Stato della Città del Vaticano (Italian) State of the Vatican City
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: "Inno e Marcia Pontificale"  (Italian) "Pontifical Hymn and March"
Capital		Vatican City 41°54′N 12°27′E / 41.9, 12.45
Official languages		Latin2
Government		Theocratic Absolute elective monarchy
-	Sovereign	Pope Benedict XVI
-	President of the Governorate	Giovanni Lajolo
Independence		from the Kingdom of Italy
-	Lateran Treaty	11 February 1929
Area
-	Total	0.44 km² (234th) 0. The Coat of Arms of the Holy See is Blazoned Gules, two keys in Saltire or and Argent, interlaced in the rings gules/or A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's Marche Pontificale (Papal March is the name of an instrumental piece of music composed by Charles Gounod (1818-1893 for the celebration on 11 April Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Theocracy is a form of government in which a god or deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler Absolute monarchy is a monarchical Form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything An elective monarchy is a Monarchy ruled by someone generally from a Royal house, who is elected by a group A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and Pope Benedict XVI ( Latin: Benedictus PP XVI; Italian: Benedetto XVI; German: Benedikt XVI; born Joseph Alois Ratzinger 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 Giovanni Cardinal Lajolo (born January 3, 1935 in Novara, Italy) is the current Cardinal President of the Pontifical Commission Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising The Kingdom of Italy ( Italian: Regno d'Italia) was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom The Lateran Treaty is one of the Lateran Pacts of 1929 or Lateran Accords, three agreements made in 1929 between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy Events 660 BC - Traditional founding date of Japan by Emperor Jimmu. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare sizes of different geographic regions areas between 10 Hectares (100000 m²) and 100 hectares (1000000 m² are listed below This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. 17 sq mi
Population
-	2007 estimate	821 (220th)
-	Density	1780/km² (6th) 4,610/sq mi
Currency		Euro (€)3 (EUR)
Time zone		CET (UTC+1)
-	Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Internet TLD		.va
Calling code		+394
1	Vatican City is a city-state
2	No official language is established by law, but government documents are published in Italian. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Central European Time ( CET) is one of the names of the Time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Daylight saving time ( DST Central European Summer Time ( CEST) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E A city-state is a Region controlled exclusively by a City, usually having Sovereignty. The language of the Papal Swiss Guard is German. Swiss Guards Swiss mercenary is the name given to those soldiers who have served as Bodyguards, ceremonial guards and palace guards at foreign European courts since The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages.
3	Prior to 2002, the Vatican lira (on par with the Italian lira). The lira (plural lire) was the Currency of the Vatican City between 1929 and 2002
4	ITU-T assigns code 379 to Vatican City. The ITU Telecommunication Standardization Sector ( ITU-T) coordinates standards for telecommunications on behalf of the International Telecommunication However, Vatican City is included in the Italian telephone numbering plan and uses the Italian country code 39, followed by 06 (for Rome) and 698.

Vatican City, officially State of the Vatican City (Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano), is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. A landlocked country is commonly defined as one enclosed or nearly enclosed by land Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself A city-state is a Region controlled exclusively by a City, usually having Sovereignty. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 At approximately 44 hectares (110 acres), and with a population of around 800, it is the smallest independent state in the world by both population and area. Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U ^[1][2][3]

Vatican City should not to be confused with the Holy See, which existed long before the foundation of the state of the Vatican City. The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic 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.

The city-state came into existence by virtue of the Lateran Treaty in 1929, which spoke of it as a new creation (Preamble and Article III), not as a vestige of the much larger Papal States (756-1870) that had previously encompassed central Italy. The Lateran Treaty is one of the Lateran Pacts of 1929 or Lateran Accords, three agreements made in 1929 between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy The Papal States, State(s of the Church or Pontifical States (in Italian Stato Ecclesiastico, Stato della Chiesa, Stati della Chiesa Most of this territory was absorbed into the Kingdom of Italy in 1860, and the final portion, namely the city of Rome with a small area close to it, ten years later, in 1870. There have been several distinct entities known as the Kingdom of Italy.

Vatican City is a non-hereditary, elected monarchy that is ruled by the Bishop of Rome — the Pope. The Bishop of Rome is the bishop of the Holy See, more often referred to in the Catholic tradition as the Pope. History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and The highest state functionaries are all clergymen of the Catholic Church. It is the sovereign territory of the Holy See (Sancta Sedes) and the location of the Pope's residence, referred to as the Apostolic Palace. The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic

The Popes have resided in the area that in 1929 became the Vatican City only since the return from Avignon in 1377. In the History of the Roman Catholic Church, the Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309 to 1377 during which seven Popes all French, resided in Avignon Previously, they resided in the Lateran Palace on the Caelian Hill on the opposite side of Rome, which was out of repair in 1377. The Lateran Palace, sometimes more formally known as the Apostolic Palace of the Lateran (Italian Palazzo Laterano) is an ancient Palace of the Roman The Caelian Hill (Latin Mons Caelius, Italian Celio) is one of the famous Seven Hills of Rome. The signing of the agreements that established the new state took place in the latter building, giving rise to the name of Lateran Pacts, by which they are known. The Lateran Treaty is one of the Lateran Pacts of 1929 or Lateran Accords, three agreements made in 1929 between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy

Contents 1 Territory 2 Head of state 3 History 4 Government 4.1 Political system 4.2 Administration 4.3 Military and police 4.4 Foreign relations 5 Geography 6 Economy 7 Demographics 7.1 Population and languages 7.2 Citizenship 8 Culture 9 Crime 10 Infrastructure 10.1 Transport 10.2 Communications 11 See also 12 References 13 External links

Territory

The name "Vatican" is ancient and predates Christianity, coming from the Latin Mons Vaticanus, meaning Vatican Mount. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings ^[4] The territory of Vatican City is part of the Mons Vaticanus, and of the adjacent former Vatican Fields where St. Peter's Basilica, the Apostolic Palace, the Sistine Chapel, and museums were built, along with various other buildings. The Basilica of Saint Peter (Basilica Sancti Petri officially known in Italian as the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as St Sistine Chapel (Cappella Sistina is the best-known Chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. The area was part of the Roman rione of Borgo until 1929. Rione (plural rioni) is the name given to a ward in several Italian cities the best-known of which is Rome. Borgo (sometimes called also I Borghi) is the 14th historic district ( Rione) of Rome. Being separated from the city, on the west bank of the Tiber river, the area was an outcrop of the city that was protected by being included within the walls of Leo IV, and later expanded by the current fortification walls of Paul III/Pius IV/Urban VIII. The Tiber ( Latin Tiberis, Italian Tevere) is the third-longest River in Italy, rising in the Apennine mountains Pope Pope Paul III ( February 29, 1468 &ndash November 10, 1549) born Alessandro Farnese, was Pope of the Roman Pope Pius IV ( March 31, 1499 &ndash December 9, 1565) born Giovanni Angelo Medici, was Pope from 1559 to 1565 Pope When the Lateran Treaty of 1929 that gave the state its present form was being prepared, the boundaries of the proposed territory was influenced by the fact that much of it was all but enclosed by this loop. The Lateran Treaty is one of the Lateran Pacts of 1929 or Lateran Accords, three agreements made in 1929 between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy For some tracts of the frontier, there was no wall, but the line of certain buildings supplied part of the boundary, and for a small part of the frontier a modern wall was constructed. The territory includes St. Peter's Square, distinguished from the territory of Italy only by a white line along the limit of the square, where it touches Piazza Pio XII. Saint Peter's Square, or Saint Peter's Piazza ( Italian: Piazza San Pietro) is located directly in front of St Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest St. Peter's Square is reached through the Via della Conciliazione which runs from the Tiber River to St. Via della Conciliazione (Road of the Conciliation) is a street in the Rione of Borgo within Rome. Peter's. This grand approach was constructed by Mussolini after the conclusion of the Lateran Treaty.

According to the Lateran Treaty, certain properties of the Holy See that are located in Italian territory, most notably Castel Gandolfo and the Patriarchal Basilicas, enjoy extraterritorial status similar to that of foreign embassies. The properties of the Holy See in Italy are regulted by the 1929 Lateran Treaty signed with the Kingdom of Italy. Castel Gandolfo is a small Italian town in Lazio that occupies a height overlooking Lake Albano about 30 km south-east of Rome, on the Alban A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one State or an international Inter-governmental organization (such as the United Nations) present in ^[5][6] These properties, scattered all over Rome and Italy, house essential offices and institutions necessary to the character and mission of the Holy See. ^[6]

Castel Gandolfo and the named basilicas are patrolled internally by police agents of the Vatican City State and not by Italian police. St. Peter's Square is ordinarily policed jointly by both. ^[5]

Head of state

Main article: Pope

The Pope is ex officio head of state and head of government of Vatican City, functions dependent on his primordial function as the bishop of the Archdiocese of Rome. History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and C D E Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state This article focuses on the cases where the Head of Government is a separate office from the Head of State The Bishop of Rome is the bishop of the Holy See, more often referred to in the Catholic tradition as the Pope. The term Holy See refers not to the Vatican state but to the Pope's spiritual and pastoral governance, largely exercised through the Roman Curia. The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Roman Catholic Church, together with the Pope ^[7] His official title with regard to Vatican City is Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City.

The papacy is a non-hereditary, elective monarchy, chosen by the College of Cardinals. An elective monarchy is a Monarchy ruled by someone generally from a Royal house, who is elected by a group The College of Cardinals (verbose Sacred College of the Holy Roman Church, Sancta Romana Ecclesia, S The Pope is also technically an absolute monarch, meaning he has total legislative, executive and judicial power over Vatican City. Absolute monarchy is a monarchical Form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. In Law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of Courts which administer Justice in the name of the sovereign or State He is the only absolute monarch in Europe. The Pope is elected for a life term in conclave by cardinals under the age of 80. An election is a Decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold formal office A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals to elect the Pope (or Bishop of Rome) who is considered by Catholics to be the Successor A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official usually a bishop, of the Catholic Church.

His principal subordinate government official for Vatican City is the President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, who since 1952 exercises the functions previously belonging to the Governor of Vatican City. 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 The post of Governor of Vatican City ( Governatore dello Stato della Città del Vaticano in Italian) was held by Marchese Camillo Serafini from Since 2001, the President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State also has the title of President of the Governorate of the State of Vatican City.

The Pope resides in the Papal Apartments of the Papal Palace just off St. Peter's Square. The Papal Apartments is the non-official designation for the collection of Apartments both private and state that wrap around a Courtyard (the Courtyard of Sixtus Saint Peter's Square, or Saint Peter's Piazza ( Italian: Piazza San Pietro) is located directly in front of St It is here he carries out his business and meets foreign representatives.

The current Pope is Benedict XVI, born Joseph Alois Ratzinger in Bavaria, Germany. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Pope Benedict XVI ( Latin: Benedictus PP XVI; Italian: Benedetto XVI; German: Benedikt XVI; born Joseph Alois Ratzinger Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Italian Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo serves as President of the Pontifical Commission for the State of Vatican City. Giovanni Cardinal Lajolo (born January 3, 1935 in Novara, Italy) is the current Cardinal President of the Pontifical Commission He was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI on 11 September 2006. Events 9 - The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest ends 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul

History

Vatican City*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Holy See
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, iv, vi
Reference	286
Region†	Europe
Inscription history
Inscription	1984  (8th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

Main article: Papal States

Even before the arrival of Christianity, this originally uninhabited area on the opposite side of the Tiber from the city of Rome (the ager vaticanus) had long been considered sacred, or at least not available for habitation. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex As of 2008 there are a total of 878 World Heritage Sites located in 145 "State Parties" The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex This is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe. Asia Minor, Cyprus, all of the Aegean Islands, the Canaries A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex The Papal States, State(s of the Church or Pontifical States (in Italian Stato Ecclesiastico, Stato della Chiesa, Stati della Chiesa Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The Tiber ( Latin Tiberis, Italian Tevere) is the third-longest River in Italy, rising in the Apennine mountains Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Agrippina the Elder (14 BC – 18 October AD 33) drained the hill and environs and built her gardens there in the early 1st century AD. Julia Vipsania Agrippina ( Classical Latin: AGRIPPINA•GERMANICI (14 BC – 18 October 33) most commonly known as Agrippina Major Emperor Caligula (37-41) started construction of a circus (40) that was later completed by Nero, the Circus Gaii et Neronis. Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (August 31 AD 12 &ndash January 24 AD 41 more commonly known by his nickname Caligula (kəˈlɪɡjʊlə was a Roman Emperor ^[8] The Vatican obelisk was originally taken by Caligula from Heliopolis to decorate the spina of his circus and is thus its last visible remnant. This area became the site of martyrdom of many Christians after the great fire of Rome in 64. According to the historian Tacitus, the Great Fire of Rome started on the night of 18 July in the year AD 64, among the shops clustered around the Ancient tradition holds that it was in this circus that Saint Peter was crucified upside down. Opposite the circus was a cemetery separated by the Via Cornelia. Via Cornelia is an ancient Roman Road that supposedly ran east west along the northern wall of the Circus of Nero on land now covered by the southern wall of Funeral monuments and mausoleums and small tombs as well as altars to pagan gods of all kinds of polytheistic religions were constructed lasting until before the construction of the Constantinian Basilica of St. Peter's in the first half of the 4th century. Remains of this ancient necropolis were brought to light sporadically during renovations by various popes throughout the centuries increasing in frequency during the Renaissance until it was systematically excavated by orders of Pope Pius XII from 1939 to 1941 . A necropolis (plural necropoleis or necropoles) is a large Cemetery or burial place (from Greek nekropolis "city of the dead" The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere Pope

In 326, the first church, the Constantinian basilica, was built over the site that Catholic apologists as well as noted Italian archaeologists argue was the tomb of Saint Peter, buried in a common cemetery on the spot. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest From then on the area started to become more populated, but mostly only by dwelling houses connected with the activity of St. Peter's. A palace was constructed near the site of the basilica as early as the 5th century during the pontificate of Pope Symmachus (b. Pope Saint Symmachus was Pope from 498 to 514 He was born on Sardinia, the son of Fortunatus  ?? – d. Jul. 19, 514; pope 498-514). ^[9]

Popes in their secular role gradually came to govern neighbouring regions and, through the Papal States, ruled a large portion of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when most of the territory of the Papal States was seized by the newly created Kingdom of Italy. The Papal States, State(s of the Church or Pontifical States (in Italian Stato Ecclesiastico, Stato della Chiesa, Stati della Chiesa Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Italian Unification ( Italian: il Risorgimento, or "The Resurgence" was the political and social movement that unified different states of the Italian For much of this time the Vatican was not the habitual residence of the Popes, but rather the Lateran Palace, and in recent centuries, the Quirinal Palace, while the residence from 1309-1377 was at Avignon in France. The Lateran Palace, sometimes more formally known as the Apostolic Palace of the Lateran (Italian Palazzo Laterano) is an ancient Palace of the Roman The Quirinal Palace (known in Italian as the Palazzo del Quirinale or simply the Quirinale) is the Official residence of the President Avignon (/aviɲɔ̃/ in French) ( Provençal: Avinhon in classical norm or Avignoun in Mistralian norm is a commune This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

In 1870, the Pope's holdings were left in an uncertain situation when Rome itself was annexed by the Piedmont-led forces which had united the rest of Italy, after a nominal resistance by the papal forces. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Piedmont ( Piemonte; Piedmontese and Occitan: Piemont; French: Piémont) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. Between 1861 and 1929 the status of the Pope was referred to as the "Roman Question". The Roman Question was a political dispute between the Italian Government and the Papacy from 1861 to 1929 They were undisturbed in their palace, and given certain recognitions by the Law of Guarantees, including the right to send and receive ambassadors. After the overthrow of the Papal States in 1870 Italy 's Law of Guarantees accorded the Pope certain honors and privileges similar to those enjoyed by the But they did not recognize the Italian king's right to rule in Rome, and they refused to leave the Vatican compound until the dispute was resolved in 1929. A prisoner in the Vatican is what Pope Pius IX claimed to be after the army of the Kingdom of Italy entered Rome ( September 20 Other states continued to maintain international recognition of the Holy See as a sovereign entity. In practice Italy made no attempt to interfere with the Holy See within the Vatican walls. However, they confiscated church property in many other places, including, perhaps most notably, the Quirinal Palace, formerly the pope's official residence. The Quirinal Palace (known in Italian as the Palazzo del Quirinale or simply the Quirinale) is the Official residence of the President Pope Pius IX (1846-1878), the last ruler of the Papal States, claimed that after Rome was annexed he was a "Prisoner in the Vatican". Blessed Pope Pius IX (May 13 1792 &ndash February 7 1878 born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was Pope from June 16 1846 until 1878 A prisoner in the Vatican is what Pope Pius IX claimed to be after the army of the Kingdom of Italy entered Rome ( September 20 This situation was resolved on February 11, 1929 between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy. Events 660 BC - Traditional founding date of Japan by Emperor Jimmu. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

The treaty was signed by Benito Mussolini and Pietro Cardinal Gasparri on behalf of King Victor Emmanuel III and Pope Pius XI (1922-1939), respectively. Pietro Cardinal Gasparri PhD ( May 5, 1852 – November 18, 1934) was a Roman Catholic Archbishop, Diplomat Victor Emmanuel III (Vittorio Emanuele III 11 November, 1869 – 28 December, 1947) was a member of the House of Savoy and Pope Pius XI ( Latin: Pius PP XI; Italian: Pio XI; May 31 1857 &ndash February 10 1939) born The Lateran Treaty and the Concordat established the independent State of the Vatican City and granted Catholicism special status in Italy. The Lateran Treaty is one of the Lateran Pacts of 1929 or Lateran Accords, three agreements made in 1929 between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy In 1984, a new concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified certain provisions of the earlier treaty, including the position of Catholicism as the Italian state religion. A concordat usually refers to an agreement between the Apostolic See and a Government of a certain country on religious matters although it is also used

Government

Holy See

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Vatican City

Pope Benedict XVI Roman Curia Secretariat of State Roman Congregations Vicariate General of Rome Vatican City Pontifical Commission President Conclave: 2005 Lateran Treaty

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Main article: Politics of Vatican City

The politics of Vatican City takes place in an absolute theocratic monarchy, in which the head of the Catholic Church takes power. The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Politics of Vatican City takes place in a framework of an absolute theocratic monarchy, in which the head of the Catholic Church, the Pope History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and Pope Benedict XVI ( Latin: Benedictus PP XVI; Italian: Benedetto XVI; German: Benedikt XVI; born Joseph Alois Ratzinger The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Roman Catholic Church, together with the Pope The Secretariat of State is the oldest Dicastery in the Roman Curia, the government of the Roman Catholic Church. A congregation is a type of Dicastery (department with a jurisdiction of the Roman Curia, the central administrative organism of the Catholic Church. Cardinal Vicar ( Cardinale Vicario) is a title commonly given to the Vicar general of the Diocese of Rome for the portion of the Diocese within The Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State (Italian Pontificia Commissione per lo Stato della Città del Vaticano) is the Legislative body of 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 A papal conclave is a meeting of the College of Cardinals to elect the Pope (or Bishop of Rome) who is considered by Catholics to be the Successor Papal election process for 2005 See also Papal election Presiding over the conclave was the Dean of the College of Cardinals, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger The Lateran Treaty is one of the Lateran Pacts of 1929 or Lateran Accords, three agreements made in 1929 between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy Information on politics by country is available for every Country, including both De jure and De facto independent Politics of Vatican City takes place in a framework of an absolute theocratic monarchy, in which the head of the Catholic Church, the Pope Absolute monarchy is a monarchical Form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything Theocracy is a form of government in which a god or deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler Absolute monarchy is a monarchical Form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything The Pope exercises ex officio principal legislative, executive, and judicial power over the State of Vatican City (an entity distinct from the Holy See), which is a rare case of a non-hereditary monarchy. History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and C D E The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or ^[10]

Political system

The government of Vatican City has a unique structure. The Pope is the sovereign of the state. Legislative authority is vested in the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, a body of cardinals appointed by the Pope for five-year periods. The Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State (Italian Pontificia Commissione per lo Stato della Città del Vaticano) is the Legislative body of Executive power is in the hands of the President of that commission, assisted by the General Secretary and Deputy General Secretary. The state's foreign relations are entrusted to the Holy See's Secretariat of State and diplomatic service. The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic The Secretariat of State is the oldest Dicastery in the Roman Curia, the government of the Roman Catholic Church. Nevertheless, the pope has full and absolute executive, legislative and judicial power over Vatican City. He is the last absolute monarch in Europe.

There are specific departments that deal with health, security, telecommunications, etc. ^[11]

The Cardinal Camerlengo heads the Apostolic Chamber to which is entrusted the administration of the property and the protection of the temporal rights of the Holy See during a sede vacante (papal vacancy). The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Sede vacante is the vacancy of the Episcopal see of a Particular church in the Canon law of the Roman Catholic Church. Those of the Vatican State remain under the control of the Pontifical Commission for the State of Vatican City. Acting with three other cardinals chosen by lot every three days, one from each order of cardinals (cardinal bishop, cardinal priest, and cardinal deacon), he in a sense performs during that period the functions of head of state. All the decisions these four cardinals take must be approved by the College of Cardinals as a whole. The College of Cardinals (verbose Sacred College of the Holy Roman Church, Sancta Romana Ecclesia, S

The nobility that was closely associated with the Holy See at the time of the Papal States continued to be associated with the Papal Court after the loss of these territories, generally with merely nominal duties (see Papal Master of the Horse, Prefecture of the Pontifical Household, Hereditary officers of the Roman Curia, Black Nobility). The Master of the Horse was (and in some cases is a historical position of varying importance in several European nations The Prefecture for the of the Pontifical Household or Papal Household, formerly known as Maestro di Camera del Papa is an office of the Roman Curia. The Roman Court or Papal Curia was reformed by the Bull Pontificalis Domus of 1969. The Black Nobility (aristocrazìa nera were Italian aristocratic families who sided with the Papacy under Pope Pius IX after the army of the They also formed the ceremonial Noble Guard. In the first decades of the existence of the Vatican City State, executive functions were entrusted to some of them, including that of Delegate for the State of Vatican City (now denominated President of the Commission for Vatican City). But with the motu proprio Pontificalis Domus of 28 March 1968,^[12] Pope Paul VI abolished the honorary positions that had continued to exist until then, such as Quartermaster General and Master of the Horse. Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Pope ^[13]

The State of the Vatican City, created in 1929 by the Lateran Pacts, provides the Holy See with a temporal jurisdiction and independence within a small territory. The Lateran Treaty is one of the Lateran Pacts of 1929 or Lateran Accords, three agreements made in 1929 between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic It is distinct from the Holy See. The state can thus be deemed a significant but not essential instrument of the Holy See. The Holy See itself has existed continuously as a juridical entity since Roman Imperial times and has been internationally recognized as a powerful and independent sovereign (at times even suzerain) entity since late antiquity to the present, without interruption even at times when it was deprived of territory (e. Suzerainty (ˈsjuːzərənti RP or /ˈsjuːzəreɪnti/ RP) (/ˈsuːzərənti/ GA) is a situation in which a Region or people is a g. 1870 to 1929). The Holy See has the oldest active continuous diplomatic service in the world, dating back to at least AD 325 with its legation to the Council of Nicea. ^[14] Ambassadors are accredited to the Holy See, never to the Vatican City State.

Administration

Legislative functions are delegated to the unicameral Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, led by the President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State. A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or Parliamentary chamber The Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State (Italian Pontificia Commissione per lo Stato della Città del Vaticano) is the Legislative body of 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 Its seven members are cardinals appointed by the Pope for terms of five years. Acts of the commission must be approved by the pope, through the Holy See's Secretariat of State, and before taking effect must be published in a special appendix of the Acta Apostolicae Sedis. The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic The Secretariat of State is the oldest Dicastery in the Roman Curia, the government of the Roman Catholic Church. Acta Apostolicae Sedis ( Latin for "Acts of the Apostolic See " often cited as AAS, is the official Gazette of the Most of the content of this appendix consists of routine executive decrees, such as approval for a new set of postage stamps.

Executive authority is delegated to the Governorate of Vatican City. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. The Governorate consists of the President of the Pontifical Commission — using the title "President of the Governorate of Vatican City" — a General Secretary, and a Vice General Secretary, each appointed by the pope for five year terms. Important actions of the Governorate must be confirmed by the Pontifical Commission and by the Pope through the Secretariat of State.

The Governorate oversees the central governmental functions through several departments and offices. The directors and officials of these offices are appointed by the pope for five year terms. These organs concentrate on material questions concerning the state's territory, including local security, records, transportation, and finances. The Governorate oversees a modern security and police corps, the Corpo della Gendarmeria dello Stato della Città del Vaticano. The Corpo della Gendarmeria dello Stato della Città del Vaticano ( Gendarme Corps of Vatican City State) is the Gendarmerie, or Police and

Judicial functions are delegated to a supreme court, an appeals court, a tribunal, and a trial judge. In Law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of Courts which administer Justice in the name of the sovereign or State

In all cases, the pope may choose at any time to exercise supreme legislative, executive, or judicial functions in the state.

Military and police

Though earlier Popes recruited Swiss mercenaries as part of an army, the Pontifical Swiss Guard was founded by Pope Julius II on 22 January 1506 as the personal bodyguard of the Pope and continues to fulfil that function. Swiss Guards Swiss mercenary is the name given to those soldiers who have served as Bodyguards, ceremonial guards and palace guards at foreign European courts since Pope Julius II (5 December 1443 &ndash 21 February 1513 born Giuliano Della Rovere, was Pope from 1503 to 1513 Events 565 - Eutychius is deposed as Patriarch of Constantinople by John Scholasticus. It is listed in the Annuario Pontificio under "Holy See", not under "State of Vatican City". The Annuario Pontificio ( Italian for Pontifical Yearbook) is the annual directory of the Holy See. At the end of 2005, the Guard had 134 members. Recruitment is arranged by a special agreement between the Holy See and Switzerland, and is restricted to Catholic male (Swiss) citizens. The Palatine Guard and the Noble Guard were disbanded by Pope Paul VI in 1970. The Palatine Guard ( Italian: Guardia Palatina d'Onore) was a military unit of the Vatican. The Noble Guard ( Italian: Guardia Nobile) was one of the guard units of the Vatican. Pope ^[15] While the first body was founded as a militia at the service of the Papal States, its functions within the Vatican State, like those of the Noble Guard, were merely ceremonial. The Papal States, State(s of the Church or Pontifical States (in Italian Stato Ecclesiastico, Stato della Chiesa, Stati della Chiesa

The Corpo della Gendarmeria acts as a police force. The Corpo della Gendarmeria dello Stato della Città del Vaticano ( Gendarme Corps of Vatican City State) is the Gendarmerie, or Police and Its full name is Corpo della Gendarmeria dello Stato della Città del Vaticano (which means "Gendarmerie Corps of the Vatican City State"), although it is sometimes referred to as Vigilanza, as a shortening of an earlier name. A gendarmerie or gendarmery (dʒɛnˈdɑrməriː or /ˌʒɑndɑrməˈriː/ after the French is a Military body charged with Police duties among civilian The Gendarmeria is responsible for public order, law enforcement, crowd and traffic control, and criminal investigations in Vatican City. ^[15]

Foreign relations

Main article: Holy See

Vatican City State is a recognized national territory under international law, but it is the Holy See that conducts diplomatic relations on its behalf, in addition to the Holy See's own diplomacy, entering into international agreements in its regard. The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states The Vatican City State thus has no diplomatic service of its own. Foreign embassies to the Holy See are located in the city of Rome; only during the Second World War were the staffs of some embassies given what hospitality was possible within the narrow confines of Vatican City, embassies such as that of the United Kingdom while Rome was held by the Axis Powers, embassies such as Germany's when the Allies controlled Rome. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

Given the distinction between the two entities, the Holy See's immense influence on world affairs is quite unrelated to the minuscule size of the Vatican City State. ^[16]

Geography

Main article: Geography of Vatican City

The Vatican City, one of the European microstates, is situated on the Vatican Hill in the west-central part of Rome, several hundred metres west of the Tiber river. Not to be confused with the older and larger Circus Maximus. The Circus of Nero or Circus of Caligula was a circus Location Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome ( Italy) Area Vatican City has a total area of 108 The European microstates or ministates are a handful of very small sovereign States on the European Continent and the surrounding islands The Tiber ( Latin Tiberis, Italian Tevere) is the third-longest River in Italy, rising in the Apennine mountains Its borders (3. 2 kilometres (2. 0 mi) in total, all within Italy) closely follow the city wall constructed to protect the Pope from outside attack. See also List of cities with defensive walls A defensive wall is a Fortification used to defend a city or settlement from potential aggressors The situation is more complex at the famous St. Peter's Square in front of St. Peter's Basilica, where the correct border is just outside the ellipse formed by Bernini's colonnade, but where police jurisdiction has been entrusted to Italy. Saint Peter's Square, or Saint Peter's Piazza ( Italian: Piazza San Pietro) is located directly in front of St The Basilica of Saint Peter (Basilica Sancti Petri officially known in Italian as the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as St "Bernini" redirects here For people named Bernini see Bernini (surname. The Vatican City is the smallest sovereign state in the world at 0. 44 square kilometres (44 ha/110 acres). Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U

The Vatican climate is the same as Rome's; a temperate, Mediterranean climate with mild, rainy winters from September to mid-May and hot, dry summers from May to August. Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of There are some local features, principally mists and dews, caused by the anomalous bulk of St Peter's Basilica, the elevation, the fountains and the size of the large paved square.

In July 2007, the Vatican agreed to become the first carbon neutral state. Being carbon neutral, or carbon neutrality, refers to achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing a measured amount of carbon released with an equivalent amount sequestered They plan to accomplish this by offsetting carbon dioxide emissions with the creation of a Vatican Climate Forest in Hungary. The Vatican Climate Forest, to be located in the Bükk National Park, Hungary, was donated to the Vatican City by a Carbon offsetting company Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic ^[17]

Economy

Main article: Economy of Vatican City

The unique, non-commercial economy is supported financially by contributions (part of which is known as Peter's Pence) from Catholics throughout the world, the sale of postage stamps and tourist mementos, fees for admission to museums, and the sale of publications. The unique noncommercial economy of Vatican City is supported financially by contributions (known as Peter's Pence) from Roman Catholics throughout the Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e Pope Benedict XVI ( Latin: Benedictus PP XVI; Italian: Benedetto XVI; German: Benedikt XVI; born Joseph Alois Ratzinger Peter's Pence is the practice of lay members of the Roman Catholic Church providing financial support to the Holy See. ^[18] The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to, or somewhat better than, those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome. ^[18]

The Vatican City issues its own coins. Vatican euro coins are issued by the Philatelic and Numismatic Office of the Vatican City State and minted by Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato (IPZS in Rome Italy It has used the euro as its currency since January 1, 1999, owing to a special agreement with the EU (council decision 1999/98/CE). Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Euro coins and notes were introduced in January 1, 2002--the Vatican does not issue euro banknotes. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Issuance of euro-denominated coins is strictly limited by treaty, though somewhat more than usual is allowed in a year in which there is a change in the papacy. ^[19] Because of their rarity, Vatican euro coins are highly sought by collectors. ^[20] Until the adoption of the Euro, Vatican coinage and stamps were denominated in their own Vatican lira currency, which was on par with the Italian lira. The lira (plural lire) was the Currency of the Vatican City between 1929 and 2002 Etymology The word Libra developed its Lira shape from Italian, a language famed for its loss of initial consonants in two-part clusters (ie

It also has its own bank, Istituto per le Opere di Religione (also known as the Vatican Bank, and with the acronym IOR). This bank has an ATM with instructions in Latin, possibly the only such ATM in the world. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. ^[21]

• Budget: Revenues (2003) 252 million USD; expenditures (2003) 264 million USD. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[22]
• Industries: printing and production of few mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide financial activities.

Demographics

Population and languages

Almost all of Vatican City's 821 (July 2007 est. ^[23]) citizens either live inside the Vatican's walls or serve in the Holy See's diplomatic service in embassies (called "nunciatures"; a papal ambassador is a "nuncio") around the world. Since the fifth century long before the founding of the Vatican City State in 1929 papal envoys (now known as Nuncios have represented the Holy See to foreign potentates The Vatican citizenry consists almost entirely of two groups: clergy, most of whom work in the service of the Holy See, and a very few as officials of the state; and the Swiss Guard. Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion. Most of the 3,000 lay workers who comprise the majority of the Vatican work force reside outside the Vatican and are citizens of Italy, while a few are citizens of other nations. As a result, all of the City's actual citizens are Catholic. Catholicism is the state religion. All the places of worship inside Vatican City are Catholic.

Vatican City has no set official language. Unlike the Holy See, which most often uses Latin for the authoritative version of official documents of the Catholic Church, Vatican City uses Italian in its legislation and official communications. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. ^[24] Italian is also the everyday language used by most of those who work in the state. In the Swiss Guard, German is the language used for giving commands, but the individual guards take their oath of loyalty in their own languages, German, French or Italian. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Vatican City's official website languages are Italian, English, French, German and Spanish. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. (This site should not be confused with that of the Holy See, which uses all these languages, along with Portuguese and, since 9 May 2008, also Latin. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. )

Citizenship

Citizenship of the Vatican City is granted iure officii, which means it is conferred upon some of those who have been appointed to work in certain capacities at the Vatican, and it is usually revoked upon the termination of their employment. Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. During the period of employment citizenship may also be extended to a Vatican citizen's spouse (unless the marriage is annulled or dissolved, or if a conjugal separation is decreed) and children (until, if they are capable of working, they turn 25, or in the case of daughters, if they marry). NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** Terms of citizenship are defined in the Lateran Treaty, and laws concerning the creation of the Vatican state in 1929 sought to restrict the number of people who could be granted Vatican citizenship. The Lateran Treaty is one of the Lateran Pacts of 1929 or Lateran Accords, three agreements made in 1929 between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy The only passports issued by the Vatican are diplomatic passports and service passports. A passport is a document issued by a national government which certifies for the purpose of international travel the identity and nationality of its holder ^[5]

As of 31 December 2005, there were 558 people with Vatican citizenship, of whom 246 are dual-citizens of other countries (the majority being Italian). Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Lateran Treaty provides that in the event a Vatican citizen has his or her original nationality revoked and also loses Vatican citizenship, he or she will be automatically granted Italian citizenship. ^[5]

Among the 558 were:^[25]

• The Pope;
• 58 cardinals;
• 293 members of the clergy who serve as diplomatic envoys abroad;
• 62 lesser-ranking clergy members who work in the Vatican;
• 101 officers, NCOs, and men of the Papal Swiss Guard; and
• 43 lay persons. History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official usually a bishop, of the Catholic Church. Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion. Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states A non-commissioned officer (sometimes noncommissioned officer) also known as an NCO or Noncom, is an enlisted member of an Armed force Swiss Guards Swiss mercenary is the name given to those soldiers who have served as Bodyguards, ceremonial guards and palace guards at foreign European courts since

Culture

Main article: Vatican City culture

The Vatican City is itself of great cultural significance. Buildings such as St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel are home to some of the most famous art in the world, which includes works by artists such as Botticelli, Bernini, Raphael and Michelangelo. The Basilica of Saint Peter (Basilica Sancti Petri officially known in Italian as the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as St Sistine Chapel (Cappella Sistina is the best-known Chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. "Bernini" redirects here For people named Bernini see Bernini (surname. Raphael Sanzio, usually known by his first name alone (in Italian Raffaello) (April 6 or March 28 1483 – April 6 1520 was an Italian painter and Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni Two biographies were published of him during his lifetime One of them by Giorgio Vasari, proposed that he was the pinnacle of all The Vatican Library and the collections of the Vatican Museums are of the highest historical, scientific and cultural importance. The Vatican Library ( Latin: Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana) is the Library of the Holy See, currently located in Vatican City. The Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani in Viale Vaticano in Rome, inside the Vatican City, are one of the greatest museums in the world since they display works In 1984, the Vatican was added by UNESCO to the List of World Heritage Sites; it is the only one to consist of an entire state. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Furthermore, it is the only site to date registered with the UNESCO as a centre containing monuments in the "International Register of Cultural Property under Special Protection" according to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. The Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict adopted at The Hague ( Netherlands) on May 14, 1954

Crime

Because, while the population is only a few hundred, millions visit the state each year, the crime rate measured against the resident population alone would seem enormous, as if 87. 2% of the population committed civil offences each year, with penal offences running at a staggering 133. 6% - 397 civil offences and 608 penal offences in 1992^[26] The most common crime is petty theft - purse snatching, pickpocketing and shoplifting - and the perpetrators, being outsiders, like the victims, are rarely caught, with only 10% of crimes leading to a prosecution. Civil law, as opposed to Criminal law, refers to that branch of Law dealing with disputes between Individuals and/or Organizations, in which The term criminal law, sometimes called penal law, refers to any of various bodies of rules in different Jurisdictions whose common characteristic is the potential ^[26]

In accordance with Article 22 of the 1929 Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and Italy, the Italian government, when requested by the Holy See, handles the prosecution and detention of criminal suspects, at the expense of the Vatican. The Lateran Treaty is one of the Lateran Pacts of 1929 or Lateran Accords, three agreements made in 1929 between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest ^[27] In 1969, the Vatican state abolished capital punishment, which was envisaged in the legislation it adopted in 1929 on the basis of Italian law, but which it never exercised. Capital punishment, the death penalty or execution, is the Killing of a person by judicial process as Punishment.

Infrastructure

Transport

Main article: Transport in Vatican City

Vatican City has a reasonably well developed transport network considering its size. The transportation system in Vatican City, a country 105 km long and 0 As a country that is 1. 05 kilometres (0. 6 mi) long and . 85 kilometres (0. 5 mi) wide,^[28] it has a small transportation system with no airports or highways. An airport is a location where Aircraft such as airplanes, Helicopters and blimps take off and land * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Before adding any more images to this * * page please do carefully consider * * whether they would be mere decoration * * or actually improve There is one heliport and a standard gauge railway connected to Italy's network at Rome's Saint Peter's station by an 852 metres (932 yd) long spur, only 14. A heliport is a small Airport suitable only for use by Helicopters Heliports typically contain one or more Helipads and may have limited facilities such The standard gauge (also named the Stephenson gauge after George Stephenson, or Normal gauge) is a widely-used Rail gauge. Rail transport in Vatican City consists of two 300- Metre sets of Rail tracks within Vatican City, the shortest national railway system in the 35 metres (16 yd) of which is within Vatican territory. Pope John XXIII was the first Pope to make use of this railway, and Pope John Paul II used it as well, albeit very rarely. Pope John (numberingBlessed Pope The railway is mainly used only to transport freight. ^[29] As the Vatican City has no airports, it is served by the airports that serve the city of Rome, within which the Vatican is located, namely: Leonardo Da Vinci International Airport and to a lesser extent, Ciampino Airport, which both serve as the departure gateway for the Pope's international visits. Rome Ciampino Airport ( Italian: Aeroporto di Roma-Ciampino or Giovan Battista Pastine Airport) is a joint Civilian, commercial ^[29]

Communications

The City is served by an independent, modern telephone system,^[30] the Vatican Pharmacy, and post office. The Vatican Pharmacy ( Latin and Italian: Farmacia Vaticana) is the only Pharmacy located in the Vatican City, founded in 1874 by Eusebio The postal system was founded on February 11, 1929, and two days later became operational. Events 660 BC - Traditional founding date of Japan by Emperor Jimmu. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On August 1, the state started to release its own postal stamps, under the authority of the Philatelic and Numismatic Office of the Vatican City State. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman The Philatelic and Numismatic Office of the Vatican City State (Ufficio Filatelico e Numismatico is responsible for issuing Vatican Postal Stamps and Vatican ^[31] The City's postal service is sometimes recognised as "the best in the world"^[32] and mail has been noted to its target before the postal service in Rome. ^[32] The Vatican also controls its own Internet domain, which is registered as (.va). Broadband service is widely provided within Vatican City. Vatican City has also been given a radio ITU prefix, HV, and this is sometimes used by amateur radio operators. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU allocates call sign prefixes for radio and television stations of all types Amateur radio, often called ham radio, is both a Hobby and a service in which participants called "hams" use various types of Radio communications

Vatican Radio, which was organised by Guglielmo Marconi, broadcasts on short-wave, medium-wave and FM frequencies and on the Internet. Vatican Radio ( Radio Vaticana) is the official Broadcasting service of the Vatican. Marchese Guglielmo Marconi mar'koni (25 April 1874 – 20 July 1937 was an Italian inventor best known for his development of a Radiotelegraph system ^[33] Its main transmission antennae are located in Italian territory. Television services are provided through another entity, the Vatican Television Center. ^[34]

L'Osservatore Romano is the multilingual semi-official newspaper of the Holy See. L'Osservatore Romano ( English: The Roman Observer) is the "semi-official" Newspaper of the Holy See. It is published by a private corporation under the direction of Catholic laymen but reports on official information. However, the official texts of documents are in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, the official gazette of the Holy See, which has an appendix for documents of the Vatican City State. Acta Apostolicae Sedis ( Latin for "Acts of the Apostolic See " often cited as AAS, is the official Gazette of the

Vatican Radio, the Vatican Television Center, and L'Osservatore Romano are organs not of the Vatican State but of the Holy See, and are listed as such in the Annuario Pontificio, which places them in the section "Institutions linked with the Holy See", ahead of the sections on the Holy See's diplomatic service abroad and the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, after which is placed the section on the State of Vatican City. The Annuario Pontificio ( Italian for Pontifical Yearbook) is the annual directory of the Holy See.

See also

• Borgo (rione of Rome)
• Flag of the Vatican City
• Military of the Vatican City
• Music of the Vatican City
• Diplomatic missions of the Holy See

References

External links

• Vatican City State - official website
  • Vatican Radio station
  • Vatican TV
• CIA — The World Factbook — Holy See (Vatican City)
• Detailed map of Vatican City
• Video (YouTube) of St Peters and the Vatican City
• Encyclopaedia Britannica's Vatican City page
• History of Vatican City: Primary Documents
• Lateran Pacts of 1929
  • Agreement Between the Italian Republic and the Holy See, 18 Feb. 1984
• Passetto Passage from Vatican to Castel Sant'Angelo
• Map of Vatican City
• Piazza San Pietro in Vaticano Virtual Tour with map and compass effect by Tolomeus
• The Pope's Walls
• stpetersbasilica.org Largest online source for St. Peter's in the Vatican
• UNESCO site
• Vatican Philatelic Society Premier online source of information about Vatican City postage stamps
• Vatican Secret Archive
• Vatican Museums Online
• Walls of Rome
• World Heritage Site
• Vatican City Live Webcam
• Vatican City travel guide from Wikitravel

• Vatican City is at coordinates 41°54′11″N 12°27′07″E / 41.903, 12.452 (Vatican City)Coordinates: 41°54′11″N 12°27′07″E / 41.903, 12.452 (Vatican City)

[[nap:Cità do Vaticano]]

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