VATICAN CITY
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 0.438 km2; land area: 0.438 km2
Comparative area: about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in
Washington, DC
Land boundary: 3.2 km with Italy
Coastline: none--landlocked
Maritime claims: none--landlocked
Climate: temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to mid-May) with
hot, dry summers (May to September)
Terrain: low hill
Natural resources: none
Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures
0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 100%
Environment: urban
Note: 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: 778 (July 1991), growth rate NEGL% (1991)
Nationality: no noun or adjectival forms
Ethnic divisions: primarily Italians but also Swiss and other
nationalities
Religion: Roman Catholic
Language: Italian, Latin, and various other languages
Literacy: 100% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force: high dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000
lay workers who live outside the Vatican
Organized labor: Association of Vatican Lay Workers, 1,800 members
(1987)
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: State of the Vatican City; note--the Vatican City
is the physical seat of the Holy See, which is the central government of
the Roman Catholic Church
Type: monarchical-sacerdotal state
Capital: Vatican City
Independence: 11 February 1929 (from Italy)
Constitution: Apostolic Constitution of 1967 (effective 1 March
1968)
National holiday: Installation Day of the Pope (John Paul II),
22 October (1978); note--Pope John Paul II was elected on 16 October 1978
Executive branch: pope
Legislative branch: unicameral Pontifical Commission
Judicial branch: none; normally handled by Italy
Leaders:
Chief of State--Pope JOHN PAUL II (Karol WOJTYLA; since 16
October 1978);
Head of Government--Secretary of State Archbishop Angelo SODANO
Political parties and leaders: none
Suffrage: limited to cardinals less than 80 years old
Elections:
Pope--last held 16 October 1978 (next to be held after the death of
the current pope);
results--Karol WOJTYlA was elected for life by the College of Cardinals
Communists: NA
Other political or pressure groups: none (exclusive of influence
exercised by church officers)
Member of: CSCE, IAEA, ICFTU, IMF (observer), INTELSAT, IOM
(observer), ITU, OAS (observer), UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR, UPU,
WIPO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation: Apostolic Pro-Nuncio Archbishop
Agostino CACCIAVILLAN; 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 333-7121;
US--Ambassador Thomas P. MELADY; Embassy at Villino Pacelli,
Via Aurelia 294, 00165 Rome (mailing address is APO New York 09794);
telephone 396 639-0558
Flag: two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with
the crossed keys of Saint Peter and the papal tiara centered in the white
band
ECONOMY
Overview: This unique, noncommercial economy is supported
financially by contributions (known as Peter's Pence) from Roman
Catholics throughout the world, the sale of postage stamps, tourist
mementos, fees for admission to museums, and the sale of publications.
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.
Budget: revenues $76.6 million; expenditures $168 million,
including capital expenditures of $NA (1991)
Electricity: 5,000 kW standby capacity (1990); power supplied by
Italy
Industries: printing and production of a small amount of mosaics
and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities
Currency: Vatican lira (plural--lire);
1 Vatican lira (VLit) = 100 centesimi
Exchange rates: Vatican lire (VLit) per US$1--1,134.4 (January
1991), 1,198.1 (1990), 1,372.1 (1989), 1,301.6 (1988), 1,296.1 (1987),
1,490.8 (1986), 1,909.4 (1985); note--the Vatican lira is at par with the
Italian lira which circulates freely
Fiscal year: calendar year
COMMUNICATIONS
Railroads: 850 m, 750 mm gauge (links with Italian network near the
Rome station of Saint Peter's)
Highways: none; all city streets
Telecommunications: stations--3 AM, 4 FM, no TV; 2,000-line
automatic telephone exchange; no communications satellite systems
DEFENSE FORCES
Note: defense is the responsibility of Italy; Swiss Papal Guards
are posted at entrances to the Vatican City