Holy See (Vatican City)

§1. Holy See (Vatican City) Introduction

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 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.

§2. Holy See (Vatican City) Geography

Location:
  Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy)

Geographic coordinates:
  41 54 N, 12 27 E

Map references:
  Europe

Area:
  total: 0.44 kmē
  land: 0.44 kmē
  water: 0 kmē

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 kmē (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  NA

Environment - current issues:
  NA

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: none of the selected agreements
  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)

§3. Holy See (Vatican City) People

Population:
  932 (July 2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  0.01% (2006 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%

§4. Holy See (Vatican City) Government

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:
  Vatican City

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 Angelo SODANO (since 1
    December 1990)
  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), IAEA, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM (guest), OAS (observer),
  OPCW, OSCE, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR, UPU, WIPO, WToO (observer), 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 crossed keys
  of Saint Peter and the papal miter centered in the white band

§5. Holy See (Vatican City) Economy

Economy - overview:
  This unique, noncommercial economy is supported financially by an annual
  contribution from Roman Catholic dioceses throughout the world (known as
  Peter's Pence); 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:
  essentially services with a small amount of industry; note - dignitaries,
  priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay workers live outside the Vatican

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Budget:
  revenues: $245.2 million
  expenditures: $260.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2002)

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 - exports:
  0 kWh

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

Economic aid - recipient:
  $0

Currency (code):
  euro (EUR)

Exchange rates:
  euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626
  (2002), 1.1175 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Holy See (Vatican City) Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  5,120 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  NA

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:
  36 (2005)

Internet users:
  NA

§7. Holy See (Vatican City) Transportation

Airports:
  none (2005)

§8. Holy See (Vatican City) Military

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

§9. Holy See (Vatican City) Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none


<Factbook 2006>
