The regions on the earth can be divided into different types, such as countries, states, cities, towns, villages, and so on. Classification is necessary to get a quick idea of the common attributes related to a place. For example, when you come to know that a particular place is a city, you can quickly guess that it will have transportation facilities, large buildings, and other characteristics that cities mostly have but villages don’t.
Similarly, when you come to know that a particular place is a country, you quickly guess that it will have a national flag, a capital, and a national currency. There are 195 countries in the world. However, not all organizations agree with this number. The reason behind this is that the criteria a place needs to fulfill in order to be considered a country varies from organization to organization.
But according to the United Nations, which is an international organization whose aim is to maintain international peace and security, there are 195 countries. There is an interesting twist to this count. Of the 195 countries, 193 countries are recognized as member states of the UN, and the remaining 2 countries are recognized as ‘Observer States’. These two countries are the State of Palestine and Vatican City.
On the other hand, according to the list of countries made by Encyclopedia Britannica, there are a total of 196 countries. This list recognizes Vatican City, Taiwan, and Kosovo as countries. Located in South East China and East Asia, Taiwan is an island with a long controversial history.
While Encyclopedia Britannica considers Taiwan as an independent country, the United Nations considers it a territory of Mainland China. Located in the Balkans region of Europe, Kosovo is a self-declared independent country. But the United Nations consider it to be a part of Serbia, which is a landlocked country in South East Europe.
Now, let’s talk about the State of Palestine (also known as ‘Palestine’) and Vatican City. These countries are recognized as sovereign territories under international law. They are self-ruling territories and not full-fledged countries. However, these facts don’t take away the status of being called a ‘Country’ from these two territories.
Both Palestine and Vatican City are unique places in the world. They are known for being sacred places. While Palestine is considered to be a holy place by people belonging to Judaism, Islam, and Christianity religions, Vatican City is considered to be a sacred place by people belonging to Christianity religion. The history, culture, and other aspects of both countries are fascinating.
Find Out Which Is The Smallest Country in the World
Vatican City, which is officially known as the ‘Vatican City State’ or ‘State of the Vatican City’, is the smallest country in the world.
As we must have understood by now, Vatican City is quite different from the rest of the world. But the distinctive attributes of this country are not limited to self-governance or religious importance. Vatican City holds many more amazing facts. We have shared information about them in the following paragraphs.
But first, let’s see the area of Vatican City, as it’s one of the two factors that make this country the world’s smallest country. Vatican City has an area of 44 hectares. In terms of square kilometers and square miles, the area is 0.44 and 0.17, respectively.
So, it’s easy to understand that Vatican City is quite small. You might be wondering, ‘How many people could live in such a small area?’ Well, if you remember, we have mentioned that area is one of the two factors that make Vatican City the smallest country in the world. The second factor is population. Vatican City is the smallest country, not just by area but also by population. Hence, your guess that the population of this country must be low is true. Vatican City had a population of 825 in the year 2019.
As per the projections of the latest United Nations data, the population of Vatican City as on July 1, 2022, is 510. It’s worth mentioning here that around 50% of the total population lives out of the country due to being employed as diplomats. The rank of Vatican City compared to other countries in terms of population is 235.
But its rank in terms of population density is high. Vatican City is one of the top 10 most densely populated countries in the world. The population of this country has always remained low. Various reasons contribute to this fact. We will have a look at those reasons in the later sections of this blog post.
Along with being geographically the smallest and the least populated country in the world, Vatican City is also the smallest fully independent nation-state in the world. In simple words, it is the smallest independent country in the world.
Vatican City: A Special and Secretive Country in the World
If you haven’t been living under a rock and searching which is the smallest country in the world, there is no chance that you would have not heard of Vatican City before. Surrounded by Rome, Italy, Vatican City welcomes more than 5 million tourists every year. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations. Even if you are not a travel buff, you might have thought of visiting Vatican City after reading and hearing wonderful facts related to Vatican City. People visit this country for different purposes.
While some people visit Vatican City to witness the spectacular architecture of the Renaissance style, others travel to this country to see beautiful art pieces in museums. Some people visit the country to have a peaceful time, whereas others visit it to learn about its insightful history.
But the most common reason that brings tourists to Vatican City is religious tourism. As mentioned earlier in this blog post, Vatican City holds great importance for Christians. It is a symbolic center of the Roman Catholic Church. Vatican City is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church, or Catholic Church, is the largest Christian Church.
Catholic Church is in full communion with the Bishop of Rome. The Bishop of Rome is the bishop of ‘The Holy See’. The Holy See is the jurisdiction of the pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. A bishop is a priest with a high position of authority in some branches of the Christian Church. The pope is the bishop of Rome and the head of the worldwide Catholic Church. The pope also serves as the head of Vatican City.
In simple words, the Pope is a spiritual leader who overlooks the affairs of the Roman Catholic Church in Vatican City. He is also the absolute sovereign of the Vatican City State. The Pope is also the supreme leader of all the Catholic Churches. He is even the head of the universal college of bishops.
According to Vatican City, 266 popes have been there till now, including the current pope. The current pope of the Roman Catholic Church is Pope Francis, whose birth name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He was elected to be the pope and replace Pope Benedict XVI on March 13, 2013. Saint Peter is considered to be the first Pope. Pope Francis is the first non-European pope in 1272 years. He is also the first Latin American pope.
Thus, it can be understood that the Vatican City State is indeed a special country. Vatican City is believed to be a secretive country. Many conspiracy theories related to this small country come into the picture from time to time. For example, there is a theory that the Vatican Bank has been involved in numerous scandals. Another theory suggests that several people of high authority in Vatican City are controlled by the Illuminati. The term ‘Illuminati’ is used to refer to several real and fictitious groups that form secret societies.
One of the biggest conspiracy theories is regarding the ‘Vatican Apostolic Archive’, which was formerly known as the ‘Vatican Secret Archive’. Vatican Apostolic Archive is the central repository in Vatican City. Scholars and researchers who go through a tough vetting process are allowed to access this repository.
Some conspiracy theorists believe that the record of the communication that took place between Saint Paul and Emperor Nero regarding the existence of Jesus has been stored in the Archives. They believe that communication is proof that Jesus Christ never existed. Saint Paul is the one who founded the ‘Apostolic See of Rome’, along with Saint Peter. Emperor Nero was the 5th emperor of Rome who ruled from October 13, 54 A.D. to June 9, 68 A.D.
The Apostolic See of Rome is another name for the See of Rome. It is the seat of authority in the Roman Catholic Church. The past, present, and future of Catholicism, which is one of the six branches of Christianity, is incomplete without mentioning Rome. The city of Rome occupies a place of importance in the Christianity faith.
The practice of Christianity was legalized in Rome in 313 A.D. Invaders and migrants coming to this city also started following Christianity, mainly Catholicism. Rome is the spiritual capital of people who are Catholics. Similarly, the Vatican City State is a place of pilgrimage for Catholics. Rome has more than 900 public churches, which include Catholic churches and other churches. The number of total churches is more than 1600 if you include private chapels located in historic buildings.
Vatican City: History, Architecture, Culture, and Language
Although it’s an independent country, Vatican City is said to be located within the city of Rome in Italy because it is completely enclosed by the city of Rome. Situated on the west bank of the Tiber River, this landlocked City State came into existence on February 11, 1929. The Lateran Treaty was signed between Pope Pius XI and Italian leader Benito Mussolini on this day to resolve the disputes between the popes and Italy. The treaty declared Vatican City as an independent country. Benito Mussolini signed the treaty on behalf of King Victor Emmanuel III.
Once the treaty was signed, Vatican City started to be considered a sovereign entity distinct from Rome and the Holy See. The church in Vatican City, i.e., the Roman Catholic Church, received $92 million as compensation for the loss of the Papal States. The Papal States, which were also called the Church States, were a group of territories in central Italy. The Pope used to rule these territories both politically and spiritually until the year 1870.
But Vatican City got its largest church even before gaining independence. St. Peter’s Basilica was built in Vatican City in the year 1626. It is the largest church in the world. St. Peter’s Basilica is one of the holiest sites of Catholic Tradition. It was built in the Renaissance style.
Most people don’t know that this church is not the original St. Peter’s Basilica. The original basilica of St. Peter was built by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century. He was the first Christian emperor in the Roman empire. Constantine built the basilica on the spot where St. Peter was thought to be buried. The basilica’s condition deteriorated over the years. So, in the year 1506, the construction of the second basilica started. Pope Julius II and a team of architects were the leading force behind the construction of the present basilica of St. Peter.
Just like its history, the culture of the Vatican City State is also great. Vatican City has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Some of the most prominent architectural wonders, most prestigious artworks, and most significant literary works are present in this small country.
Vatican City has the Roman Catholic Church, St. Peter’s Basilica, Sistine Chapel, and many fantastic museums. Sistine Chapel is a chapel and the official residence of the pope. It contains artworks from famous artists. The main attraction of the chapel is the painting on the ceiling. The ceiling of the chapel is painted in fresco by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512. The word ‘Fresco’ is used to refer to the method of painting in which water-based color pigments are applied on freshly laid lime plaster.
There is no official language of Vatican City, but the country has two unofficial languages that are widely used by the residents. These languages are Latin and Italian. Latin was the official language of the Synod of Bishops until the year 2014. Then, Italian replaced Latin and became the official language of the Synod of Bishops. The Synod of Bishops is a religious meeting at which bishops gather and interact with each other. The purpose of the periodic meetings is to provide assistance to the pope in managing the church and governing the country. Â
The pope uses the Latin language to address the mass in Vatican City. The mass is then translated into different local languages while being broadcasted around the world. English is also widely spoken in Vatican City, as this country is a famous tourist destination.
Vatican City: Polity, Population, and Citizenship Rules
Now as you know which is the smallest country in the world, let’s know about it’s population and rules. Vatican City is governed as an absolute monarchy. The absolute monarch ruling the country is the pope. A monarchy is a political system or a form of government that is characterized by sovereignty or rule by a single person. The person or the monarch is head of state for life or until abdication. The term ‘Abdication’ refers to the act of renouncing monarchial authority. The pope is the principal executive, legislative, and judicial power in Vatican City.
The pope is elected at the Papal Enclave, which is a gathering of the College of Cardinals, the Church’s most senior officials. Several members of the cardinal are bishops and archbishops appointed by the pope. The pope is elected for a term of five years.
As you already know, Vatican City has quite a low population. The entire population of the country is urban and Roman Catholic. The reason why Vatican City has been able to maintain its low population count is that it allows only the ‘Clergy’ and the ‘Swiss Guards’ to reside. The clergy is a body of ordained ministers in a Christian church. There are six main levels of the clergy. The role of the clergy in the Catholic Church is to administer the church’s seven sacraments.
A sacrament is a religious ceremony in Christianity. The seven sacraments referred to here are baptism, marriage, holy communion, holy orders, confession, confirmation, and anointing of the sick. The Swiss Guards is a corps of Swiss soldiers responsible for protecting the pope. Vatican City has no army, unlike many other countries.
As far as the citizenship of Vatican City is concerned, you might be shocked to know that people don’t get citizenship here because of their birth. The interesting fact associated with citizenship is that there is no hospital in Vatican City.
So, no one can be born in this country, and since no one can take birth here, obtaining citizenship by virtue of birth is not possible. Citizenship in Vatican City is granted on the basis of employment status, authority, and power. Around 2500 people work in museums, gardens, buildings, and other tourist spots in the Vatican City State. These people commute daily from Italy. They cannot live in Vatican City because they cannot be granted citizenship. The role of women in society in this country is also quite different from the rest of the world.
After reading about the non-existence of hospitals in Vatican City, it’s easy to imagine that only a few women must be living in this observer state. The percentage of women in the total population of Vatican City is approximately 5 percent. Women can get citizenship in this country by marrying a man who has Vatican citizenship. Those who are not wives, for example, teachers and journalists, also get citizenship.
The citizenship of women lasts only until they live in Vatican City. Some of the women living in the country are wives of Swiss Guards. If the daughter of a couple living in Vatican City gets married to a person who is not a Vatican citizen, she loses her citizenship. Women are not ordained in the Church in this country.
As Vatican City is an absolute monarchy, elections are not held over there, except for the election of the pope. Citizens cannot cast their votes in the election of the pope. Only the cardinal can vote to elect the pope. There are some other rules as well that the residents and tourists in Vatican City have to follow. People need to abide by the dress code. They cannot wear miniskirts, short shorts, sleeveless clothes, navel-revealing clothes, chest-revealing clothes, and bust-revealing clothes. They cannot even wear excessive jewelry.
Smoking is banned all over Vatican City State. People have to keep their mobile phones on silent mode whenever they are inside St. Peter’s Basilica, chapels, museums, and other important places in this country. They should even remove hats before entering St. Peter’s Basilica.
But a big relief is that most tourist attractions in Vatican City allow the use of a camera. So, you can capture the majestic beauty of the country and your joyful moments spent over there if you visit Vatican City as a tourist. The best time to visit the country is April to October, but as this is the best time, the number of tourists will also be high. If you want to avoid the crowd and spend your time peacefully, you can take a trip during the winter months. Irrespective of the month, you should visit tourist spots on weekdays, as weekends are pretty busy.
Vatican City has a national flag, which was adopted on June 7, 1929. The flag of Vatican City is vertically divided. The left division has a yellow color, whereas the right division has a white color. The white-colored division has an emblem that features two crossed keys and a papal tiara. Vatican Radio is the official broadcasting service of the country. Vatican City even runs media outlets. The official currency of this country is Euro, even though Vatican City is not a part of the European Union.
The country has its own set of euro coins known as the ‘Vatican Euro’. Vatican City does not issue bank notes. Vatican City issues passports and license plates. It also prints its own stamps. One more interesting fact related to this country is that it does not have any taxes. Income tax, real estate tax, import duty, export duty, and other types of taxes and duties are absent in Vatican City. Vatican City supports its economy by selling coins, medals, stamps, and tourist mementos. Different types of fees tourists pay to visit tourist spots in the country also contribute to the economy.
Vatican City- The smallest country in the world- Drew Binsky
Concluding Thoughts
So you now know all the details about which is the smallest country in the world. Vatican City is a country of cultural, historical, architectural, and religious significance. If you have a travel wish list, you must add the name of this country to it. Visiting the Church, museums, chapels, gardens, and other spots would be an incredible experience. If you want to attend the Christmas mass in Vatican City, you will have to get tickets a few days prior. You can take the help of a tour guide to learn about the history behind the art and architecture in the country.
