Outline of Vatican City - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The State of the Vatican City is a landlocked

Landlocked

A landlocked country is a country entirely enclosed by land, or whose only coastlines lie on closed seas. There are 48 landlocked countries in the world, including partially recognized states...

sovereign

Sovereignty

Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...

religious

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

city-state

City-state

A city-state is an independent or autonomous entity whose territory consists of a city which is not administered as a part of another local government.-Historical city-states:...

comprising a walled enclave within the City of Rome. With an area of approximately 44 hectares (108.7 acre) and a population of about 800, it is the smallest independent state in the world.
Vatican City is a city-state that came into existence only in 1929. It is thus clearly distinct from the central authority of the Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church

, known as the Holy See

Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

, which existed long before 1929. Ordinances of Vatican City are published in Italian

Italian language

Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...

. Official documents of the Holy See are issued mainly in Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

. The two entities even have distinct passports: the Holy See, not being a country, only issues diplomatic and service passports; the state of Vatican City issues normal passports. In both cases the number of passports issued is extremely limited.

Vatican City is a non-hereditary, elected absolute monarchy

Absolute monarchy

Absolute monarchy is a monarchical form of government in which the monarch exercises ultimate governing authority as head of state and head of government, his or her power not being limited by a constitution or by the law. An absolute monarch thus wields unrestricted political power over the...

that is ruled by the Roman Catholic

Roman Catholic Church

Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope

Pope

The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

. The highest state functionaries are all clergymen of the Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church

. It is the sovereign territory of the Holy See

Holy See

(Sancta Sedes) and the location of the Pope's residence, referred to as the Apostolic Palace

Apostolic Palace

The Apostolic Palace is the official residence of the Pope, which is located in Vatican City. It is also known as the Sacred Palace, the Papal Palace and the Palace of the Vatican...

.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and introduction to Vatican City.

General reference

Pronunciation: ˈvætɨkən ˈsɪti
Common English country name: Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
Official English country name: The State of the Vatican City
Common endonym(s):
Official endonym(s):
Adjectival(s):
Demonym(s):
Etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...

: Name of Vatican City
ISO country codes: VA, VAT, 336
ISO region codes: none
Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

country code top-level domain
Country code top-level domain
A country code top-level domain is an Internet top-level domain generally used or reserved for a country, a sovereign state, or a dependent territory....

: .va
.va
.va is the Internet country code top-level domain for the State of the Vatican City. It is administered by the Internet Office of the Holy See.There are 23 easily found names starting with "www" in the va zone, listed below...

Geography of Vatican City

Vatican City is:
- A walled enclave within the city of Rome
  Rome
  Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
- A sovereign
  Sovereignty
  Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
  
  city-state
  City-state
  A city-state is an independent or autonomous entity whose territory consists of a city which is not administered as a part of another local government.-Historical city-states:...
- A European microstate
Location:
- Eastern Hemisphere
  Eastern Hemisphere
  The Eastern Hemisphere, also Eastern hemisphere or eastern hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that is east of the Prime Meridian and west of 180° longitude. It is also used to refer to Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia, vis-à-vis the Western Hemisphere, which includes...
- Northern Hemisphere
  Northern Hemisphere
  The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
  - Eurasia
    Eurasia
    Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
    - Europe
      Europe
      Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
      - Southern Europe
        Southern Europe
        The term Southern Europe, at its most general definition, is used to mean "all countries in the south of Europe". However, the concept, at different times, has had different meanings, providing additional political, linguistic and cultural context to the definition in addition to the typical...
        
        Italian Peninsula
        Italian Peninsula
        The Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula is one of the three large peninsulas of Southern Europe , spanning from the Po Valley in the north to the central Mediterranean Sea in the south. The peninsula's shape gives it the nickname Lo Stivale...
        
        Surrounded by Italy
        Italy
        Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
        
        Surrounded by Lazio
        
        Surrounded by Rome
        Rome
        Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
- Time zone
  Time zone
  A time zone is a region on Earth that has a uniform standard time for legal, commercial, and social purposes. In order for the same clock time to always correspond to the same portion of the day as the Earth rotates , different places on the Earth need to have different clock times...
  
  : Central European Time
  Central European Time
  Central European Time , used in most parts of the European Union, is a standard time that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time . The time offset from UTC can be written as +01:00...
  
  (UTC+01), Central European Summer Time
  Central European Summer Time
  Central European Summer Time is one of the names of the Daylight saving time offset using the UTC offset of UTC+02:00, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used as a summer daylight saving time in most European countries. During the winter, Central European Time is used...
  
  (UTC+02)
- Extreme points of Vatican City
  - High: unnamed location 75 m (246 ft)
  - Low: Saint Peter's Square
    Saint Peter's Square
    Saint Peter's Square is located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave within Rome .-History of St...
    
    33 m (108 ft)
- Land boundaries: Italy 3.2 km
- Coastline: none
Population: 824 (2008) - 220th
Size: 0.44 square kilometre (0.169884949780715 sq mi) - 234th largest country
Atlas of Vatican City

Environment of Vatican City

Climate of Vatican City
Environmental issues in Vatican City
Ecoregions in Vatican City: none
Renewable energy in Vatican City
Geology of Vatican City
Protected areas of Vatican City: none
- Biosphere reserves in Vatican City: none
- National parks of Vatican City
Wildlife of Vatican City
- Flora of Vatican City
- Fauna of Vatican City
  - Birds of Vatican City
  - Mammals of Vatican City

Natural geographic features of Vatican City

Vatican City is an enclave in an urban area

Urban area

An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...

, and lacks the geographic features common to (much larger) countries:

Lakes: none
Mountains: none
River
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

s: none
Valley
Valley
In geology, a valley or dale is a depression with predominant extent in one direction. A very deep river valley may be called a canyon or gorge.The terms U-shaped and V-shaped are descriptive terms of geography to characterize the form of valleys...

s: none
World Heritage Sites in Vatican City: Vatican City is itself a World Heritage Site

Regions of Vatican City

None
Vatican City is inside Rome, which in turn lies within the Lazio region of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

.
Vatican City lies next to the Borgo district
Borgo (rione of Rome)
Borgo , is the 14th historic district of Rome, Italy. It lies on the west bank of the Tiber, and has a trapezoidal shape. Its coat of arms shows a lion , lying in front of three mounts and a star...

in Rome.

Administrative divisions of Vatican City

Vatican City has no administrative division
Administrative division
An administrative division, subnational entity, or country subdivision is a portion of a country or other political division, established for the purpose of government. Administrative divisions are each granted a certain degree of autonomy, and are required to manage themselves through their own...

s.
It could be considered an administrative division of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

, but because it is its own country it is (mostly) administratively independent of Rome. (See Judicial branch of the government of Vatican City, below.)

Government and politics of Vatican City

Form of government
Form of government
A form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political institutions by which a government of a state is organized. Synonyms include "regime type" and "system of government".-Empirical and conceptual problems:...

: Ecclesiastical; elective
Elective monarchy
An elective monarchy is a monarchy ruled by an elected rather than hereditary monarch. The manner of election, the nature of the candidacy and the electors vary from case to case...

non-hereditary Absolute
Absolute monarchy
Absolute monarchy is a monarchical form of government in which the monarch exercises ultimate governing authority as head of state and head of government, his or her power not being limited by a constitution or by the law. An absolute monarch thus wields unrestricted political power over the...

Theocratic
Theocracy
Theocracy is a form of organization in which the official policy is to be governed by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided, or simply pursuant to the doctrine of a particular religious sect or religion....

Monarchy
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
Capital: Vatican City

Association of Vatican Lay Workers
Elections in Vatican City
- (specific elections)
Political parties in Vatican City: none. Vatican City is in the jurisdiction of the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

