The following outline is provided as an overview of and introduction to Vatican City:
Vatican City – an ecclesiastical or sacerdotal-monarchical 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 44 hectares (110 acres), and a population of just over 800. This makes Vatican City the smallest independent state in the world by both area and population.
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: 824 (2008) - 220th
Size: 0.44 square kilometres (0.17 sq mi) - 234th largest country
Atlas 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)
Climate of Vatican City
Ecoregions in Vatican City: none
Protected areas of Vatican City: none
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
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.
None
Vatican City has no administrative divisions.
Demographics of Vatican City
Government and politics of Vatican City
Politics of Vatican City
Form of government: Ecclesiastical; sacerdotal-monarchical; absolute monarchy; elective monarchy; elective theocracy (disputed application).
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 Secret Archives
Head of state: Pope, currently Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis
Head of government: President of the Governatorate of Vatican City, Giuseppe Bertello
Governatorate 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.
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.
Appellate Court of Vatican City
Tribunal of Vatican City State
Under the terms of article 22 the Lateran Treaty, 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.
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 of Vatican City Vatican City State is a member of:
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
Vatican City State has no military, but resident within it is the Swiss Guard.
Command
Commander-in-chief: Daniel Anrig
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
Being a city-state, the government of Vatican City is also the local government.
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)
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
Vatican Museums
Collection of Modern Religious Art
The Gallery of Maps
Raphael Rooms
Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel ceiling
Literature of Vatican City
Vatican Library
Vatican Secret Archives
Music of 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
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
Vatican Radio
Companies of Vatican City: none
Currency of Vatican City: Euro (see also: Euro topics)
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, Vatican City has no highways.
Vatican City has access roads and driveways. (See map)
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 Secret Vatican Archives.
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
