Vatican City

Vatican City

Official name: State of the Vatican City (also known as The Holy See)

Area: 0.44 square kilometers (less than 1 square mile)

Highest point on mainland: Unnamed location (75 meters/248 feet)

Lowest point on land: Unnamed location (19 meters/63 feet)

Hemispheres: Northern and Eastern

Time zone: 1 p.m. = noon GMT

Longest distances: Not available

Land boundaries: 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) total boundary length; all with Italy

Coastline: None

Territorial sea limits: None

1 LOCATION AND SIZE

Vatican City (also known as the Holy See) is a tiny urban, landlocked enclave surrounded by Rome, Italy. It is the world's smallest state, located on the west bank of the Tiber River. The Leonine Wall forms the enclave's western and southern boundaries. Vatican City is the administrative center of the Roman Catholic Church; the Pope resides here in a palace west of Belvedere Park. Among Vatican City's other well-known buildings and landmarks is St. Peter's Basilica, the largest Christian church in the world. The Vatican Gardens comprise about half of the total area of Vatican City.

2 TERRITORIES AND DEPENDENCIES

Vatican City has no dependencies. Situated on about 40 hectares (100 acres) outside of Rome, however, is Castel Gandolfo, the pope's summer villa. The Italian government grants this property special tax exemptions because of its association with Vatican City. Another similar property is Santa Maria de Galeri, covering about 420 hectares (1,037 acres) and located about 19.3 kilometers (12 miles) from Vatican City.

3 CLIMATE

Vatican City has a temperate climate. The temperature in January averages 7°C (45°F) and in July it averages 24°C (75°F). There is little rainfall in the summer (May through September). Winter, the rainier season, lasts from September through April. Average annual rainfall is 50 centimeters (20 inches).

4 TOPOGRAPHIC REGIONS

Although Vatican City is built on a slight hill, the variation in elevation throughout the small country is less than 60 meters (200 feet).

5 OCEANS AND SEAS

Vatican City is a landlocked enclave completely surrounded by Rome, Italy.

6 INLAND LAKES

There are no lakes in Vatican City.

7 RIVERS AND WATERFALLS

Italy's Tiber River flows near the Holy See.

8 DESERTS

There are no desert areas in Vatican City.

9 FLAT AND ROLLING TERRAIN

There is no flat or rolling terrain in Vatican City.

10 MOUNTAINS AND VOLCANOES

Vatican City contains no mountains or volcanoes.

11 CANYONS AND CAVES

There are no canyons or caves in Vatican City.

12 PLATEAUS AND MONOLITHS

There are no plateaus or rock formations in Vatican City.

13 MAN-MADE FEATURES

The Leonine Wall, dating to the ninth century, forms the south and west boundary of Vatican City. Popes fleeing persecution have escaped from Vatican City through a passageway on the top of the wall.

14 FURTHER READING

Books

Hirst, Michael, et al. The Sistine Chapel: A Glorious Restoration. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1994.

Hutchinson, Robert J. When in Rome: A Journal of Life in Vatican City. New York: Doubleday, 1998.

McDowell, Bart. Inside the Vatican. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society, 1993.

Pietrangeli, Carlo, ed. Paintings in the Vatican. Boston: Little, Brown, 1996.

Reese, Thomas J. Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996.

Web Site

Vatican: The Holy See. http://www.vatican.va/index.htm (accessed March 12, 2003).