, which has absolute authority over it.
Political scandals of Vatican City
- Banco Ambrosiano
  Banco Ambrosiano
  Banco Ambrosiano was an Italian bank which collapsed in 1982. At the centre of the bank's failure was its chairman, Roberto Calvi and his membership in the illegal Masonic Lodge Propaganda Due...
- Gone with the Wind in the Vatican
  Gone with the Wind in the Vatican
  Gone with the Wind in the Vatican is a controversial book that was published in 1999, about nepotism, homosexual scandals, corruption, and "clientism" within Vatican City, written under the pseudonym I Millenari , a possible anagram of "Marinelli".The book, published by Kaos Edizione of Milan,...
- Roman Question
  Roman Question
  thumb|300px|The breach of [[Porta Pia]], on the right, in a contemporaneous photograph.The Roman Question was a political dispute between the Italian Government and the Papacy from 1861 to 1929....
Taxation in Vatican City
Vatican Secret Archives
Vatican Secret Archives
The Vatican Secret Archives , located in Vatican City, is the central repository for all of the acts promulgated by the Holy See. The Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, having primal incumbency until death, owns the archives until the next appointed Papal successor...

Branches of the government of Vatican City

Executive branch of the government of Vatican City

Head of state
Head of State
A head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...

: Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

, Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
Head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...

: President of the Governatorate of Vatican City, Giovanni Lajolo
Giovanni Lajolo
Giovanni Lajolo is the Cardinal emeritus President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and emeritus President of the Governorate of Vatican City State.-Early life and ordination:...
Governatorate of Vatican City

Legislative branch of the government of Vatican City

Absolute legislative authority: Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

, Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
- Secretariat of State
  - Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State
    Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State
    The Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State is the legislative body of Vatican City...
    - President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State
      President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State
      The President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State is the leader of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, the legislative body of Vatican City. As a senior member of the Roman Curia, the president is normally a cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church...
      
      : Giovanni Lajolo
      Giovanni Lajolo
      Giovanni Lajolo is the Cardinal emeritus President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and emeritus President of the Governorate of Vatican City State.-Early life and ordination:...
    - Laws passed by the Commission must be approved by the pope through the Secretariat of State prior to being published and taking effect.

Judicial branch of the government of Vatican City

Absolute judicial authority: Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

, Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
- Cassation Court of Vatican City
  - Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura
    Apostolic Signatura
    The Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura is the highest judicial authority in the Catholic Church...
    
    customarily serves as President of the Cassation Court
- Appellate Court of Vatican City
  - Dean of the Sacra Rota serves as President of the Appellate Court
- Most crimes are prosecuted by and handled in the courts of the Republic of Italy
  Italy
  Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
  
  , at the Vatican's expense, by agreement between the Vatican and the Italian government (in accordance with Article 22 of the 1929 Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and Italy
  Italy
  Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
  
  ).

Foreign relations of Vatican City

Diplomatic missions in Vatican City: none (Vatican City doesn't maintain diplomatic relations with anyone, only the Holy See does. See below).
- Because Vatican City is too small, diplomatic missions accredited to the Holy See are situated in Rome, not in Vatican City itself.
  - Diplomatic missions to the Holy See
Diplomatic missions of Vatican City: none. (See below).
- The Holy See
  Holy See
  The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
  
  , which Vatican City is the sovereign
  Sovereign
  A sovereign is the supreme lawmaking authority within its jurisdiction.Sovereign may also refer to:*Monarch, the sovereign of a monarchy*Sovereign Bank, banking institution in the United States*Sovereign...
  
  territory of, maintains diplomatic relations with 176 countries.
  - Diplomatic missions of the Holy See
    Diplomatic missions of the Holy See
    This is a list of diplomatic missions of the Holy See. Since the fifth century, long before the founding of the Vatican City State in 1929, papal envoys have represented the Holy See to foreign potentates...
China-Vatican City relations
Italy-Vatican City relations
United States-Vatican City relations
United Kingdom-Vatican City relations

International organization membership

The State of the Vatican City is a member of:

Council of Europe
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...

(CE) (observer)
International Atomic Energy Agency
International Atomic Energy Agency
The International Atomic Energy Agency is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957...

(IAEA)
International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol)
International Organization for Migration
International Organization for Migration
The International Organization for Migration is an intergovernmental organization. It was initially established in 1951 as the Intergovernmental Committee for European Migration to help resettle people displaced by World War II....

(IOM) (observer)
International Telecommunication Union
International Telecommunication Union
The International Telecommunication Union is the specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for information and communication technologies...

(ITU)
International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
International Telecommunications Satellite Organization
The International Telecommunications Satellite Organization is an intergovernmental organisation charged with overseeing the public service obligations of Intelsat.-External links:*...

(ITSO)
International Trade Union Confederation
International Trade Union Confederation
The International Trade Union Confederation is the world's largest trade union federation. It was formed on November 1, 2006 out of the merger of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the World Confederation of Labour...

(ITUC)
Nonaligned Movement (NAM) (guest)
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

Organization of American States
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...

(OAS) (observer)
Unione Latina (observer)
United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

(UN) (permanent observer)
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development was established in 1964 as a permanent intergovernmental body. It is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with trade, investment, and development issues....

(UNCTAD)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...

(UNHCR)
Universal Postal Union
Universal Postal Union
The Universal Postal Union is an international organization that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system. The UPU contains four bodies consisting of the Congress, the Council of Administration , the Postal Operations Council and the...

(UPU)
World Federation of Trade Unions
World Federation of Trade Unions
The World Federation of Trade Unions was established in 1945 to replace the International Federation of Trade Unions. Its mission was to bring together trade unions across the world in a single international organization, much like the United Nations...

(WFTU)
World Intellectual Property Organization
World Intellectual Property Organization
The World Intellectual Property Organization is one of the 17 specialized agencies of the United Nations. WIPO was created in 1967 "to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world"....

(WIPO)
World Tourism Organization
World Tourism Organization
The World Tourism Organization , based in Madrid, Spain, is a United Nations agency dealing with questions relating to tourism. It compiles the World Tourism rankings. The World Tourism Organization is a significant global body, concerned with the collection and collation of statistical information...

(UNWTO) (observer)
World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...

(WTO) (observer)

Law and order in Vatican City

Constitution: Fundamental Law of Vatican City State
Fundamental Law of Vatican City State
The Fundamental Law of Vatican City State, promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 26 November 2000, is the Supreme Law of the Vatican. It obtained the Force of Law of 22 February 2001, Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, Apostle, and replaced in its entirety law N. I...
Capital punishment in Vatican City
Capital punishment in Vatican City
Capital punishment in Vatican City was legal between 1929 and 1969, reserved for attempted assassination of the Pope, although the Vatican City has never carried out an execution...

: abolished in 1969
Crime in Vatican City
Crime in Vatican City
Crime in Vatican City is handled in accordance with article 22 of the 1929 Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and Italy, by which the Italian government, when requested by the Holy See, seeks prosecution and detention of criminal suspects, at the expense of the Vatican. The Vatican has no prison...

(committed mostly by tourists)
Human rights in Vatican City
- LGBT rights in Vatican City
- Freedom of religion in Vatican City
Lateran Treaty
Law enforcement in Vatican City

Military of Vatican City

Command
- Commander-in-chief
  Commander-in-Chief
  A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
  
  : Daniel Anrig
  Daniel Anrig
  Daniel Rudolf Anrig is the current Commandant of the Pontifical Swiss Guard since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 19 August 2008. He replaced Elmar Mäder who had served as Commandant of the Swiss Guard since 2002. He is the thirty fourth Commandant of the Pontifical Swiss...
Forces — Vatican City lies within Rome, the capital of Italy, and therefore defense is the responsibility of Italy.
- Army of Vatican City: Swiss Guard
  Swiss Guard
  Swiss Guards or Schweizergarde is the name given to the Swiss soldiers who have served as bodyguards, ceremonial guards, and palace guards at foreign European courts since the late 15th century. They have had a high reputation for discipline, as well as loyalty to their employers...
  
  (ceremonial), Army of Italy
  Italian Army
  The Italian Army is the ground defence force of the Italian Armed Forces. It is all-volunteer force of active-duty personnel, numbering 108,355 in 2010. Its best-known combat vehicles are the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle, the Centauro tank destroyer and the Ariete tank, and among its aircraft...
  
