Map of Holy See | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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Background: Popes in their secular role ruled much of the Italian peninsula including Rome for more than a thousand years until 1870. Disputes between a series of popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties which established the independent state of Vatican City out of the former Papal States 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 who turned 80 on 20 May 2000 interreligious dialogue and reconciliation and the adjustment of church doctrine in an era of rapid change. About 1 billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith.


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Location: Southern Europe an enclave of Rome (Italy)

Geographic coordinates: 41 54 N 12 27 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Comparative: about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington DC

Land boundaries

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: temperate; mild rainy winters (September to mid-May) with hot dry summers (May to September)

Terrain: low hill

Elevation

Natural resources: none

Land use

Irrigated land: 0 km² (1993)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

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


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Population: 880 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 1.15% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Italians Swiss other

Languages: Italian Latin various other languages

Religions: Roman Catholic

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.15% (2000 est.)

Birth rate

Death rate

Net migration rate

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: monarchical-sacerdotal state

Capital: Vatican City

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

Independence: 11 February 1929 (from Italy)

National holiday: Installation Day of the Pope (John Paul II) 22 October (1978)

Constitution: Apostolic Constitution of 1967 (effective 1 March 1968)

Legal system: NA

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: limited to cardinals less than 80 years old

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral Pontifical Commission

Judicial branch: none; normally handled by Italy

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: IAEA ICFTU Intelsat IOM (observer) ITU NAM (guest) OAS (observer) OPCW OSCE UN (observer) UNCTAD UNHCR UPU WIPO WToO (observer)

Diplomatic representation

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products

Industries: printing and production of a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities

Industrial production growth rate

Labor force: NA
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%; note - dignitaries priests nuns guards and 3,000 lay workers live outside the Vatican

Unemployment rate

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports

Imports

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: euros per US$1 - 0.9867 (January 2000) 0.9386 (1999); Vatican lire (VLit) per US$1 - 1688.7 (January 1998) 1736.2 (1998) 1703.1 (1997) 1542.9 (1996) 1628.9 (1995); note - the Vatican lira is at par with the Italian lira which circulates freely


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity consumption: NA kWh

Electricity exports: NA kWh

Electricity imports: NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system: automatic exchange

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: none

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs