↑"Vatican City State Institutional Portal". http://www.vaticanstate.va/content/vaticanstate/en.html.
↑"International Telecommunication Union Member States". http://www.itu.int/online/mm/scripts/mm.list?_search=ITUstates&_languageid=1.
↑"Stato della Città del Vaticano" is the name used in the state's founding document, the Treaty between the Holy See and Italy , article 26.
↑Cf. The Geography Site, "What do call a person from ?"
↑"Holy See (Vatican City)". CIA—The World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/holy-see-vatican-city/.
↑"Internet portal of Vatican City State". Vatican City State. http://www.vaticanstate.va/EN/State_and_Government/StateDepartments/index.htm.
↑Gerhard Robbers, Encyclopedia of World Constitutions (Infobase Publishing 2006 ISBN:978-0-81606078-8), p. 1009
↑Nick Megoran, "Theocracy" in International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, vol. 11, Elsevier 2009 ISBN:978-0-08-044911-1, p.226| Quote:elective theocracy (although its representatives would be unlikely to accept that label)
↑"Legge che approva l'ordinamento giudiziario dello Stato della Città del Vaticano (Suppl. 12)". Acta Apostolicae Sedis (AAS) 79. Holy See. 1987.
↑"INTER SANCTAM SEDEM ET ITALIAE REGNUM CONVENTIONES INITAE DIE 11 FEBRUARII 1929" (in it). Vatican.va. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/archivio/documents/rc_seg-st_19290211_patti-lateranensi_it.html.
↑"INTER SANCTAM SEDEM ET ITALIAE REGNUM CONVENTIONES* INITAE DIE 11 FEBRUARII 1929" (in it). Vatican.va. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/secretariat_state/archivio/documents/rc_seg-st_19290211_patti-lateranensi_it.html.
↑Shea, Alison. "Researching the Law of the Vatican City State". Hauser Global Law School Program. New York University School of Law. http://www.nyulawglobal.org/globalex/vatican1.htm.
↑"Holy See (Vatican City)". The World Factbook. United States Central Intelligence Agency. July 2, 2009. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/holy-see-vatican-city/.