  (de facto)
- Navy of Vatican City: none, see Navy of Italy
- Air Force of Vatican City: none, see Aeronautica Militare
  Aeronautica Militare
  The Italian Air Force is the air force of the Italian Republic. It has held a prominent role in modern Italian military history...
- Special forces of Vatican City: none, see Special forces of Italy
Military history of Vatican City
Military ranks of Vatican City

Local government in Vatican City

Being a city-state, the government of Vatican City is also the local government.

History of Vatican City

Main article: History of Vatican City, Timeline of the history of Vatican City, and Current events of Vatican City

History of the Papacy
History of the Papacy
The history of the papacy, the office held by the Pope as head of the Catholic Church, spans from the time of Saint Peter to present day.During the Early Church, the bishops of Rome enjoyed no temporal power until the time of Constantine...
- Prisoner in the Vatican
  Prisoner in the Vatican
  A prisoner in the Vatican or prisoner of the Vatican is how Pope Pius IX described himself following the capture of Rome by the armed forces of the Kingdom of Italy on 20 September 1870. Part of the process of Italian unification, the city's capture ended the millennial temporal rule of the popes...
Governor of Vatican City
Governor of Vatican City
The post of Governor of Vatican City was held by Marchese Camillo Serafini from the foundation of the state in 1929 until his death in 1952...
Economic history of Vatican City
Military history of Vatican City
- History of the Swiss Guard
- Sack of Rome (1527)
  Sack of Rome (1527)
  The Sack of Rome on 6 May 1527 was a military event carried out by the mutinous troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in Rome, then part of the Papal States...

Culture of Vatican City

Architecture of Vatican City
- Saint Peter's Square
  Saint Peter's Square
  Saint Peter's Square is located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave within Rome .-History of St...
- Churches in Vatican City:
  - St. Peter's Basilica
    St. Peter's Basilica
    The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter , officially known in Italian as ' and commonly known as Saint Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world...
- Palaces in Vatican City:
  - Apostolic Palace
    Apostolic Palace
    The Apostolic Palace is the official residence of the Pope, which is located in Vatican City. It is also known as the Sacred Palace, the Papal Palace and the Palace of the Vatican...
  - Casina Pio IV
    Casina Pio IV
    The Casina Pio IV is a patrician villa in Vatican City which is now home to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas. The predecessor of the present complex structure was begun in the spring of 1558 by Pope Paul...
  - Domus Sanctae Marthae
    Domus Sanctae Marthae
    The Domus Sanctæ Marthæ is a building completed in 1996 adjacent to Saint Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City built during the reign of Pope John Paul II...
  - Palazzí Pontificí
    Palazzí Pontificí
    The Palazzi Pontificí is a building that forms part of the Vatican City in Rome. It has been decorated by many artists including Raffaello and Botticelli. Raffaello decorated the main room with the Stanza della segnatura and a side room with the Stanza di Eliodoro...
  - Torre San Giovanni
    Torre San Giovanni, Rome
    Torre San Giovanni is a round structure located on a hilltop in the westernmost tip of Vatican City, Rome, near Vatican Radio and overlooking the Vatican Gardens. The Medieval tower is located along an ancient wall built by Pope Nicholas III, but it fell into disuse at the beginning of the...
Cuisine of Vatican City
Ethnic minorities in Vatican City
Festivals in Vatican City
Humor in Vatican City
Languages of Vatican City
Media in Vatican City
National symbols of Vatican City
- Coat of arms of Vatican City
- Flag of Vatican City
- National anthem of Vatican City
People of Vatican City
Prostitution in Vatican City
Public holidays in Vatican City
Records of Vatican City
Religion in Vatican City (Vatican City is the sovereign territory and headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, and home of the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

)
- Christianity
  Christianity
  Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
  - Catholicism
    Catholicism
    Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
    - Roman Catholic Church
      Roman Catholic Church
      The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
      - Vicar General for the Vatican City State
        Vicar General for the Vatican City State
        The Vicar General for the Vatican City State or more formally the Vicar General of His Holiness for the State of Vatican City is an appointed position within the Roman Catholic Church, appointed by the Pope...
World Heritage Sites in Vatican City: Vatican City is itself a World Heritage Site

