Vatican City
Vatican City State
Local name: Vaticano, Vaticanæ
UN observer state
- Capital
- Vatican City
- Population
- 800
- estimate
- Area
- 0.4 km²
- 195th in the world
- Density
- 1,818 people/km²
- 5th in the world
In brief
Vatican City is a state in Southern Europe. Its capital is Vatican City. Its area is 0.4 km². Landlocked, it shares land borders with Italy.
History of Vatican City
For more than a thousand years the popes ruled the Papal States in central Italy. In 1870 Rome was taken by the Kingdom of Italy, and the pope regarded himself as a “prisoner in the Vatican”. The Lateran Treaty, signed on 11 February 1929, created the Vatican City State. The pope holds all powers there; the Holy See, which he heads, is a UN observer.
Geography of Vatican City
The smallest state in the world, at 0.44 km², the Vatican is an enclave within Rome. It includes St Peter’s Basilica and Square, the Vatican Museums and gardens. Its security has been provided by the Swiss Guard since 1506.
Map of Vatican City
Flag of Vatican City
The flag of Vatican City is white and yellow. Its official proportions are 1:1 (height to width).
- Yellow53%
- White46%
Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.
What the flag stands for
Square, half yellow and half white, with the keys of Saint Peter on the white half, one gold and one silver, beneath the papal tiara.
Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Vatican City” and “Flag of Vatican City”.
Fact file
| Official name | Vatican City State |
|---|---|
| Capital | Vatican City |
| Official languages | Italian, Latin |
| Currency | Euro (EUR, €) |
| Demonym | Vatican |
| Continent | Europe, Southern Europe |
| Access to the sea | No, landlocked |
| Area | 0.4 km² |
| Calling code | +3 |
| Internet domain | .va |
| UN status | Permanent observer state (Holy See) |
Economy and society
GDP per capita
Not published
Life expectancy
Not published
Urban population
Not published
Sources: World Bank (—) for population and economy, Natural Earth for the map, mledoze/countries and Wikidata for reference data. Method.