Map of Holy See | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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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 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 one 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
Total: 0.44 km²
Land: 0.44 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington DC

Land boundaries
Total: 3.2 km
Border countries: (1) 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
Extremes 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 km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: 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)


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Population: 824 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 0.003% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: none
Adjective: none

Ethnic groups: Italians Swiss other

Languages: Italian Latin French various other languages

Religions: Roman Catholic

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.003% (2008 est.)

Birth rate

Death rate

Net migration rate

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA
International agreements party to: Climate Change
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution, Environmental Modification

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
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: NA
Total population: 100%
Male: 100%
Female: 100%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

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
Note: judicial duties were established by the Motu Proprio of Pope PIUS XII on 1 May 1946

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: CE (observer) IAEA Interpol IOM (observer) ITSO ITU ITUC NAM (guest) OAS (observer) OPCW OSCE UN (observer) UNCTAD UNHCR Union Latina (observer) UNWTO (observer) UPU WFTU WIPO WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Pietro SAMBI
In the us chancery: 3,339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 333-7,121
In the us fax: [1] (202) 337-4,036
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mary Ann GLENDON
From the us embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane 26, 00153 Rome
From the us mailing address: PSC 59, Box 66, APO AE 9,624
From the us telephone: [39] (06) 4,674-3,428
From the us fax: [39] (06) 575-8,346

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $NA

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products

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

Industrial production growth rate

Labor force: NA
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

Unemployment rate

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $310 million
Expenditures: $307 million (2006)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

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 (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007) 0.7964 (2006) 0.8041 (2005) 0.8054 (2004) 0.886 (2003)


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Electricity
Production: NA kWh
Consumption: NA kWh
Imports: NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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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

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .va
Hosts: 55 (2008)
Users: 93 (2000)

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

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs