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@Holy See (Vatican City)
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Introduction

Background: Popes in their secular role ruled much of the Italian
peninsula, including Rome, for about a thousand years, until 1870. A
dispute between a series of popes and Italy was settled in 1929 by
treaties that recognized the Vatican City as an independent
sovereignty and gave Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. The
US established formal diplomatic relationships with the Vatican in
1984. Present issues in the Vatican concern the ill health of Pope
John Paul II, who turns 79 on 20 May 1999, inter-religious dialogue
and reconciliation, and the adjustment of church doctrine in an era
of rapid change. About 1 billion people worldwide profess the Roman
Catholic faith.

Geography

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
land: 0.44 sq km
water: 0 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: 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%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 100% (urban area)

Irrigated land: 0 sq km (1993)

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 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

People

Population: 870 (July 1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.15% (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: none
adjective: none

Ethnic groups: Italians, Swiss, other

Religions: Roman Catholic

Languages: Italian, Latin, various other languages

Government

Country name:
conventi