FACTS ABOUT VATICAN CITY

AMAZING FACTS ABOUT VATICAN CITY

1.                 The Vatican City – 0.44 km² is the smallest country in the world.

2.                 Officially, the Vatican City is known as the Vatican City State or State of Vatican City.

3.                 It is located within the city of Rome, Italy.

4.                 The city-state is ruled by the bishop of Rome – The Pope.

5.                 The Vatican City is different from the Holy See. The Holy See is the universal government of the Catholic Church.

6.                 The Vatican City came into existence in 1929 after the Lateran Treaty signed between Italy and the Holy See.

7.                 The city is famous for some of the world’s most popular paintings and sculptures that exist in the cultural sites such as St Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and Vatican Museums.

8.                 The economy of the country is supported by the sale of postage stamps, tourist mementos, the entry fee for museums, the sale of publication etc.

9.                 The name of the country was first used on 11 February 1929 when the Lateran Treaty was signed. The name of this tiny country was adopted after the name of Vatican Hills.

10.            The official Italian name of the city is Stato della Citta del Vaticano.

11.            The country uses Italian and Latin as their preferred languages.

12.            The Vatican City has a two-mile border with Italy. The city is 1/8^th the size of Ney Work’s Central Park.

13.            The country is governed by absolute monarchy; the pope is the head of the state.

14.            The city-state mints its own Euro, has its own post office, telephone system, flag, national anthem, and also issues passports and license plates.

15.            Benito Mussolini signed the Lateran Treaty on behalf of the King Victor Emmanuel III.

16.            Just for the sake of comparison, learn that the area of the Vatican City is 44 hectares while that of Rome is 128,500 hectares and that of Italy is 30,133,800 hectares.

17.            Did you know that there exist only two countries in the world that do not have laws for divorce? One is the Philippines and the other is the Vatican City.

18.            The Vatican City is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church; it is the home of the Pope and home to ancient Roman structures.

19.            The first railway station was opened in the country in 1930 soon after its formation. However, the station is used for transporting freight and not passenger travel.

20.            The Vatican City is the only country in the world which is also a UNESCO Heritage site.

21.            In 2007, the country opted to become a carbon-neutral country by agreeing to create a forest in Hungary. The fate of the proposed forest is unknown, however.

22.            The Vatican Museums are 9 miles long and they have plenty of art and paintings available in them, which is one of the largest collections of art in the world. Pope Julius II founded the museums in the early 16th century.

23.            St. Peter’s Basilica is the world’s 2nd largest Christian Church after the Yamoussoukro Basilica in Cote d’Ivoire. It took 120 years to complete the church and the dome of the church was designed by Michelangelo. It is 400 feet tall and 138 feet in diameter. The church is built in 18000 square yards.

24.            St. Peter’s Basilica is the largest Catholic Church in the world.

25.            Italians, instead of paying to the Italian government, can donate 8% of their taxes to the Vatican City. This helps the Vatican City meet its expenses.

26.            The country does not have GDP because it does not produce items for trade.

27.            Pope John Paul II suffered an assassination attempt in the Vatican City on May 13, 1981. Interestingly, he pardoned the person who attempted to kill him.

28.            The Vatican City has one of the highest crime rates in the world. This is mainly because of the small population of the country. However, the crimes that happen in the city are of little importance and thus many of them remain unsolved. This tiny country, however, does not have a working prison and has only one judge. Thus, those who are convicted are simply marched to neighboring Italy.

29.            The 100% population of the city-state is Catholic.

30.            The Vatican City owns an advanced telescope in Arizona, U.S.

31.            The radio station in the city broadcast in 20 different languages.

32.            The Swiss Guard is the official guard of the Vatican City and the Pope.

33.            The Vatican City is not a member of the UN.

34.            It is also an interesting fact to note here that there is an ATM in the Vatican City which can be assessed in Latin. It is thought to be the only ATM in the world of this kind. It is run by the Vatican Bank.

35.            The Residents of the country drink a lot of wine, approximately 54 liters of it per person every year.

36.            The country also boasts the world’s shortest railway. The railway has two tracks of 300 meters each.

37.            The Vatican Museum receives approximately 5 and a half million travelers each year. This is a huge number considering the small size of the country.

38.            The Pope’s personal army has some 135 Swiss Guards. The army has been protecting the pope for more than 500 years now.

39.            The city-state does not grant citizenship based on birth but based on the work or office located in the country. There are no hospitals in the country, and practically no one can be born there.

40.            People those who receive citizenship from the Vatican City on the basis of their job in the country lose it when they lose their job. They revert back to their original citizenship in such an event and Italian citizenship when they do not have any other citizenship.

41.            The city is not surrounded by a thick wall as the majority of the sources on the web suggest. There are plenty of entry points to the city and one may just have to pass a metal detector to gain access.

42.            John Paul II is the only non-Italian Pope since the sixteenth century. He is also the most frequently traveling pope, having visited some 130 plus countries until now.

43.            The Apostolic Palace (the official residence of the Pope, also known as the Papal Palace, Palace of the Vatican and Vatican Palace.) was opened on 30 April 1589.

44.            The license plates in the country read – SCV – “Stato Citta Vaticano.”

45.            It is also the only country in the world to be a continuous non-hereditary monarchy.

46.            The Vatican City is less than 100 years old. It was formed in 1929.

47.            The country also has a football team (Vatican City national football team) of its own.

48.            The internet country code for Vatican City is .va.