Introduction

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 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 environment, the Middle East, China, the decline of religion in Europe, 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

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; 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)

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 for the State of Vatican City 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 for the State of Vatican City
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 Mary Ann GLENDON 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 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; nearly all dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and the approximately 3,000 lay workers live outside the Vatican
Population below poverty line:	NA%
Budget:	revenues: $310 million expenditures: $307 million (2006)
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
Currency (code):	euro (EUR)
Currency code:	EUR
Exchange rates:	euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)
Fiscal year:	calendar year

Communications

Holy See (Vatican City)

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)
Radios:	NA
Television broadcast stations:	1 (2005)
Televisions:	NA
Internet country code:	.va
Internet hosts:	20 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):	NA
Internet users:	93 (2000)

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

Transnational Issues

Holy See (Vatican City)

Disputes - international:

none

History of the Vatican City

The Holy See's diplomatic history began in the fourth century, but the boundaries of the papacy's temporal power have shifted over the centuries. In their secular role the Popes ruled much of the Italian peninsula, including Rome, for more than a thousand years. In the middle of the 19th century, the Popes held sway over the Papal States, including a broad band of territory across central Italy. In 1860, after prolonged civil and regional unrest, Victor Emmanuel's army seized the Papal States, leaving only Rome and surrounding coastal regions under papal control.

Loss of the Papal State
In 1871 Italian king Victor Emmanuel II captured the city of Rome and declared it the new capital of Italy, thus ending papal temporal power. Pope Pius IX and his successors disputed the legitimacy of these acts and proclaimed themselves to be "prisoners" in the Vatican. In addition, the Popes of that time developed negative attitutes towards the growing secularization of society in Europe, which was mostly evident under Pope Pius X, who in 1904 severed diplomatic relations with the French government for introducing secular education in schools and on September 1, 1910 introduced compulsory Oath Against Modernism for all priests. During the First World War, at the insistence of the Italian government, the Allied governments decided to exclude Vatican participation in the postwar peace settlement. On August 1, 1917, Pope Benedict XV issued a five point peace plan, which was ignored by the international community.

Mutual Recognition between the Holy See and the Italian Government
Three Lateran Treaties resolved several outstanding issues between a series of popes and the Italian state in 1929. They established the independent state of Vatican City out of the former Papal States and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. The Italian Government and the Holy See signed three agreements:

A treaty recognizing the independence and sovereignty of the Holy See and creating the State of the Vatican City.
A concordat defining the relations between the government and the church within Italy; and
A financial convention providing the Holy See with compensation for its losses in 1870.

Second World War
Relations between the Holy See and the Fascist powers were deteriorating even before the Second World War. In 1931 the Italian government dissolved the Catholic youth organizations. The Concordat signed with the German government on July 20, 1933 was not observed by Berlin, and in 1937 Pope Pius XI condemned the German government for religious persecutions. Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, the Holy See government proclaimed neutrality. Following the German occupation of Rome on September 10, 1943, Holy See officials were apprehensive of possible damage to Vatican territory by the warring parties. During the final months of the war in early 1945, Holy See officials tried unsuccessfully to mediate for early German and Japanese surrender.

After the War
After the Second World War, the Holy See began a process of reconciliation with the secular society. During the 1950s, Pope Pius XII introduced many aspects of modern science in church life. These efforts reached their climax during 1962-1965 at the Vatican II council. 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. On January 10, 1984 diplomatic relations were reestablished with the US government (broken since 1867). On December 30, 1993, the Holy See government concluded a basic agreement with the Israeli government. Present concerns of the Vatican include, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the adjustment of church doctrine in an era of rapid change. Over 1.2 billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith. The Vatican opposed the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, sending Roger Etchegaray as envoy to persuade Washington, DC to refrain from war.

Culture of Vatican City

The Vatican City is itself of great cultural significance. Buildings such as St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel are home to some of the most beautiful art in the world, which includes works by artists such as Botticelli, Bernini and Michelangelo. The Vatican Library and the collections of the Vatican Museums are of the highest historical, scientific and cultural importance.

The permanent population of the Vatican City is predominately male, although two orders of nuns live in the Vatican. A minority are senior Catholic clergy; the remainder are members of religious orders. Many workers in the Vatican City live outside its walls, including the Swiss Guard and embassy personnel.

Visitors must adhere to strict dress codes. Clothes that show the legs above the knees are strictly banned.

Tourism and pilgrimages are an important factor in the daily life of the Vatican. The Pope leads weekly Mass and other services, and appears on religious holidays such as Easter. On significant events, such as beatification ceremonies, he leads open-air Mass in Saint Peter's Square.

Almost all of Vatican City's 932 citizens live inside the Vatican's walls. The Vatican citizenry consists mainly of clergy, including high dignitaries, priests, nuns, as well as the Swiss Guard. There are also about 3,000 lay workers who comprise the majority of the Vatican work force, but who reside outside the Vatican.

The official language is Latin. Italian and, to a lesser extent, other languages are generally used for most conversations, publications, and broadcasts. German is the official language of the Swiss Guard. The Vatican's official website languages are Italian, German, English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Last update on 10 March 2008