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Background:
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Popes in
their secular role ruled portions of the Italian
peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid
19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized
by the newly united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the
pope's holdings were further circumscribed when Rome
itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of
"prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by
three Lateran Treaties, which established the
independent state of Vatican City and granted Roman
Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a
concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified
certain of the earlier treaty provisions, including the
primacy of Roman Catholicism as the Italian state
religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include
religious freedom, international development, the Middle
East, terrorism, interreligious dialogue and
reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine
in an era of rapid change and globalization. About 1
billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith.
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Location:
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Southern
Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy) |
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Geographic coordinates:
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41 54 N,
12 27 E |
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Map references:
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Europe
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Area:
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total:
0.44 sq km
land: 0.44 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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about 0.7
times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
3.2 km
border countries: Italy 3.2 km |
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Coastline:
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0 km
(landlocked) |
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Maritime claims:
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none
(landlocked) |
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Climate:
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temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to mid-May)
with hot, dry summers (May to September) |
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Terrain:
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low hill
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: unnamed location 19 m
highest point: unnamed location 75 m |
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Natural resources:
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none |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (urban area) (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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0 sq km
(1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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NA |
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Environment - current issues:
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NA |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution,
Environmental Modification |
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Geography - note:
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urban;
landlocked; enclave in 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 |
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People |
Holy See (Vatican City) |
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Population:
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921 (July
2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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0.01%
(2005 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA% |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun:
none
adjective: none |
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Ethnic groups:
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Italians,
Swiss, other |
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Religions:
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Roman
Catholic |
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Languages:
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Italian,
Latin, French, various other languages |
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Literacy:
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definition: NA
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 100% |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: The Holy See (State of the
Vatican City)
conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City)
local long form: Santa Sede (Stato della Citta
del Vaticano)
local short form: Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano)
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Government type:
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ecclesiastical |
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Capital:
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Vatican
City |
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Administrative divisions:
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none |
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Independence:
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11
February 1929 (from Italy); note - the three treaties
signed with Italy on 11 February 1929 acknowledged,
among other things, the full sovereignty of the Vatican
and established its territorial extent; however, the
origin of the Papal States, which over the years have
varied considerably in extent, may be traced back to the
8th century |
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National holiday:
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Coronation Day of Pope BENEDICT XVI, 24 April (2005)
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Constitution:
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new
Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope JOHN PAUL II on 26
November 2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaces the
first Fundamental Law of 1929) |
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Legal system:
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based on
Code of Canon Law and revisions to it |
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Suffrage:
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limited
to cardinals less than 80 years old |
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Executive branch:
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chief
of state: Pope BENEDICT XVI (since 19 April 2005)
head of government: Secretary of State Cardinal
Angelo SODANO (since 1 December 1990)
cabinet: Pontifical Commission appointed by the
pope
elections: pope elected for life by the College
of Cardinals; election last held 19 April 2005 (next to
be held after the death of the current pope); secretary
of state appointed by the pope
election results: Joseph RATZINGER elected Pope
BENEDICT XVI |
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Pontifical Commission |
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Judicial branch:
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there are
three tribunals responsible for civil and criminal
matters within Vatican City; three other tribunals rule
on issues pertaining to the Holy See
note: judicial duties were established by the
Motu Proprio of Pius XII on 1 May 1946 |
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Political parties and leaders:
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none |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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none
(exclusive of influence exercised by church officers)
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International organization participation:
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CE
(observer), IAEA, ICFTU, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM
(guest), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN (observer),
UNCTAD, UNHCR, UPU, WIPO, WToO (observer), WTO
(observer) |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief
of mission: Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Gabriel
MONTALVO
chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 333-7121
FAX: [1] (202) 337-4036 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief
of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane
26, 00153 Rome
mailing address: PSC 59, Box 66, APO AE 09624
telephone: [39] (06) 4674-3428
FAX: [39] (06) 575-8346 |
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Flag description:
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two
vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with the
crossed keys of Saint Peter and the papal miter centered
in the white band |
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Economy - overview:
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This
unique, noncommercial economy is supported financially
by an annual contribution from Roman Catholic dioceses
throughout the world (known as Peter's Pence); by the
sale of postage stamps, coins, medals, and tourist
mementos; by fees for admission to museums; and by the
sale of publications. Investments and real estate income
also account for a sizable portion of revenue. The
incomes and living standards of lay workers are
comparable to those of counterparts who work in the city
of Rome. |
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Labor force:
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NA |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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essentially services with a small amount of industry;
note - dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay
workers live outside the Vatican |
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Population below poverty line:
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NA% |
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest
10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Budget:
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revenues: $245.2 million
expenditures: $260.4 million, including capital
expenditures of NA (2002) |
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Industries:
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printing;
production of coins, medals, postage stamps; a small
amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking
and financial activities |
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Electricity - production:
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NA kWh
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Electricity - consumption:
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NA kWh
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
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Electricity - imports:
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NA kWh;
note - electricity supplied by Italy |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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none |
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Currency (code):
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euro
(EUR) |
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Currency code:
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EUR |
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Exchange rates:
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euros per
US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002),
1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar
year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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NA |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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NA |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: automatic exchange
domestic: tied into Italian system
international: country code - 39; uses Italian
system |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 3, FM
4, shortwave 2 (1998) |
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Radios:
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NA |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (1996)
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Televisions:
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NA |
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Internet country code:
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.va |
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Internet hosts:
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9 (2004)
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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NA |
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Internet users:
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NA |
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Highways:
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none; all
city streets |
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Airports:
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none
(2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Pontifical Swiss Guard (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera
Pontificia) |
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Military - note:
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defense
is the responsibility of Italy; ceremonial and limited
security duties performed by Pontifical Swiss Guard |
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Disputes - international:
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none |
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This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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