Art in Vatican City

Art in Vatican City
- Vatican Museums
  Vatican Museums
  The Vatican Museums , in Viale Vaticano in Rome, inside the Vatican City, are among the greatest museums in the world, since they display works from the immense collection built up by the Roman Catholic Church throughout the centuries, including some of the most renowned classical sculptures and...
Cinema of Vatican City
Literature of Vatican City
Music of Vatican City
Television in Vatican City
Theatre in Vatican City

Sports in Vatican City

Football in Vatican City
- Clericus Cup
  Clericus Cup
  The Clericus Cup is an annual association football tournament contested by teams from the Roman Colleges, which are seminaries of the Catholic Church located in Rome. During the fourth season , the tournament involved sixteen schools and fielded players from 65 countries, with the majority coming...
- Vatican City national football team
  Vatican City national football team
  The Vatican City national football team is the football team that represents Vatican City. They are one of only seven fully recognised sovereign states whose national team is not a FIFA member...
Vatican City at the Olympics: has not competed

Economy and infrastructure of Vatican City

Economic rank, by nominal GDP (2007):
Economy type
Economic system
An economic system is the combination of the various agencies, entities that provide the economic structure that defines the social community. These agencies are joined by lines of trade and exchange along which goods, money etc. are continuously flowing. An example of such a system for a closed...

: noncommercial (based on donations from church-goers)
- Church tax
  Church tax
  A church tax is a tax imposed on members of some religious congregations in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Sweden, some parts of Switzerland and several other countries.- Germany :About 70% of church revenues come from church tax...
- Peter's Pence
  Peter's Pence
  Peter's Pence is payment made more or less voluntarily to the Roman Catholic Church. It began under the Saxons in England and is seen in other countries. Though formally discontinued in England at the time of the Reformation, a post-Reformation payment of uncertain characteristics is seen in some...

Agriculture in Vatican City: None. See Vatican Gardens.
Banking in Vatican City
- Vatican Bank
  Vatican Bank
  The Institute for Works of Religion , commonly known as the Vatican Bank, is a privately held institute located inside Vatican City run by a professional bank CEO who reports directly to a committee of cardinals, and ultimately to the Pope...
Communications in Vatican City
- Internet in Vatican City
  - .va
    .va
    .va is the Internet country code top-level domain for the State of the Vatican City. It is administered by the Internet Office of the Holy See.There are 23 easily found names starting with "www" in the va zone, listed below...
- L'Osservatore Romano
  L'Osservatore Romano
  L'Osservatore Romano is the "semi-official" newspaper of the Holy See. It covers all the Pope's public activities, publishes editorials by important churchmen, and runs official documents after being released...
- Vatican Radio
  Vatican Radio
  Vatican Radio is the official broadcasting service of the Vatican.Set up in 1931 by Guglielmo Marconi, today its programs are offered in 47 languages, and are sent out on short wave , medium wave, FM, satellite and the Internet. The Jesuit Order has been charged with the management of Vatican...
Companies of Vatican City: none

Currency of Vatican City
Currency
In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...

: Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

(see also: Euro topics)
- ISO 4217
  ISO 4217
  ISO 4217 is a standard published by the International Standards Organization, which delineates currency designators, country codes , and references to minor units in three tables:* Table A.1 – Current currency & funds code list...
  
  : EUR
  Euro
  The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

Economic history of Vatican City
Energy policy of Vatican City
Mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...

in Vatican City: none
Oil industry in Vatican City
Vatican Pharmacy
Vatican Pharmacy
The Vatican Pharmacy is the only pharmacy in the Vatican City, founded in 1874 by Eusebio Ludvig Fronmen, a Fatebenefratelli monk. According to Vatican sources, it is the busiest pharmacy in the world, with 2,000 customers per day.The current director of the pharmacy is Joseph Kattackal, also a...
Tourism in Vatican City
Tourism in Vatican City
Vatican City is a popular destination for tourists, especially Christians wishing to see the pope or practice their faith.The main tourist attractions in Vatican City include the Basilica of St...
Transport in Vatican City
Transport in Vatican City
The transportation system in Vatican City, a country 1.05 km long and 0.85 km wide, is a small transportation system with no airports or highways. Given an average walking speed of 3.6 km/h, Vatican City can be crossed in 20 minutes or less. Thus, much of the infrastructure in the Vatican consists...

