Vatican City is the world’s smallest fully independent nation-state. It is also the smallest by population. Situated on the western bank of the Tiber River, the Vatican City’s 3.2 kilometre border is landlocked by Italy.
The Vatican City has served as the official home of the pope of the Catholic Church since 1377. However, Vatican City was not declared an independent state until the Lateran Treaty of 1929, which created the independent state of Vatican City for the Catholic Church. Today, nearly 75 per cent of the Vatican’s citizens are members of the clergy.
Along with the centuries-old buildings and gardens, the Vatican maintains its own banking and telephone systems, post office, pharmacy, newspaper, and radio and television stations. Its 600 citizens include the members of the Swiss Guard, a security detail charged with protecting the pope since 1506.
The most significant building in Vatican City is St. Peter’s Basilica. The church is built on Vatican Hill, across the Tiber River from the historic centre of Rome. This was the site where Saint Peter, the chief apostle, died a martyr, and where he was buried in AD 64.
It is the Italian language that is used by most of those located within the state; however the official documents are written in Latin.