| Background: |
Popes in their
secular role ruled much 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 Vatican 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 the failing health of Pope
John Paul II, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation,
and the adjustment of church doctrine in an era of rapid
change and globalization. About 1 billion people worldwide
profess the Catholic faith. |
| Location: |
Southern Europe,
an enclave of Rome (Italy) |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
41 54 N, 12 27 E |
| 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 mid-May) with hot, dry summers
(May to September) |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
unnamed location 19 m
highest point: unnamed location 75 m |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
0%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (urban area) |
| Irrigated
land: |
0 sq km (1993) |
| Environment
- current issues: |
NA |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution,
Environmental Modification |
| Geography
- note: |
urban;
landlocked; enclave of Rome, Italy; world's smallest state;
outside the Vatican City, 13 buildings in Rome and Castel
Gandolfo (the pope's summer residence) enjoy
extraterritorial rights |
| Population: |
890 (July 2001
est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.15% (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
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: NA%
female: NA% |
| 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 |
| Independence: |
11 February 1929
(from Italy) |
| National
holiday: |
Coronation Day of
Pope JOHN PAUL II, 22 October (1978) |
| Constitution: |
Apostolic
Constitution of 1967 (effective 1 March 1968) |
| Suffrage: |
limited to
cardinals less than 80 years old |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: Pope JOHN PAUL II (since 16 October 1978)
head of government: Secretary of State Cardinal
Angelo SODANO (since 2 December 1990)
cabinet: Pontifical Commission appointed by the
pope
elections: pope elected for life by the College
of Cardinals; election last held 16 October 1978 (next to be
held after the death of the current pope); secretary of
state appointed by the pope
election results: Karol WOJTYLA elected pope |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
Pontifical Commission |
| Judicial
branch: |
none; normally
handled by Italy |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
none |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
none (exclusive
of influence exercised by church officers) |
| International
organization participation: |
CE (observer),
IAEA, ICFTU, Intelsat, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM (guest), OAS
(observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR, UPU,
WHO (observer), WIPO, WToO (observer), WTrO (observer) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Gabriele
MONTALVO
chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 333-7121 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador (vacant)
embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme
Deciane 26, 00162 Rome
mailing address: PSC 59, Box F, APO AE 09624
telephone: [39] (06) 4674-3428
FAX: [39] (06) 5758346 |
| Flag
description: |
two vertical
bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with the crossed keys
of Saint Peter and the papal miter centered in the white
band |
| Economy
- overview: |
This unique,
noncommercial economy is supported financially by
contributions (known as Peter's Pence) from Roman Catholics
throughout the world, the sale of postage stamps and tourist
mementos, fees for admission to museums, and the sale of
publications. The incomes and living standards of lay
workers are comparable to, or somewhat better than, those of
counterparts who work in the city of Rome. |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture NA%,
industry NA%, services NA%; note - dignitaries, priests,
nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay workers live outside the Vatican |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$209.6 million
expenditures: $198.5 million, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1997) |
| Industries: |
printing and
production of a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms;
worldwide banking and financial activities |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
NA%
hydro: NA%
nuclear: NA%
other: NA% |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
NA kWh |
| Electricity
- imports: |
NA kWh; note -
electricity supplied by Italy |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
none |
| Currency: |
Italian lira (ITL);
euro (EUR) |
| Exchange
rates: |
euros per US
dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386
(1999); Vatican lire per US dollar - 2,099 (2000), 1817.2
(1999), 1,736.2 (1998), 1,703.1 (1997), 1,542.9 (1996); note
- the Vatican lira is at par with the Italian lira; the
Vatican will start using euros in 2002 in conjunction with
Italy at a fixed rate of 1,936.17 lire per euro |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
NA |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
NA |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: automatic exchange
domestic: tied into Italian system
international: uses Italian system |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 3, FM 4,
shortwave 2 (1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
1 (1996) |
| Internet
country code: |
.va |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
93 (Holy See and
Italy) (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
862 m; note - a spur of the Italian Railways system, serving
Rome's Saint Peter's station
standard gauge: 862 m 1.435-m gauge (1999) |
| Highways: |
none; all city
streets |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the
responsibility of Italy; Swiss Papal Guards are posted at
entrances to the Vatican City to provide security and
protect the Pope |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