Vatican City Stock Exchange

Education in Vatican City

Academies in Vatican City:
- Pontifical Academy of Sciences
  Pontifical Academy of Sciences
  The Pontifical Academy of Sciences is a scientific academy of the Vatican, founded in 1936 by Pope Pius XI. It is placed under the protection of the reigning Supreme Pontiff. Its aim is to promote the progress of the mathematical, physical and natural sciences and the study of related...
- Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences
  Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences
  The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences was established in January 1994 by Pope John Paul II. It is headquartered in the Casina Pio IV in the Vatican. Professor Edmond Malinvaud was its first president...
- Pontifical Academy for Life
  Pontifical Academy for Life
  The Pontifical Academy for Life or Pontificia Accademia Pro Vita is a Pontifical Academy of the Roman Catholic Church dedicated to promoting the Church's consistent life ethic...
Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vatican Library)
- Includes the Vatican School of Librarianship
Congregation for Catholic Education
Congregation for Catholic Education
The Congregation for Catholic Education is the Pontifical congregation of the Roman Curia responsible for: seminaries and houses of formation of...
Vatican School of Palaeography, Diplomacy, and Archivistry, run by the Secret Vatican Archives.
Vatican City is too small to host extensive educational facilities, but the Holy See operates 64 academic institutions close by (in Rome), which are often considered part of the Vatican. The major ones are:
- Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum)
- Pontifical Gregorian University
  Pontifical Gregorian University
  The Pontifical Gregorian University is a pontifical university located in Rome, Italy.Heir of the Roman College founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola over 460 years ago, the Gregorian University was the first university founded by the Jesuits...
- Pontifical Urbaniana University
  Pontifical Urbaniana University
  The Pontifical Urbaniana University or Pontifical Urban University is a pontifical university under the authority of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.-History:...
- Pontifical Lateran University
  Pontifical Lateran University
  The Pontifical Lateran University is a university by pontifical right based in Rome, Italy. The university also hosts the central session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family...
- Pontifical University of the Holy Cross
  Pontifical University of the Holy Cross
  Pontifical University of the Holy Cross is a Roman Catholic university under the Curial Congregation for Catholic Education, which it has entrusted to the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei, or more commonly called Opus Dei...
- Salesian Pontifical University
  Salesian Pontifical University
  The Salesian Pontifical University is a pontifical university in Italy run by the Salesian order...
- Pontifical University Antonianum
  Pontifical University Antonianum
  The Pontifical University Antonianum is a Franciscan university founded in honour of Saint Anthony in Rome.-Establishment:...

Infrastructure of Vatican City

Energy in Vatican City
Health care in Vatican City
Vatican Library
Vatican Library
The Vatican Library is the library of the Holy See, currently located in Vatican City. It is one of the oldest libraries in the world and contains one of the most significant collections of historical texts. Formally established in 1475, though in fact much older, it has 75,000 codices from...
Transportation in Vatican City
- Airports in Vatican City: none. Rome
  Rome
  Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
  
  is served by two airports which are used by travellers to the Vatican.
- Rail transport in Vatican City
- Roads in Vatican City (see map)
  - Being only 1.05 km long and 0.85 km wide, Vatican City has no highways/
  - Vatican City has access roads and driveways. (See map)
Water supply and sanitation in Vatican City

Sister projects

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General reference

Geography of Vatican City

Environment of Vatican City

Natural geographic features of Vatican City

Regions of Vatican City

Administrative divisions of Vatican City

Government and politics of Vatican City

Branches of the government of Vatican City

Executive branch of the government of Vatican City

Legislative branch of the government of Vatican City

Judicial branch of the government of Vatican City

Foreign relations of Vatican City

International organization membership

Law and order in Vatican City

Military of Vatican City

Local government in Vatican City

History of Vatican City

Culture of Vatican City

Art in Vatican City

Sports in Vatican City

Economy and infrastructure of Vatican City

Education in Vatican City

Infrastructure of Vatican City

See also

Sister projects