INtroduction
Stato della Città del Vaticano, or the State of the Vatican City, has been one of the most historically-rich destinations in both Italy and the world. Whether it serves as a religious capital for the Catholic Church, a popular destination for international tourism, or an architectural garden to some of the most beautiful works of art, its reputation across the globe makes it a hotspot of the Expanding Circle.
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GEOGRAPHY |
POPULATION |
The Vatican City is an enclave found within the heart of Rome, Italy. Its total area of land is 0.44 square kilometers, making it the smallest country in the world. As a Mediterranean country of Southern Europe, Vatican City experiences mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. This city-state's landscape is mostly flat and urban due to its location within the city of Rome; however its position on the banks of the Tiber River places the Vatican at one of the most historically known bodies of water in Italy.
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As of 2018, the total population of the Vatican is 801, making it the world's smallest country population to date. The ethnic groups found within the state are Italian, Swiss, Argentinian, and many others from around the world. As for age groups, 40 percent of citizens are between the ages of 15 and 59, and 60 percent over 60 years old; however, because of the Vatican's practice of celibacy, there are no residential children who live within the state. Therefore, Vatican City has a zero birth rate and fertility rate (Lahmeyer, 2006).
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Languages
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Although the Vatican has no official language, its location within Rome makes Italian the most commercial language throughout the state; even the Vatican's laws are written in Italian. Latin however, though it may be declared as a dying language, serves as the most practiced written language in the state, utilized in official church documents and most building inscriptions. Aside from Italian and Latin, Vatican City encourages the use of other languages among its people. The Pontifical Swiss guard, a small military responsible for the safety of the Pope, take their oaths of servitude using their own native language such as German. As for other languages, the Vatican holds masses, publishes newspapers, and writes on its official website in other various languages such as English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic. More specifically, English has been recently integrated into the daily interactions of Vatican citizens with international tourists who use English as a lingua franca.
Politics
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The Vatican City is ruled by an absolute monarchy headed by the Bishop of Rome (aka. the Pope) who holds full executive, legislative, and judiciary power over the state. This is in addition to his full authority over the Holy See, which governs Catholic Church worldwide. Unlike other monarchies, the Pope is elected into power rather than born into a royal bloodline. After the death or resignation of a former Pope, the College of Cardinals perform a Papal Conclave, where all cardinals of the Church hold a meeting locked within the Sistine Chapel until they have decided on the newly elected Pope. Elected on March 13, 2013, Pope Francis serves as the current and 266th Pope of Vatican City. His status as the first ever Jesuit Pope, first Pope from the Americas, and the first Pope from outside of Europe since the reign of Pope Gregory III in the 8th century brings him popularity from around the world.
History
While its historical origins date back to the time of its first establishment as a villa along the marsh banks of the Tiber River during the 1st century AD, Vatican City has only been a sovereign city-state since the signing of the Lateran Pacts between the Catholic Church and the Kingdom of Italy in 1929. This treaty put an end to three years of debate between both powers over the issues of politics, religion, and financial relations within Rome.
In the early years of the history of the Vatican, the Popes lived outside of Vatican City and served as governors of the Papal states (territories ruled by the Church within the Italian peninsula). However, as a result of the Kingdom of Italy's efforts to unify all of the Papal states and Rome under their rule in 1870, Vatican City became the new home of the Popes and their new capital of the Catholic Church.
In the early years of the history of the Vatican, the Popes lived outside of Vatican City and served as governors of the Papal states (territories ruled by the Church within the Italian peninsula). However, as a result of the Kingdom of Italy's efforts to unify all of the Papal states and Rome under their rule in 1870, Vatican City became the new home of the Popes and their new capital of the Catholic Church.