Holy See (Vatican City): Background & Geography

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 Middle East, terrorism, the failing health of Pope John Paul II, 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
water: 0 sq km
land: 0.44 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 - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
 none (landlocked)
Climate:
 temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to mid-May) with hot, dry summers (May to September)
Terrain:
 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) (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
 0 sq km (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:
 urban; landlocked; enclave in 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

See Also: