Holy See (Vatican City)

Holy See (Vatican City): Travel tips, articles, photos, gallery, cities database, population, pics, flags, statistics, free maps online

Back to Countries, Click to read the whole article: Holy See (Vatican City)

Introduction - Holy See (Vatican City):
Country	Holy See (Vatican City)
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 popes 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.
Location - Holy See (Vatican City):
Location	Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy)
Geographic coordinates	41 54 N, 12 27 E
Map references	Europe
Area	total: 0.44 sq km land: 0.44 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area comparative	about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
Land boundaries	total: 3.2 km border countries: Italy 3.2 km
Coastline	0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims	none (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 highest point: unnamed location 75 m
Natural resources	none
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (urban area) (2005)
Irrigated land	0 sq km
Natural hazards	NA
Environment current issues	NA
Environment international agreements	party to: Climate Change signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution, Environmental Modification
Geography note	landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; worlds 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 Popes summer residence)
People - Holy See (Vatican City):
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
Nationality	noun: none adjective: none
Ethnic groups	Italians, Swiss, other
Religions	Roman Catholic
Languages	Italian, Latin, French, various other languages
Literacy	definition: NA total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100%
Government - Holy See (Vatican City):
Country name	conventional long form: The Holy See (State of the Vatican City) conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City) local long form: Santa Sede (Stato della Citta del Vaticano) local short form: Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano)
Government type	ecclesiastical
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
Administrative divisions	none
Independence	11 February 1929 (from Italy); note - the three treaties signed with Italy on 11 February 1929 acknowledged, among other things, the full sovereignty of the Vatican and established its territorial extent; however, the origin of the Papal States, which over the years have varied considerably in extent, may be traced back to the 8th century
National holiday	Coronation Day of Pope BENEDICT XVI, 24 April (2005)
Constitution	new Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope JOHN PAUL II on 26 November 2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaces the first Fundamental Law of 1929)
Legal system	based on Code of Canon Law and revisions to it
Suffrage	limited to cardinals less than 80 years old
Executive branch	chief of state: Pope BENEDICT XVI (since 19 April 2005) head of government: Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio BERTONE (since 15 September 2006) cabinet: Pontifical Commission appointed by the pope elections: pope elected for life by the College of Cardinals; election last held 19 April 2005 (next to be held after the death of the current pope); secretary of state appointed by the pope election results: Joseph RATZINGER elected Pope BENEDICT XVI
Legislative branch	unicameral Pontifical Commission
Judicial branch	there are three tribunals responsible for civil and criminal matters within Vatican City; three other tribunals rule on issues pertaining to the Holy See note: judicial duties were established by the Motu Proprio of Pope PIUS XII on 1 May 1946
Political parties and leaders	none
Political pressure groups and leaders	none (exclusive of influence exercised by church officers)
International organization participation	CE (observer), CPLP (associate), IAEA, IOM (observer), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, NAM (guest), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR, Union Latina (observer), UNWTO (observer), UPU, WIPO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the us	chief of mission: Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Pietro SAMBI chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-7121 FAX: [1] (202) 337-4036
Diplomatic representation from the us	chief of mission: Ambassador Francis ROONEY embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane 26, 00153 Rome mailing address: PSC 59, Box 66, APO AE 09624 telephone: [39] (06) 4674-3428 FAX: [39] (06) 575-8346
Flag description	two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with the arms of the Holy See, consisting of the crossed keys of Saint Peter surmounted by the three-tiered papal tiara, centered in the white band
Economy - Holy See (Vatican City):
Economy overview	This unique, noncommercial economy is supported financially by an annual contribution (known as Peters 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
Population below poverty line	NA%
Budget	revenues: $247 million expenditures: $243 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005)
Industries	printing; production of coins, medals, postage stamps; a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities
Electricity production	NA kWh
Electricity consumption	NA kWh
Electricity imports	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy
Economic aid recipient	$0
Currency code	euro (EUR)
Exchange rates	euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002)
Communications - Holy See (Vatican City):
Fiscal year	calendar year
Telephones main lines in use	5,120 (2005)
Telephone system	general assessment: automatic digital exchange domestic: connected via fiber optic cable to Telecom Italia network international: country code - 39; uses Italian system
Radio broadcast stations	AM 4, FM 3, shortwave 2 (2004)
Television broadcast stations	1 (2005)
Internet country code	.va
Internet hosts	45 (2006)
Internet users	93 (2000)
Transportation - Holy See (Vatican City):
Military - Holy See (Vatican City):
Military branches	Pontifical Swiss Guard (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera Pontificia)
Military note	defense is the responsibility of Italy; ceremonial and limited security duties performed by Pontifical Swiss Guard