| Holy See (Vatican City) |
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| Background: Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties, which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified certain of the earlier treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include religious freedom, international development, the Middle East, terrorism, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About 1 billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith. |
| Geography and Environmental |
Capital: name: Vatican City
geographic coordinates: 41 54 N, 12 27 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
| Area Total: 0.44 sq km |
| Area Land: 0.44 sq km |
| Area Water: 0 sq km |
| Area Comparative: about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
| Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) |
| Climate: temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to May) with hot, dry summers (May to September) |
| Terrain: urban; low hill |
| Elevation Extremes Lowest Point: unnamed location 19 m |
| Elevation Extremes Highest Point: unnamed location 75 m |
| Natural Resources: none |
| Land Use Arable Land: 0% |
| Land Use Permanent Crops: 0% |
| Land Use Other: 100% (urban area) (2005) |
| Irrigated Land: 0 sq km |
| Natural Hazards: NA |
| Environment Current Issues: NA |
| Geography Note: landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; world's smallest state; beyond the territorial boundary of Vatican City, the Lateran Treaty of 1929 grants the Holy See extraterritorial authority over 23 sites in Rome and five outside of Rome, including the Pontifical Palace at Castel Gandolfo (the Pope's summer residence) |
| Population |
| Population: 821 (July 2007 est.) |
| Population Growth Rate: 0% (2007 est.) |
| HIV AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate: NA |
| HIV AIDS People Living With HIV AIDS: NA |
| HIV AIDS Deaths: NA |
| Religions: Roman Catholic |
| Languages: Italian, Latin, French, various other languages |
| Literacy Definition: NA |
| Literacy Total Population: 100% |
| Literacy Male: 100% |
| Literacy Female: 100% |
| Administrative Divisions: none |
| Legal System: based on Code of Canon Law and revisions to it |
| Economy |
| Overview: This unique, noncommercial economy is supported financially by an annual contribution (known as Peter's Pence) from Roman Catholic dioceses throughout the world; by the sale of postage stamps, coins, medals, and tourist mementos; by fees for admission to museums; and by the sale of publications. Investments and real estate income also account for a sizable portion of revenue. The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome. |
| GDP Purchasing Power Parity: $NA |
| Labor Force: NA |
| Labor Force By Occupation: note: essentially services with a small amount of industry; dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay workers live outside the Vatican |
| Industries: printing; production of coins, medals, postage stamps; a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities |
| Energy |
| Electricity Production: NA kWh |
| Electricity Consumption: NA kWh |
| Electricity Imports: NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy |
| Economic Aid Recipient: $0 |
| Communications |
| Telephones Main Lines In Use: 5,120 (2005) |
| Telephone System General Assessment: automatic digital exchange |
| Telephone System Domestic: connected via fiber optic cable to Telecom Italia network |
| Telephone System International: country code - 39; uses Italian system |
| Radio Broadcast Stations: AM 4, FM 3, shortwave 2 (2004) |
| Radios: NA |
| Television Broadcast Stations: 1 (2005) |
| Televisions: NA |
| Internet Service Providers-ISPs: NA |
| Internet Users: 93 (2000) |
| Transportation |
| Disputes International: none |